yerba mate

The director I'm working with, Lisandro Grane, a talented, delightful guy from Argentina, has introduced me to the very stimulating effects of Yerba Mate, the South American infusion. He claims it calms him down. I have to tell you, for me it was like having two shots of espresso. And those who know me, know me and 2 shots of expresso is rather extreme, since I'm a naturally hyper kind of girl. Yerba Mate is very bitter, and you are supposed to share it by sipping from a metal straw. It has all the ritualistic qualities of a hard drug, except that it is totally legal, and even beneficial to the heart. The fact that it's legal and good for you should not discourage you from trying it. Rather, its druglike paraphernalia is what is fun about it. You can pretend you had 3 lines of coke and no harm done.
I bet I won't sleep all night, though.