Americano Misto

To all Starbucks baristas around the world, I want to clarify once and for all the best drink at Starbucks. I seem to be teaching it to baristas wherever I go and I think it’s about time I put it in writing. It’s the Americano Misto. Everyone knows Misto (coffee of the day with steamed milk) and Americano (espresso shots with hot water), but when I say “Americano Misto,” I get the puzzled look. Some actually put the two together and get it right the first time, but others I actually have to explain to them…

So why do I think it’s the best drink at Starbucks? By diluting the espresso shots with water (3/4 of the cup) then smoothing it out with steamed milk (1/4 of the cup), the espresso is not too diluted and the milk smooths out the bitterness without overpowering it like latté.

Here’s how you make it:

1. add shots (3 for grande)
2. fill 3/4 the cup with water
3. fill the rest (1/4) with steamed milk of choice (I think nonfat works the best)
4. top it off with a little foam -- remember, it's not a latte, so go easy on the foam!

Here’s how you ring it up:

• Americano
• add dairy

I would like to extend my thanks to Melinda of Starbucks, Boston, for the recipe and introducing me to Americano Misto.

Journey Back to Seoul...

Granada Hills, LAX, SFO

It seems like haze… the memories of Seoul. I once heard that people are more likely to fade out their painful memories as a defence mechanism… (hence the term ‘good old days.’) Most of my last six months in Seoul is at best... a blur… as if I had awaken from a dream; it seemed so real at the time, but I can’t exactly put my finger on why I desparately needed a furlough. The time in U.S. has passed so quickly. It seems like yesterday that I was so happy to back in the states (the picture on my new driver’s license bears witness to this fact). But now, I am standing in line at Van Nuys Flyaway – an airport shuttle service to LAX – waiting for the 04:45 bus. It’s 4:33… There is something about the serenity of this place…

United 885 to San Francisco… I sit next to an actress who plays a part in “Jake in Progress.” We exchange first names and chat about nothing of importance the whole way. We both know we are nothing more than single-serving-friend* for the flight…

I arrive at gate G99… the whole area is empty. I look at my watch out of habit… 09:47. I am early for my 12:30 flight. I take out my new Canon PowerShot SD450 and capture the silence…

‘I am going back to Seoul…’ I keep repeating the words to myself as if I were in denial.

I am going back to Seoul…

* I can't take credit for the term single-serving-friend. I believe I heard it in a movie some time ago.

Encounter

Boston

I saw her inside the store. I thought I was fine... but the mere sight of her started to affect me. ‘Should I stand here? Should I go inside? Should I at least hold the door?’ Billions of neurtransmitters overloaded the synapses in my head. From the moment I saw her until she saw me felt like an eternity. 10 minutes... eternity. I put on a brave front.

I was powerless. Life time of striving toward perfecting the art of gracefulness... in mere moments, dissolved to nothing. I became the epitome of the witless idiot unable to maintain composure... desperately seeking approval. Slight hint of disapproval, my panic grew exponentially. Pathetic.

After saying goodbye, I hated myself. I lay in my hotel room, replaying the torture in my head. Moron.

I don’t know why I put up with this. I am drawn to her like a mosquito to an electric death lamp. Stay away, damn it!

Memento-esque Moment

Hotel 140, Boston

Headache… I turn my head to look at the clock. 08:48… With each pounding, I’m having a private Menento-esque moment; bits and pieces of previous night are coming back in snippets of flashback… in reverse sequence.

Tracing my hand across the glass at 240 Washington Street… again at 84 State Street… Being overly enthusiastic character witness for friends in front of a complete stranger… in front of Hong Kong after closing hour… Making a complete fool of myself (it felt like a good idea at the time)… way too many Bombay Saphire gin & tonic… Silvertone… more gin & tonic, feeling sick drinking Belvedere vodka martini with single olive… yelling across the table and talking about “ugly f---“… the TAM… and way too many Amstel Lights at MJ O’Conners.

My brain is trying to escape my head with each pounding.

Metropolis Café

Starbucks near Copley, Boston

09:01 Friday morning. As Regis and Kelly came on, I left the hotel room. My heart was set on having breakfast at Metropolis Café. It was a typical brisk early winter morning in Boston… As I walked the half-mile, I regurgitated the painful memories… and asked myself ‘why are you doing this to yourself?’ And yet I couldn’t turn away… my body was on autopilot. After what felt like couple of miles, I stood in front of the café… It was closed:

Brunch: Saturday – Sunday 9:00 AM – 03:00 PM

Just standing in front of the restaurant, I relapsed into almost a ‘trance-like’ state reliving the excruciating moments… When I couldn’t stand it anymore, I started walking absentmindedly toward Copley. ‘What am I doing?’ I thought to myself. Am I a closet masochist? I have always known I, unfortunately, inherited the altruistic genes from both sides of my family, but that’s deriving pleasure from benefiting others at the cost of self; wallowing in my own pain benefits no one. After mindlessly walking for a while, I could do nothing but sit inside, of all places, Starbucks and analyze what had just transpired. I guess, in some twisted way, I am looking for closure… By regurgitating the pain, I am desperately trying to put up a barrier… to prevent myself from the pain… to relieve myself of what remains of the painful longing…

Red-eye to Boston

Starbucks @ Berkeley & Boylston, Boston

OK... I just got off the red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston... stuck between horizontally well-endowed indivisuals on each side of me. It's bad enough I'm stuck in the middle, but to be squeezed by two others for the whole flight is just wrong. I mean, the coach seat is already small, but to forfeit what little space I have to overflowing passengers on BOTH side...? I couldn't sleep at all.

The airlines should require certain horizontal size limit on coach seats. Why shouldn't all passengers be required to occupy same amount of space? Aren't I paying for the minimal yet guaranteed level of comfort?

OK... I may be a little cranky since I haven't slept all night... but I feel entitled to some bitchiness after an unrelentingly restless red-eye flight...

Going home(?)

Granada Hills, California

I'm taking the red-eye to Boston tonight... And I feel as if I'm returning home. I don't own a home in Boston; all I have left is a P.O. box and a cell phone with 617 area code. I guess it was my desperate attempt to hold on... owning a piece of Boston felt as if Boston was still a part of me...

POE & Driver's License

I'm thinking, since converting my California driver's license into a Massachusetts one was as simple as filling out a form, it would be pretty much the same drill. I walk in, go to the information desk and take a number. DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) worker gives a form to fill out - which I do. I pay my fee and take the picture and 'Voilà!' instant conversion... so I thought. I am told I need to walk into this room which turns out to be where the written tests are given. Damn! I'm not prepared for this...

I sheepishly take a pencil and the test to an empty spot. I'm thinking, 'I could do this. I have been driving for 17 years.' So I read the first question (paraphrased):

What is the maximum legal limit for blood alcohol level

1. 0.05%
2. 0.08%
3. 0.10%

'OK.... skip this one...'

After skipping the first half of the questions, I start to panic... Then all of a sudden I remembered, POE! It's an acronym for process of elimination. It's a useful testing technique I had stopped using since college. But luckily I've been skimming over GMAT prep books the last few days; I was re-introduced to good ol' POE.

Well, I passed the exam with flying colors. Thank you, Princeton Review!