Dear Beijing

You spoiled me. I came home and found that I didn't miss it very much.

You surprised me when they said yoghurt was popular there. I always thought yoghurt was a Western thing. A month and a half after trying the first pack, I still cannot get enough of it. Yoghurt with honeyed granola, with almond flakes, with strawberry, with red dates or with nothing at all. What is it that makes it so awesome??

And if that wasn't enough, you blew me away with the cafes that were everywhere and nowhere. Always concentrated in an area and I was always forced to decide which one to camp at. Each cafe I went to was like finding a gem; some more precious than others but I could always count on that-familiar-something. I'll miss Bridge the most, with its lovely staff, homey interior and awesome breakfasts. Can't forget the great company that went along with it too.

You spoiled me with the food that came so much cheaper than what I'm used to, even at pricey-ish restaurants. And they were good too. In a month, I've had a more international fare there than I've had in the first half of the year. Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Mexican, Xi An, Western, Taiwanese, Hang Zhou cuisine and more. There's always something new to try at such affordable prices that it's unthinkable to resist.

And you spoiled me with the constant presence of wi-fi almost everywhere I turned. Cafes, restaurants and bookstores (the three places I frequented most). It's something I took for granted there and I developed a habit of whipping out my phone to check for wi-fi the moment I entered a shop, to the amusement of my roommate. Now that I'm back, I've got to get used to the general lack of wifi again.

The last week was a thoroughly restful vacation and it was more than I could ask for. The four pillows on a king-sized bed with a luxurious blanket, breakfast spreads, people who smile when they hold doors open for you, home-cooked meals, hot Milo, a string of cafes right next to the apartment, good bread and wine. I lived with the greatest satisfaction those few days (:

Returning home felt like yesterday proceeding to today. There was nothing overly surreal or dreamy about summer in Beijing; it was every bit as gritty as it was fun and I quite like it that way.

I'll be back, but don't wait up.