Wednesday 6 March 2013

Life before tea.

Can you imagine life before tea?

If you're a writer (and I know a few drop by here from time to time) you're meant to be able to imagine these things. Go on, close your eyes ... picture yourself waking in the morning, maybe a bit of fur round you and the fire cracking at the door of the cave ... and ... no, there's no tea. Only water, and you have to trek to the river to fetch that. Bet you're snuggling back under those furs, hoping whoever is rolled in furs beside you will wake up and do the water-fetching ... maybe put the kettle on ...

We all know people need clean water, so I'm not going to witter on about that.

And I've travelled to places where it's impossible to find tea, or else it comes in unlikely shapes and flavours (I had a 'tea latte' in Bangkok, which was much tastier than it sounds). But, even when staying in the most remote corners of Nepal, a tiger on my heels, I knew that there was tea in the world - that, in time, I could settle down to a steaming mug of builders' and all troubles would fall away. Knowing the existence of tea makes tea-free days possible.

(For visitors from outside the UK - 'builders' is very strong tea, reputedly loved by construction workers.)

At home, in the comfort of my own bedroom, I have a little kettle (the kitchen is two floors down - too far on a cold morning), and make tea before I'm really awake. I read and drink and let my body adjust to morning. I have, twice, had to have a 'fasting blood test' (no food or drink for hours and hours), and had to crawl to the surgery without even a sip. The whole day was wrong.

It's such a small thing. An everyday thing. I joke about it - but take it completely for granted. I'll be honest, I can't imagine life before tea.

Is there anything in your life that is so much part of who you are that you fear you might fall off the planet without it?

15 comments:

  1. Hahaha, sadly, I'm a coffee drinker, so I read this substituting the word. AND thus agreed with every word!!! That first cup in the morning....and the one at 4pm. Bliss.

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    1. We take our tea and coffee for granted - I'm glad I'm not the only whose day doesn't feel right without them!

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  2. Well, it's not tea and it's not coffee. I could easily manage without those. I think it's a nice, clean, sit-onable toilet. I can use another sort, or no sort at all, but only because I know a proper one will soon be available.

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    1. Oh how I can identify with this! And - when I get home from foreign parts, the relief of dropping loo paper down the toilet and not having to leave it in the bin!

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  3. I find it difficult to be without tea. When we went to Israel last year they kept serving it to us with boiled milk in it - yuck! I saw a TV programme once that said that the UK and China were the only two countries where people were able to live in close proximity in the 19th century before antibiotics because these two countries drank tea and that was enough to keep infection to a bearable level. Sorry, that was a rambling explanation. I know what I mean!!

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    1. Tea is served with boiled milk in many countries, Ros - something to do boiling being the best way to sort any nasties in it. I think, before tea, they used to drink ale - it was the best way to purify water. I love a pint on a hot day, but I'm not sure it's what I need when I wake up in the morning!

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    2. Tea is not usually served with any milk in Israel. I decided early on to stick to coffee in restaurants.

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  4. I am what my mum called a tea Jenny someone who drinks lots and lots of tea. I don't like strong builders tea, mine is weak with lots of milk. When we go on holiday usually to Turkey I never have a good cup of tea I don't know if its the water or the milk but its awful so usually I don't drink it there and as soon as I arrive home no matter what time the kettle gets switched on for a lovely cup of tea.
    They also still use bins for loo paper too,horrible ,
    Now Im off to have a cuppa.

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    1. Enjoy your cuppa, Anne. You've earned it.

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  5. I can't drink tea....never have. Everyone else in the family drinks it though and my mum would encourage me too....but I felt sick even after trying just a little.
    A coupl of years ago, making coffee and tea for about 10 people in the kitchen, I picked up the wrong mug....had a gulp, and promptly gagged before rushing off to be sick. Yuck!

    But a cup of coffee? Now you're talking........adn an americano if you're offering...

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    1. Americano it is; and - since it's you - I think we can run to a slice of cake.

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  6. I'm also not a tea drinker, Jo. I must apologise for my terrible taste, but the only tea I can stand is Rooibos. I'm afraid I'm also a coffee fiend and feel just as you do (without your tea) if I have to start the day without it. If I transpose life without tea to coffee, then I know exactly how you feel.

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    1. Thanks Val - and you're not the only one to transpose coffee for tea.

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  8. Tea for me, also. Oh, yes. But I also like my cup of coffee in the morning, it doesn't taste the same at other times of day at all.

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