Sunday, March 23, 2008

E-coffee, Taiwan

E-Coffee is as ubiquitous (double click on the word for a dictionary definition) in Taiwan as Starbucks is in America. The difference is that E-coffee has had a relatively successful streak with incorporating other foods and drinks into their business than Starbucks. With a drink menu of 40+ different espresso drinks, blended drinks, icees, teas, shakes, you can expect to find something to your taste while you type away at your next blog post. Par contre, in a recent NYTimes article, Starbucks is reportedly scaling back their "big evil empire" by cutting back on the breakfast sandwiches and other stuff they have started selling in addition to coffee.

Many of the posts on this blog happened in an E-Coffee. What else can you ask for in Taiwan during the summer?
Free internet? Check.
Air Conditioning? Check.
Beverages? Check.

I think this is a mango blended ice. The coloring doesn't look like mango at all, but that's because it didn't taste like mango at all. It tasted mostly like ice. Not a good experience with the blended ice drinks. I recommend getting something related to coffee.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Fresh Eggs From the Farm

Ever since one of my patients raved about the significant difference in taste between fresh eggs and grocery store eggs, I've been meaning to try eggs straight from the hen's butt. I drive through the rural back roads every day to come home from work, passing by a random driveway that always has a cardboard sign propped up against their mailbox that says, "Fresh Brown Eggs." So far, I haven't consumed any fresh eggs, because I always fly past the driveway, or am too intimidated to pull into some random person's house. I woke up this morning at 9am and went to the farmer's market, where eggs are twice as pricy as they are at the grocery store, and thought I'd give their fresh eggs a try. The old farmer man let me take a picture of all the eggs. They are technically "brown" eggs, but it's more like an easter basket than "Brown."In my dozen, there are brown, light maroon, green, even speckled tan eggs!
I am not sure if Latta is the name of the farm, but the old guy had special cartons for his eggs.