Pu’er Coffee

 “Almost” is a word that carries a familiar life attitude in Chinese culture. It reflects a way of thinking rooted in balance—a practical philosophy for living. Not too much, not too little. Go with the flow. Stay tolerant of imperfection. Avoid the exhaustion that comes from obsessive precision. I think this is the state many young people today are trying to explore—or hoping to become. “Almost” is no longer the numbed indifference produced by social conditioning; instead, it has become a resilient survival strategy for ordinary people navigating life with limited resources. I don’t know whether the café I’m talking about today consciously embraces this philosophy, but the moment you read its name, you feel a sense of release—like pressure quietly lifting off your chest. As Little Snake Gary once said, “My family doesn’t expect me to shoulder all the responsibility, because I don’t have shoulders!” Located at 540 Wener West Road in Hangzhou’s Xihu District, Almost Relax Café giv...

 A few days ago, I called Ms. Yang, the owner of the Beigui Coffee Warehouse branch at the Northern Wetland Park. I told her that our magazine wanted to host a coffee salon there. She agreed warmly but suggested avoiding weekends, as the place gets crowded and might disrupt the sharing session. Moved by her enthusiasm, I decided to visit her café in advance. White clouds drifted across the blue sky. The dawn redwoods and other green trees in Pu’er’s Northern Wetland Park together painted the picture of “the season of orange and green” from Su Shi’s poem. At 11 a.m., a few elderly visitors were sunbathing and sipping their coffee inside the Beigui Coffee Warehouse. The young barista had opened the shop right on time at 9:30, quietly waiting for customers. Her name is Xiaotong, and her shy, youthful smile is endearing. Young barista Xiaotong Several seniors had come from Sichuan to spend the winter in Pu’er. The warm winter sun felt comforting on their backs. When the sound of drum...

 When I push open the shop door in the morning, the first thing I do isn’t turn on the espresso machine—it’s to feel. My fingertips glide across the cool stainless-steel counter. Morning light cuts diagonally through the window, casting a bright triangle onto the wooden table—this very first moment of warmth and shadow becomes the day’s opening, silent image in my mind. I’ve grown used to observing with my eyes. When the grinder growls, the burst of deep brown grounds always reminds me of the soft crunch of leaves underfoot in a quiet forest. Tamping is the silent secret beneath the wrist—a breath-holding motion, soft and deliberate, meant to protect something quiet and unspoken. The amber espresso flows from the portafilter like silk. I crouch down, aligning my lens with the stream, gently tilting the cup to watch the liquid settle and kiss the ice—like a tiny, tender rainfall. People often ask me why I pay attention to such small, fleeting things. I show them the photos in ...

 In street snapshots, office desks, or cozy corners of coffee shops, holding a cup of coffee has long become the norm. People who love coffee seem to carry a unique vibe—spending time with them makes life feel more textured and beautiful. Today, let’s talk about the hidden qualities that make coffee lovers so easy to appreciate and worth getting close to. 1. They Stay Graceful Even in a Busy Life — Finding Poetry Amid the Daily Chaos Who doesn’t live with deadlines chasing them? When work piles up and tasks keep coming, many people fall into anxiety. But coffee lovers somehow always find their balance. To them, a cup of coffee is a small but powerful joy—its caffeine quickly boosts focus and energy, and the brewing process itself becomes a rare moment of calm. Drip bags take just three minutes, cold brew can be made in advance, and even a well-prepared hand brew only takes about ten minutes. They know how to carve out time for themselves, even on the busiest days. Just the act of...