Tuesday, May 5, 2009

How do you say "decaffeinated coffee" in Mandarin?

This evening, Mares, you brewed some decaf coffee as you were preparing our delicious dinner. This simple act took me back.... Just about this time three years ago, we were living in Beijing. You were seven months pregnant. You had a hankering for coffee...decaf coffee, since you were preggers. I began asking Chinese friends and coworkers how to say "decaffeinated coffee" in Mandarin. They didn't know--the word was foreign to them and the concept paradoxical. I spoke with a number of expats until I finally found one who knew the magical words. That was only the first half of the battle. After that, we went through probably a half dozen stores until we found one in the basement of Jia-li zhong-xin. That became our decaf coffee depot. I remember you sitting back with your cute belly and a cup of Chinese decaf coffee in our apartment.

Let's have many more cups together, shall we? I love you. I love our life together....coffee and all! Love, CO