As you may or may not know, coffee, beer and tea are, in that order, my three most beloved beverages. However, Coca-Cola may have supplanted tea in the coveted third spot. I have hardly had any tea since coming to Europe.
I have raved extensively (although not on this blog) on the wonders of Belgian beer. I have also sampled beer from many other countries. Beer is almost always cheaper in Europe than in Singapore and I am not reluctant to spend on it because of the sunk opportunity costs.
Coffee in western Europe, on the other hand, is more expensive and far less enjoyable than in Singapore. In the Balkan region, however, the countless serving methods of strong Turkish-style brews had me pumped with caffeine throughout much of the trip. They were cheap as well, ranging from about SGD 0.50 in Albania and Kosovo to no more than SGD 2 in big city cafes. While I do not drink much coffee in Belgium, I have a little stash of Melaka white coffee, and also have the privilege of free (watery) coffee at the international student lounge.
My main point in this post, however, is to record the strange pricing of Coca-Cola in school. The school cafeteria sells a 330ml can for €1,00 and a 500ml bottle for €1,30. In the very same cafeteria, one vending machine sells cans at €1,10 each and strangest of all, another machine has bottles at €1,00 each, easily the cheapest option. Finally a vending machine in the law faculty itself sells cans at €0,80.
