It took me forever to start actually liking tea. Nasty bitter stuff, only slightly more tolerable than coffee, I always thought. And I still have a love/hate relationship with it(I am firmly convinced that it puts me to sleep instead of waking me up, hence depriving it of any caffeine value and leaving only relaxation value). But Earl Grey has definitely helped me on my way to tea illumination – it’s a lighter tea, or so I surmise based on my limited tea experience, and well, I just like the flavor. Sometimes I wonder, however, if the reason I like it is solely because of the name – Earl Grey. It practically rings with sophistication and a vague promise of classy English traditions and afternoon tea sipped delicately in gardens. Or maybe that’s just me.  Either way, the name sounds delicious, and so is the tea, as tea goes.

On a side note, how much do I love that “grey” is spelled in its proper variation and not the horrible American brand of “gray”?

Best Places to study/Cafes:

Novel Cafe

Iso Fusion Cafe

Boba Loca – very nice interior with cute little tables and cushioned seats for the window tables. Main drawback is that it’s small and there’s only a handful of power outlets. Wifi password changes every few days and sometimes twice in a day because the manager’s eccentric like that. Best for individual study as there’s only two large tables. Only other thing is that it’s rather stuffy(no air-con) so not a great place to be on hot days.

It’s a Grind- one of the best places to study in Westwood for one person or small groups of people -has a bunch of small tables with power outlets for every table. Menu is not extensive but what’s offered is good(ask for their chocolate milk -not on the menu but amazing). Free wifi, password is a1b2c3d4e5. Music is mostly jazz and the particular brand of pseudo-indie and radio-friendly pop that coffee shops seem to universally favor.

Le Pain Quotidian-1055 Broxton

Corner Bakery – 1019 Westwood(just beyond CVS on the corner) -this and It’s a Grind are my favorite places to study in Westwood, and each has its own advantages. It’s a Grind has plenty of power outlets but the tables are very small. Corner is much bigger with bigger tables and cushioned booths, but there’s only one power outlet in the whole place(in the front on the right wall) and it’s always heavily contested. Which makes Corner a good place to study if you don’t need a computer or only need it for an hour or so. Menu is basic American comfort food(which means delicious by my book) – mostly sandwiches, salads, and soups, but they also make excellent breakfast food – I always get the baked French toast which comes with bacon and fruit.  Free wifi. They play a rather odd brand of music – soft rock and oldies country I think I would categorize it? Unfortunately it’s always a bit too cold in there so you can get thoroughly chilled if you stay too long. I like shifting between this and Boba Loca.

Elysee-1099 Gayley