knock, knock; who's there

The two articles cataloged in this mini-compilation present us, in different ways, something about beers. The first one ushered us, in a quite artistic way, to a make-believe world where we can swim in beers and sleep in goodies; while, the second one seems to try to cram into us, in a quite nonchalant manner, something about the checkered career of a major beer maker, which I really don't care much about. Sorry, Guiness, yes, you were once and are still a great brewer, and now may be not your heyday, but this is life, embrace the vicissitude of life. I have a journey of gluttony to take. Garret Oliver, wait for me!

The first article, interestingly enough, does not begin with a beer talk. The author shows us a buffet of smells first, gearing up our olfactory functions to its top. Then comes wafting the teasing talk with a sly smile: "ok,ok,sorry to make you hold your saliva so long. Now, our carnival of beers begins!  have fun!"  

All those kinds of beers with their fancy names that I have never heard of before, and all those matching dishes and dessert, leave me totally dazzled. I didn't expect that beers can catch my eyes merely with their colors. I didn't know that beers can and should go with these dishes and desserts to taste better. In fact, I was not a fan of beers, or of any other alcohols. But I have to admit that I am seduced this time. Just as a saying goes, "the reason you do not like one thing is that you have not seen the best and beauty of it yet." OK, Qingdao Beer Festival, you are my next travel destination.

Speaking of alcohols, it is interesting to note that beer has a longer history than wine does in Europe; whereas, the opposite is true in China. Usually, when someone are talking about alcohol drinking, two contrasting pictures come to my mind: in one of them is a middle aged stout man with a cradle-like belly gulping down beer from an upended over-sized cup; in the other is an aged but still radiant man sipping from a delicate cup with his eyelids ajar. Of course, I am not authoritative enough to say that these two pictures are quintessential of Europe and China respectively. But I believe they at least reflect the difference between the two cultures. One is more free and open-minded while the other is more constrained and conservative. Does what they drink largely influences what they are , or the other way round? who knows.

2013-08-08

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