Saturday, October 25, 2008

That First Cup of Tea





Not to long ago I met my lawyer on the street, He has taken classes from me in the past and I have know him for a couple of decades. After speaking with him for a several minutes on several subjects I broached the question to him, Pardon me but I am lost to who you are should I know you? Yes was his emphatic reply we have been friends for years and I'm your lawyer!




I do not remember faces, and continue to have to apologize for this but a taste I will never forget. In this blog I hope to record systematically the teas I have encountered. To record where I have purchased them, the parameters that I used to brew them , and the results that I obtained. I believe this will help me sort out how to come to better replicate these experiences or in some cases how to avoid certain pitfalls.




Walking home from school one fall day at the age of 4 I was chased by a dog, Fearing for my life I ran into the first household that I could get to. A middle aged First Nations lady answered the door and listening to my story had an immediate recommendation for me. I was to come in have a cookie, she would make me a cup of tea and then she would walk me home. Tea was not an experience I had yet. Watching her put in some snooze like substance in a brown unwashed pot and pour hot water into it was a very foreign encounter. Soon she poured this cup of tea into a fancy teacup for me, and added a couple lumps of sugar, I remember stirring them up with some of this substance now in the bottom of my cup. I had never had anything like this before. The feeling it left me .....from warming me up from the centre of my body and finding its way to my extremities was like being plugged into high voltage.




I remember her reading my fortunate from the tea leaves left in the pot and her walking me home, meeting my mother, and them becoming life long friends. Although I do not remember what my fortune was I remember this tea, I think of the many afternoons spent there having cup after cup of this nectar, as I went through grade school.




She has passed away some years ago, but it was with delight I met here daughter on my travels. In asking how it was that her mom made such a good cup of tea, her reply was simple, "she put a lot of love into it" that and the fact that "she had her tea mailed to her from all over the world and she blended it herself to her taste" The attention to detail. May I be so lucky that
someone will remember me for a good spot of tea.










2 comments:

Hobbes said...

Just dropping by - keep up the good work :)


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

Rene said...

Hi there - have you ever tried Andao Tea? www.andaotea.com