Teatime.

Published on October 14, 2004 By Angloesque In Blogging

I love tea. It's something I picked up from my brief stints in England. I love the teapot, sugar and cream, the cup--and mostly just sitting for a few minutes being contemplative. I love McVities Hobnobs and the caramel biscuits to munch or dip as I please. Sometimes I read a book. Sometimes I just look out the window. I never blog, and I never watch TV during teatime. Simply, I enjoy the time and don't want to be upset or excited,

which makes me wonder: If I were to sit down for tea with some people I really don't like, I wonder if I'd get to like them better. To use an example outside JU, I'll use John Edwards, Kerry's VP pick. I don't like Edwards--he feels sleazy and he's sued doctors. My dad is a doctor and my brother is studying to be one, so it's a stretch for me to like anyone involved in malpractice.

But what if Edwards and I sat down? Had tea. What if he wasn't trying to win my vote or impress me? If he were a regular guy, and I a regular girl, and we could just set my prejudices, I wonder if I'd like him. In all honesty there are few people I've met who I don't like. It's usually the people whom I haven't met, who I've only interacted with or seen through the television's eye, that I dislike.

Tea would probably solve many of my smaller problems. I doubt it would solve world problems--I can't imagine bin Laden and Bush sitting down over a piping hot cup of Earl Gray and discussing why he ordered suicide pilots on the planes on Sept. 11. But I do wonder if solving the littler problems wouldn't make the bigger ones just a bit easier to solve, too.

--Ideally,

Angloesque.

*goes to put the kettle on*

Edit: Meant to credit Ravenblack with inspring this idea. Check out her original: Link. -A.

Comments

BlueDev

on Oct 14, 2004

What a nice thought! I don't drink tea, so I haven't had this sort of experience, but I feel I need to find something similar. Some time to just sit, take a couple minute break, and not worry about anything around me. I, too, wonder just how much more we could understand about and like in each other if we spent that sort of time with others. Just being ourselves, all pretention aside, talking, thinking, and getting to know each other.

chiprj

on Oct 14, 2004

I can't say that I like the idea completely.... I just don't like tea... well, outside of unsweetened iced tea. But I do like coffee and sometimes I just like to sit and enjoy a good cup of bean juice. It's a nice way to just unwind (even with the caffeine running through the veins).

When I was in Korea, I made a point of getting outside of the base area and having coffee somewhere. I'd sometimes take a book to read or my laptop to write offline emails. Or, I'd pick up a Korean newspaper or magazine on the way. I'd just sit, look out the window, and lazily deal with (or not) whatever I brought with me to pass the time. Sometimes, if I had the Korean materials, I'd be approached by a Korean who was surprised that a foreigner would be able to read/write/speak Korean and I'd have a conversation. Sometimes with a Korean that was not happy at the US military presence in Korea. And yet, over a mocha, we'd have a nice conversation about nothing... or something... or whatever.... Just regular Joes (or Kims) that may not have agreed on something under other circumstances sharing time, coffee, and words... People very often turn out to be different when you take the time to sit and chat.

shadesofgrey

on Oct 14, 2004

I love McVities Hobnobs and the caramel biscuits

hmm...now I am hungry--I LOVE McVities Caramels...they are divine!

Angloesque

on Oct 14, 2004

BlueDev and Chip, you're right--it doesn't have to be tea. I didn't really like it until I was in England and got to experience the ambiance of High Tea. You can overcome the taste. Hell, if you learn to like beer, you can learn to like tea.

Just figure out the cream and sugar proportions. As for coffee, it has the right idea--but in the U.S., at least, coffee has become commercialized and Starbucks is loud and dissonant. I don't like that, though I confess to have had many literary and philosophical conversations over a cup in my academic days....

Hmm. Upon further review, I guess it's the commercialized coffee location I object to. Carry on. Coffee or tea, whatever. If you come to my house, I have both.

Shadesofgrey, you're awesome. I just found McVities here in the U.S. at CostPlus World Market. Am in a heavenly sphere. (BlueDev, finding McVities may have been one of my blessings following the three bad things.)

Chip, I tried adding you to my favorites but for some reason I can't edit them right now. Anyway, know that you're on the list.

Cheers.

-A.

chiprj

on Oct 14, 2004

Starbucks is loud and dissonant

I'm completely with you on this one. Even the Borders near my house has gotten loud. In Korea, I'd most often go to a Starbucks or Seattle's Best because very often the coffee served in many local coffee shops wasn't to my liking. For years they had no concept of black coffee. You always got milk and sugar and I just don't go that way. So, I would often have to endure the volume and crowds, but many of the Starbucks and Seattle's Bests had multiple floors and I found the higher I went, the better the chance of peace and quiet and also of getting a window seat. I sometimes just like to people watch. I like to step outside and see the world go by without me.

Chip, I tried adding you to my favorites but for some reason I can't edit them right now. Anyway, know that you're on the list.

Thanks!

dharmagrl

on Oct 14, 2004

Ah, my homeland tradition of tea-time. As a child, it was when we came home from school. We'd have tea, then get on with homework and such before supper. It was a nice way to take a break, to adjust from one sphere to another, to connect with our mother and to mull over what had happened that day.

I have McVities chocolate digestives, Hobnobs and Rich Tea's in my cupboard. Dev and Chip, I really should send you both some Hobnobs......

BlueDev

on Oct 14, 2004

What are Hobnobs Dharma?

Going back to my only experience of drinking a warm beverage and putting stuff in it. . .in Guatemala we had crusty, dried little pieces of bread with crusty sugar on top. Not great, but they helped the crappy Morcaf go down. Anything to ease the pain.

Angloesque

on Oct 14, 2004

Not a very good pic. Dharma can explain this better, but here's what I remember: Digestives are cookies (think plain cookies). They come in oatmeal or sugar flavors, as far as I know. Hobnobs are a brand of digestives--the good ones are the milk chocolate covered ones. They have an oatmeal cookie base. This description does not do them justice. I believe Mcvities is the company that makes Hobnobs? Anyway. Caramel McVities are little bites of heaven. They're the cookie plus a layer of caramel under the chocolate. I gained 10 lbs in England and I blame McVities exclusively.

That and Magnum bars. Mmm.

If you have CostPlus near you, I highly recommend checking to see if they have McVities. You can search google images to see what they come packaged as.

-A.

chiprj

on Oct 14, 2004

you have CostPlus near you, I highly recommend checking to see if they have McVities

We have one near us. Is that a membership place like Costco or Sam's Club? I've heard they are great places, but I've never been...

I gained 10 lbs in England and I blame McVities exclusively. That and Magnum bars. Mmm.

HAHA! I recently tried googling up Marathon bars to see if there was any way to get them. They are my favorite childhood candy bar and they are not longer produced. I did find a website where you could be a similar candy bar made by an English company. I forget the name of the bar and the company, but I wonder if it was McVities... I'll have to check when I get home. I think I saved the link somewhere.

Angloesque

on Oct 15, 2004

Chiprj, CostPlus isn't a membership place or anything. It's actually pretty cool, kinda like a cheaper version of Pier 1 without the annoying commercials. Good stuff there, esp. their int'l food selection. You gotta try the Hobnobs--they're the best. I also recommend Cadbury Crunchie bars.

(It's some kind of wonder that I didn't gain more than 10 lbs over there.)

-A.

trina_p

on Oct 15, 2004

Okay - from the looks of that picture/discription - your Hobnobs are our Chocolate Wheatens. Gotcha - Chocolate Wheatens are the best dipped in hot milo. mmm

I love tea - twinings earl grey no milk/cream - About 5 years ago I had this major thing for fruit flavoured teas I had about 10 different flavours. Right now I just have 2 - twinings Camonmille & Spearmint (great for "those days") and liptons cranberry & rasberry - I absolutely LOVED this apple tea I once found but I've never seen it since and I miss it and I loved blackberry tea.

Tea-time is nice - I should start doing tea time again.

Crunchies are really yummy - almost as good as a violet crumble but not as good as a cherry ripe -- mmm food.

Ravenblack

on Oct 16, 2004

I like having chinese tea - making it with a traditional chinese tea set (clay) and just savoring the flavor and fragrance. Very relaxing. Some Dim Sum snacks to go with that would be nice too.

My grandfather was a tea merchant and used to have a shop selling all sorts of chinese tea and he taught all his children and grandchildren the art of enjoying chinese tea. I remember some of his lessons, I was a little too young to really appreciate it then.

There are special tea palours here, more around the Chinatown area - where you can have chinese tea and sit in a nice cosy compartment with your friends and just chat for hours. Some of these places have music or karaoke.

(Thanks for the plug, Angloesque

)

Angloesque

on Oct 19, 2004

Raven, could you tell me the chinese customs or lessons you learned from your grandfather? Mine was also raised in China, but he died before I was ever interested enough to ask him about it.

Cheers.

-A.

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