Nescafe

Both yesterday (Monday) and today I had to skip my morning cup of coffee because time managed to sneak up on me and it was too late to brew any. Coffee here is different anyways, it's strong. Or at least that's how Macedonians like it. I asked my teacher about how to make coffee here. The coffee that is ground up and packaged (same as at safeway) is ground super fine, even though it has tasted like coffee that I was used to in the states, I just wasn't convinced I was doing it right. Radica confirmed my thoughts, Turkish coffee is different, and while it is good the way I was making it, it can be better... Making it better takes time, not something I want to wake up 10 minutes earlier for. This is when she introduced me to Nescafe, and intant coffee that I'm fairly certain is available in the states as well. Essentially, if you are not drinking espresso, you drink instant coffee. She told me that Macedonians drink their Nescafe strong, much stronger than the coffee Americans drink. Stupidly I took this as a challenge. Two cups of extra strength Nescafe, and I'm thinking that even 4 nyquils wouldn't knock me out at this point. I'm an idiot. It's tasty, but I'll be awake for a few more hours probably.

Also I figured out the yogurt situation. One of the things that threw me off so much on my first trip to the grocery store were the variety of cheeses and yogurt. I would pick of a container of yogurt and swear it was liquid and not... well yogurt. I was right. Traditional (and the most popular) yogurt is somewhat in smoothie form, and unsweetened. The flavor is like plain yogurt but maybe even salty. Apparently it is best paired with brucha, which is a pastry that is stuffed with practically anything you want. This meal is supposed to be one of the best breakfasts I can ask for while I am here. I have the yogurt now I need to find a nearby bakery, and i'll have the pancake and eggs of Macedonia.

Hope you have a great Tuesday! I know I did!