Chen Chih-Yuan loved to drink. He could almost be called the God of Alcohol. His taste for alcohol was reflected in his insistence on not only using the proper glasses for alcoholic drinks but also pairing the right beverage with a dish. In his mind, a basic rule was that western dishes should be eaten with red wine, and Japanese food, with sake.
Chen would even insist on which side dish to have with which alcohol. For example, mushroom chicken soup went with maotai, followed by shaojiu. When he had time, he enjoyed chilled wine with Werther’s Original Cream Candies and a cigar.
Chen was shy, had a social phobia, and avoided eye contact with people. Only drinking could loosen him up. After three drinks, he would open up and warm up, even revealing his inner thoughts.
Thus, we could say that Chen Chih-Yuan enjoyed not only drinking but also the atmosphere of drinking with good friends.
When Chen was on chemotherapy, his doctor knew that he was stubborn and would not quit drinking. The doctor thus made a deal with him: He could only have one small drink each day. However, Chen viewed alcohol as his life, and almost like the God of Alcohol, he insisted on filling up a large glass.
In addition to alcohol, Chen was also very discerning about tobacco. For his leisure time, he had a fully-equipped cigar box and a full set of pipes.
