Is there no Latin word for tea? Upon my soul, if I had known that I would have let the vulgar stuff alone. - Hilaire Belloc

There was a time when I'd get through a 6-pack of Diet Coke and three lattes in a day. Then I moved to Prague and found a vast difference in flavor of Coke Light to Diet Coke. Blech. With a joyous heart I was introduced to the beauty of the espresso, especially after dinner. So I stuck to the hard stuff for years - the bica in Portugal, the cafe in Italy.

With my move from Lisbon to Ljubljana came a wealth of new stimulant language to master. The typical Italian-influcenced coffees combined with Turkish and Balkan coffees, and it was a glorious few months of discovery. At work, the options were either coffee from a machine which sounded like a machine gun when it chugged molten grinds into hot water (with no, one, or two sugars, dumped into the stewed mess at the end) or a cup of muddy, thick goo which the girls at work called "Turkish". I drank this stuff for a few months, considering it a cultural experience and ignoring my palpitating heart.

Coffee breaks are a big deal in Slovenia; three per day, including much chat with colleagues. Plus sneaking in for shots of the muddy stuff throughout the day.

It took a few months to realize that my agitation and irritability might not be solely the responsibility of my inept boss. On the advice of an English friend, I tried tea. I didn't like tea. Then I discovered a vice: Twinings Vanilla.

The palpitations stopped. I became less agitated and irritable. Though my boss remained inept.

Fast forward to my move to Britain - Hurrah! All the Twinings Vanilla Tea I can drink! Except they don't sell it here. One must order it from the company and have it shipped to the house for 4 quid. Or I've got to go abroad to get it (the preferable option).

I'm an evangelist for a few things: Apple products, books, naps, and Twinings Vanilla tea.