Coffee Talk

Ever since I was 14 I've always enjoyed coffee. Pretty young, I'd say, but of course back then I'd start with half a cup of cream and a dozen sugers, and my dad used to joke, "So, your having some coffee with your sugar?" But over here, they have got real options when it comes to the different ways you can enjoy your cafe. Today I was lucky enough to try 'cafe zero' a semi frozen, pre-packaged drink that comes in mocha and two other flavors, which i found in a book store that was oddly reminicent of a 'Barnes and Noble'...but, fortunatly, no Starbucks in sight. No instead I walk in the store and actually pass the box-like freezer (that is just below my waist height) twice before I see the same, (I'd say, 6 oz.) 'cafe zero' cup as I spotted in the window. I'd seen people walking around with these and wondered if there were larger sizes, since this little number would be terrified of my usual too-large-to-fit-into my car's cup holder brownie-toffie with regular milk and sugar, and could you please kinda melt the ice with hot chocolate?...Should it really take two sentances, three breaths, and an average of 5-8 minutes to get your morning caffine fix? 'Just give me the coffe and no one gets hurt;' is an all-American quote I've seen in a few of my friend's parents kitchens. To me this traslates into the reality that the way we use coffee in the U.S. is primarily as a drug rather than a beverage to sip and enjoy. For me, going from being someone who drinks one of those 64oz'ers on a daily basis to having 2 shots of espresso during my entire day and feeling just as alert raises the question: Do Americans settle for larger quantities and less quality in their coffee market, if not their entire diet overall? I really am beggining to think so. If I can come to Verona, wake up every morning and take 2 minutes to make a little pot of esspresso (which is about 3 shots, probly enough for a couple) eat a piece of fruit, drink a 3 oz. yogurt, and have some nutella on two little peices of toast...why would i ever go back to the typical 500-800 calorie McDonal's breakfast...lol...I'm luvin' it. ;P