Why a Former Creative Director Still Drinks Coffee in Rural China

Tang Lingling once earned a five-figure salary as creative director for several companies, enjoying imported perfumes, luxury watches, and high-end coffee equipment—the works. But after relocating to teach fifth graders in a mountain village in Guangxi’s Yulin region, she swapped her urban lifestyle for a life of plastic-sealed windows, creaky wooden beds, and limited resources. Yet amid these dramatic changes, one constant remains: her daily coffee ritual.

Yes, she still drinks coffee every day—even in a village school with no glass in the windows and temperatures far colder than she’s used to. How? By switching from a premium setup to a basic $100 electric coffee kettle she says she 'can still afford.'

The Classroom That Became Home

Tang now teaches at Dasha Primary School, one of many rural schools in Guangxi. While better equipped than some—classrooms have doors and windows, and kids mostly wear warm winter clothes—it’s still a major shift for someone raised in the city. Her 'living quarters' consist of three connected rooms on the second floor, right next to her fifth-grade classroom: an outer room for showering, a middle storage space she calls the 'living room,' and an inner room serving as her bedroom.

Adapting to Village Life

Winter in the village brings temperatures significantly lower than in the city, and with no double-glazed windows, the cold seeps in through plastic sheeting meant to replace glass. Her bed, old and rickety, fell apart the first time she tried to move it. 'I had to nail it back together with a hammer,' she recalls. 'There wasn’t a single man around over twelve years old who could help.'

Beyond the furniture woes, there are other challenges: mosquitoes big enough to bite through jeans—even in winter—and water from the village well that’s visibly murky. 'Back in Xiamen, I wouldn’t even drink tap water. Here, the first few weeks I had diarrhea every day,' she says. Add in the mice, the leaks, and the cultural gaps (like kids thinking her 'Davidoff' perfume smells like 'washing powder'), and it’s clear this wasn’t an easy transition.

The Coffee Ritual That Stays

Despite the rough conditions, Tang makes space for her daily coffee. In her 'living room,' alongside a decades-old mirror, sits an electric coffee kettle and a water filter—modest gear, but enough. 'I can’t buy a $3,000 coffee machine anymore, but I can still afford a $100 kettle. Drinking coffee is a habit I kept,' she says.

Her love for coffee survived the downgrade from high-end gear to budget tools. So did other personal rituals: she still wears perfume (now a nearly empty bottle of Davidoff) and a Mickey Mouse watch instead of a six-figure timepiece. 'I used to think you shouldn’t leave home without spraying on perfume. I still believe that. It’s just a cheaper kind now,' she adds.

The kids, however, aren’t fans of her perfume. When she lets them smell it, they describe it as 'stinky,' 'like wind oil,' or 'like laundry detergent'—which always makes her laugh. What they do love are the snacks she brings: candies, cookies, and notebooks used as rewards during her visits to set up school libraries. On one occasion, after donating 1,498 books to Yongning Primary School, the students folded 1,498 paper stars for her. 'I keep those stars right on my desk. They’re my favorite thing here,' Tang says.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Tang Lingling give up drinking coffee after moving to the village?

No, she kept her coffee habit. Despite switching from expensive equipment to a basic $100 electric coffee kettle, she continues to brew and drink coffee daily in her village classroom in Guangxi.

What kind of coffee equipment does she use now?

Tang uses a simple electric coffee kettle and a water filter. She mentioned she can no longer afford her previous high-end setup, but she made sure to keep a brewing solution that fits her current budget.

What other habits did she maintain despite her lifestyle change?

Aside from coffee, she still wears perfume (now a cheaper bottle, formerly Davidoff) and a Mickey Mouse watch instead of luxury timepieces. She also continues giving out small rewards like candy to village children.

How did the village kids react to her perfume?

The children found her perfume unpleasant, describing it as 'stinky,' 'like wind oil,' or 'like laundry detergent.' Tang found their reactions amusing, though she still wears fragrance daily.

What challenges did she face adapting to village life?

Major challenges included bitter cold due to poorly sealed windows, mosquitoes that could bite through jeans even in winter, undrinkable well water that initially caused diarrhea, and general village pests like mice. The living conditions were far more rustic than she was used to.

Why does she still drink coffee in such a remote area?

For Tang, coffee is a deeply ingrained personal habit. Despite the dramatic change in lifestyle and resources, she prioritized keeping her daily coffee ritual as part of her routine in the village.

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