Things I'm Looking Forward To Doing Now That I'm British: Number Three

[nanila]

3. Wholeheartedly believing that there is no hardship that cannot be eased through the application of tea. Not green tea or herb tea or indeed, even loose-leaf black tea. Tea that comes in teabags, has been anointed with boiling water from the electric kettle and is served with milk. If the need for tea has befallen you abruptly then it is more likely to be served in a large mug than a delicate china tea set, but it is still the same beverage. Broken up with your partner? Failed an exam? Lost your wallet? A good cup of builder's, that'll sort you out. Been evicted? Lost a pet? Given birth ten minutes ago? Well then, love, you deserve a bit of sugar in too.

(Truthfully, I don't have to try too hard to achieve this one. When my London flat was burgled, the bloke turned up as fast as he could, accompanied by two police officers and a bunch of flowers. The first thing he did after hugging me was make me a huge mug of tea with sugar in and force me to sit down and drink it. I felt 10000 times better and I have believed in tea ever since.)

Comments

[alwayswondered]

Tea is pretty much the best thing ever. When I lost all power to my electricity-only studio flat in the dead of winter a few years ago, my mother made the four-hour journey to show up on my doorstep with milk, a camping stove and twelve canisters of butane. The first thing we did was boil water in a saucepan to make tea.

I can confirm that tea is also indicated in motorcycle accidents.

[nanila]

When I was writing this post, I did pause for a moment and wonder, "Was S offered a cup of tea when she got to hospital? I bet she was!"

[liseuse]

Tea is a necessity for life. And yes, disaster (or even mild peril, or returning from a slightly stressful journey) tea is required to be teabag-tea. Save the loose-leaf faffing (which I love) for later, when everything is sorted and you can have a relaxed sitdown.

[kaberett]

Yes!

I cannot black tea any more (this was actually kind of hilarious, in retrospect, in my first year at uni - it took me alarmingly long to recognise that "I'm stressed, I'll have a nice cup of tea" always resulted in my curling up under my desk shaking uncontrollably and bawling - top tip, folks, don't develop caffeine hypersensitivity, it's shit) but whereas under "normal" circumstances I drink loose-leaf rooibos (Earl Grey! Green with mirabelle! Misc herbal blend! never sugar!), but if Shit Has Gone Down? Scalding hot, with sugar.

[liseuse]

Awwww, that is a horrible hypersensitivity to develop. And yes! I have a glorious collection of loose-leaf tea in an assortment of types but, frankly, if I am stressed or angry or upset it's a bag, in a mug, with a splish of milk and that puts a smile on my face. Maybe not a big smile, but a smile nonetheless. Oh, and yes, it has to be scalding. So that you can try and drink it too quickly and feel the steam on your face. Mmmm, tea.

[sashajwolf]

I also can't drink black tea (or coffee), but fortunately I have discovered that a good strong camomile has the same restorative properties for me, and if I leave Pukka's Detox blend to stew for long enough, it develops the bracing tanniny aftertaste that I need first thing in the morning to get me ready to face the day.

[nanila]

I love that Detox tea. I've inadvertently left it long enough for it to have that aftertaste, but I never associated it with the tannin flavour in black tea before. I shall have to try it again deliberately!

[sashajwolf]

It only works for me in hard water areas, so London = good, Cologne = okay, West Coast of Scotland = insipid.

[nanila]

Yes, I still love my herb and green teas, and occasionally loose-leaf black, but when I need tea right now, a cup of builders is the only thing for it.

[liseuse]

This has got me thinking about what we call this type of tea in bits of the country. I'd call it miners tea. Probably because my grandfather (and my dad, for a very short period of time) were miners, and I've picked up the slang.

[majoline]

Tea is the best thing ever full stop :)

[nanila]

My favourite tea ever is genmai cha, which combines tea with toasted rice.

[sunflowerinrain]

Absolutely!

By the way, if any Brit says they aren't bothered about climate change, inform them that Assam's tea plantations have been affected... and we may run out of English Breakfast blend!

[nanila]

NOOOOO. THAT WOULD BE AWFUL

[azurelunatic]

Good for shock! Good for tanked blood sugar! Good for a bit of a chill! Good to wake your taste buds up!

[nanila]

Good when it's raining outside and your hyperactive daughter has finally gone down for a nap!

[azurelunatic]

Naps. So useful! Nearly as useful as tea.

[quinara]

I very much like this emphasis on mugs, bags, electric kettles and milk. I fear the rest of the world imagines our obsession with tea is some sort of elaborate affair with the best china we've spend hours on each day... Only at a cheeky champagne afternoon tea, I say! Otherwise mug. Always mug. Even if my faculty locker has three boxes of Assam in it, two boxes of Fortnum's and one of Twinings's... It's affordable when most of the time you're in the library and can't drink it! Also Assaaaaaaaaaaaaaam....

[nanila]

Yes, I thought it was important to specify that tea doesn't have to be, and most of the time isn't, fancy.

[weaverbird]

Tea is the best thing ever.

This series of posts is purely wonderful, jsyk. And omg icon love.

[nanila]

Nothing compares to tea. Not even the thought of my Gibbs icon having a quiet cuppa in private with your Cap'n Jack icon.

[forthwritten]

I am enjoying this series of posts :D

And yes - tea. My sister doesn't drink tea (or coffee, or hot chocolate (and yes, she's British Indian so how does that even work)) and I'm always a bit at a loss of how to comfort her, or cheer her up, or let her know any of the small thoughtful things that a mug of tea made exactly as one takes it indicates.

[nanila]

It is socially confusing when people don't drink hot drinks. I find it far more discombobulating than when people don't drink alcohol (although this may be because teetotalling is much more common in the States).

[liseuse]

I have a few friends who drink no hot drinks and I just dither around, waving my hands incompetently, because ... what do you offer them? All of my ability to comfort people, in person, effectively relies on being able to make them a mug of tea.

[pretty_panther]

Yep ^_^ I say I love tea and I drink gallons a day and people want to know what flavour and where I get it and I'm like no...the same tea, black tea, out a bag...repeatedly. o.o

[nanila]

:D Yes. Yes, tea. (I am having tea now, while I pack.)

[fadedwings]

I love tea :)

I think I picked up that love in London about a million years ago. Okay more like 21 years ago but still it was half my life ago. The community college I went to at the time had an overseas program where you could spend a semester overseas and take classes (specifically for Americans who are apparently not up to taking actual British college classes, which was okay because it was kind of like a 3 month field trip wit a bit of homework).

[nanila]

I think it's a wonderful thing to have picked up. Certainly better than a fake Cockney accent. :P

[emelbe]

I am really enjoying this series. =)

[nanila]

Yay! 'm enjoying writing it.

[sunflowerinrain]

When I was in my teens tea was out of fashion for young folk, and we all drank coffee. I was so pleased, when I went back to uni as a "mature" student, to be surrounded by under-22s who had a proper appreciation of the importance of tea.

[nanila]

Other things may go in and out of fashion, but tea will always be there, patiently enduring.

[wordweaverlynn]

"There is no problem on Earth that can't be ameliorated by a hot bath and a cup of tea.”
― Jasper Fforde, Shades of Grey

See icon. And quotes.

[nanila]

I could happily spend an hour reading those quotes, mug in hand, smiling.

[askygoneonfire]

I find being offered a cup of tea in a crisis every bit as calming as knowing I can make a cup of tea for someone in crisis - if I can do nothing else to help them, I can deliver a really good cuppa.

I had a really good cup of tea after writing off my car in a spectacular crash. I can't imagine what else would have helped me at that time in the way tea did.

[nanila]

Yes. My tea consumption has been through the roof lately due to work stress.

[telegramsam]

I think I'm in the wrong country, everyone thinks I'm weird for drinking tea (hot, that is - we have plenty of sweet tea here in the Southern USA but it's not the saaaaaame)

[nanila]

It's an entirely different drink. I'm sure you would also be happier in a land of electric kettles.

[telegramsam]

MEEP yes. I have a kettle but it's the kind that only goes on the stove :\