Tea, waits in vain for my love
Growing up in Jamaica, to adults, drinking tea means self-care, a daily ritual. To Jamaicans, tea is a preventative and cure-all remedy for all sicknesses. So if you ever mentioned the words, "I'm not feeling well." The standard question is:
"Did you drink your tea?"
I was scornful of tea, and I looked at my little teacup with disdain.
"Stubborn as two mules!" was a frequent cry of my mum.
I was picky and I demanded that my tea be served in a little blue teacup while refusing to drink from a pink teacup.
Breakfast mornings were usually bread, butter, eggs, and an unwanted cup of tea.
Mum: Why are you not drinking your tea?
Me: It's too hot, it is burning my tongue.
Mum: You need to drink your tea before it goes cold.
Me: The cup is too hot for me to hold.
Mum: You're nothing but botheration. (a word that Jamaican parents use frequently).
Me: Mouth pouted like a bird, as I blew the tea like a hurricane.
Mum: Walks by now and then watching my screwed-up face that showed I was being tortured.
Me: [My anger turns to joy as the tea turns cold]. Swiftly, I'd lift the cup to my mouth and pour it down my bosom, and slide lower in my chair. With a big grin, I'd announce, I'm done.
Mum: Lord have mercy! You give worries.
Me: Grinning widely, I'd quickly slip to the kitchen and wash the empty cup.
In my early twenties, I got into a habit of drinking chamomile tea as a mild remedy for insomnia, and also for settling my sensitive stomach for ulcers that I developed in my teenage years from my poor eating habits.
One day in my introductory class at uni in the Netherlands, the question of the day was whether you were a tea or coffee lover.
When it came to me, "I don't drink coffee or tea, man..." the class of international students finished the sentence. "No Milly, you drink rum."
The teacher laughed and said that as much as they were stereotyping, I had set myself up for that response.
Living in the Netherlands was my first exposure to real cold temperatures. I HATED living in winter! I was led to find comfort, and somehow I got into drinking teas.
I even purchased a little wooden tea box from a cheap store called Blokker, and I would replenish my tea stock regularly.
My favourite selection was chamomile for sleep and relaxation with honey, peppermint with sugar, and Earl Grey with sugar and milk. Still, there was one tea in particular that I was smitten with; Rooibos tea, a South African tea, also called red tea, that I still drink today.
My evening beverage an hour before bed is a cup of Rooibus tea. The label says caffeine free, and this brand is not the strongest, so I brew two teabags in a big teacup, and I drink it while it's hot.
The colour and smell of the Rooibus tea are soothing with warm woody notes, which help me to relax.
Cherry Blossoms and Tea Farms in Taiwan
I was mesmerised by beautiful cherry blossoms and tea farms in Alishan, Taiwan, and I had a brief affair with drinking Taiwanese tea while living in the Philippines.
Staying hydrated when living in hot tropical climates is a priority and I like to drink homemade unsweetened Iced Tea with lemon. Taiwanese tea was my favourite.
Misty mountains and tea farms are what I'll always remember and think of when I reminisce on the hidden gem of Southeast Asia.
Still, although I do have fond memories of tea, if I woke up and got the news that I could never drink tea again, I wouldn't even bat an eyelid.
There's no pleasure in drinking tea. I like looking at fancy teacups more than I love drinking tea, so I'm always happy to brew a lovely cup for a photo and pour it down the drain when it's cold.
This is my response to the active tea contest in celebration of Int'l Tea Day. You are invited to enter by clicking on that link and seeing the rules of the contest.
Of course, my entry does not qualify:)
Put the kettle on, and submit your entries. I'm looking to find stories that might influence me to fall in love with tea.
Thanks for reading:)))
All images were taken by me 😉
Read all of the post with wide smile and curiocity. Loved the story from your childhood, the teapot with kitties, the pics... Roiboos tea is what I was pretty much into, at some point. I love its sweetness!
I do understand you so much! with all my heart...
That is certainly true and sure more important in tropical climate; but on another hand... a large chunk of diseases comes from hydration, actually... provide your body more moisture (internally) and it will bloom! our bodies are mostly the water, hehe. And not necessarily it should be exactly the tea! Trivial water is pretty much the best option 😏
Now I am going back to creating my own blog... I already started it, and took all the pics... 😁 hope will be able to finish it before the timeline 😘😘
Thanks for your lovely reply 😊
Yes, tea is NOT the best option for staying hydrated, and it's not good for me because it affects the absorption of iron in the body. I wish I'd known these things to tell my mum when I was a little girl. 🤣
I'm looking forward to reading your post 😍
I almost can imagine that!!!
You: "I'm not feeling well."
Mom: "Did you drink your tea?"
You: "No, it's not good for me because it affects the absorption of iron in the body".
🤣 🤣 🤣
!LOLZ
🤣 You know!...
There was always a calamity at the dining table.
I was so picky and preferred to starve than to eat something I didn't like.🙃
I don't know which of them I like more. Your beautiful kettle with the lovely inscriptions which make me smile for no reason or your excellently detailed tea cups. I wonder where you get them from by the way.
I do love it but to be honest, tea is not just my cup of tea, lol.
Haha! Thank you:)
I like that 😁
You ought to write a post on that:)
I'm already writing a post currently. Took the pictures and all. But that statement is a spoiler so I'll have to change the title now.😂
P.S Can i use that picture you used in the comment?
Haha! I could change my title to it 🤣
ok, without the logo... and not as the cover photo 😆
Will do. Thank you.🤗
No worries:)
I sometimes drink green tea to avoid having a second cup of coffee. 2 cups of coffee at anytime of day makes my sleep a lot more restless. It's funny that you would only drink tea from a blue cup. Color matters when it comes to tea cups. I need the cup to be white when I drink green tea so that I can see the color of the liquid
Haha! I was allergic to pink as a little girl. I was a tomboy and thought that pink was meek 🤣
I'm still fussy with my coffee cups and tea cups!
🤔 That's not a bad idea, you know. Now I must go to a shop and order green tea, and refuse to drink it if the cup is not white 🤣
BTW, I'm one to refuse my meal if it does not look like the restaurant signboard picture.😆
#OldHabitsDieHard
That's fair. Some places are absolutely horrendous in that regard.
I think it's a piss-take to present me with food that does not bear even a slight resemblance to the lovely photo on display.
Agreed 🙂
Dear @millycf1976 I am used to drinking chamomile tea, also as a mild remedy, when I have to sleep, for insomnia, it is a very good drink, but I will drink it warm, because I do not like it cold or very hot. I really did not know that said tea was good for stomach ailments, I will use it when said discomfort occurs to me, which happens to me by eating strong a few times at night. What a good experience you report. For example, I will use it tonight, because I will go to a meeting in Hivesucre, to eat pizza, which is a very strong meal. Greetings and much success from Venezuela.
Yes, chamomile is great for the stomach. It's rumoured that the late Queen of England drank chamomile tea for stomach ailments 😄
Enjoy:)
That's good @millycf1976 , already by reference to the high arcurnia, as we call kings in Venezuela, then I will try chamomile for the stomach. My mom drank it a lot for her nerves, which attacked her very strongly. Every day we learn something new, thanks to Hive, that's why our ecosystem is very important. Greetings and successes, I will always be at your service and if it is a question of exchanging experiences, it is something very good.
That's so true!
Success and more success @millycf1976 , I wish you all from Venezuela with all my heart.
Thank you, and much success to you too:)
How dare you pour the Rooibos down the drain; naughty, naughty Milly! That’s like sacrilege. It’s extremely sorrowful and, guess what, I agree! Oh, my, tea murder on the orient of the CCC express. Shhhhhhhh😎🤣
No, no, I won't pour the Rooibos away. It's a special box that's in the house that I alone drink 😋
I think it's so special!
Most British people turn their nose up at any tea that's not English tea. Do most SAs not like the Rooibos?
I read your title and I'm like, 🥲 "Coffee, what have you done to our dear Milly?" 😂 Your childhood story brings back memories of mine that I'm currently reliving with my sons. I preferred tea as a little girl only when it was cold and so do my sons. I harass them every time to drink while it's hot and they make faces at me. Now that I'm invested, I drink it steaming hot to aid digestion and for the pleasure of it.
😧😧 Poor tea. I wish I could rescue it from the sink! I love tea and will write on my entry soon. This is a delightful read.
Hey there!
Thanks for your lovely comment.😊
You ever see a cat refuse to eat something? That was me with my teacup. 😆
I hated that cup of warm beverage like it was the worst thing to mankind.
I bet you smile when you see your sons.
Now, if I do drink tea or coffee, it has to be piping hot.
I'm looking forward to reading your story:)))
I am a chamomile tea lover, I have a cup every day before bedtime.
I have never tried red tea, or Taiwanese tea, or tea with milk, but I would be happy to attend a themed catering.
It could be urban legends, but I have always heard that tea prolongs youth, and regulates anxiety levels.
I've heard the same rumours 😁
It's interesting that you drink chamomile tea every night. It seems to be popular in Venezuela:)
Dear @millycf1976 really enjoy your post, nice tribute to the tea, I use it as medicine, for sure I'm not going to help you love it jjjj A hug
Thanks, I'm happy that you appreciated my post:)
Hello friend, tea is a very rich and healing drink, and it is always good to have a cup of tea. A brand of tea that is the first time I've seen it, so I'll look for it in the supermarket and see how it goes, he only took the simplest ones and that Jamaican tea that was incredible 🤭. Hopefully one day you can visit a tea farm, it will be a great experience. I don't know if it's strange, but I was recommended to drink it cold for lunch and I was left wondering? Good luck friend and a nice rate.
Thank you 😊
Iced tea is lovely, so it would make a refreshing change in the hot climate, especially :)
Never tries rooibos tea.. Because I thought it is too strong. I don't like teas with strong scent and flavor...
I started drinking tea when I began to work..but I was a coffee lover when I was a student, lol.. Chamomile is also my way of beating insomnia...but sometimes it doesn't work..probably just depend on the brand.. I like green the most..any kind..even as flavors to food....
I'll gonna post my entry later hehe..
!LADY
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I'm not sure if you'd like the rooibos tea then. It has a pretty strong aroma and taste.
I should start having more green tea. A few people have reminded me of it.
It would be great if you get to submit a post:)
Dear Milly, I laughed imagining the scene of little Milly refusing to drink tea hahaha. That usually happens, then as adults we understand everything. I loved your cup and the teapot. It is a complete pleasure to drink tea in a beautiful cup. Thanks for sharing this. I loved it. Regards.
Thank you so much @thekittygirl and the @innerblocks team for your support:)
I enjoy a cup of hot tea occasionally, but most of my tea is consumed cold. In my area of the world, we often brew a whole pot of tea and put it in a pitcher (or gallon jug) and keep it in the refrigerator, ready for serving with a meal or snack anytime. We sweeten it at brewing time (raw, unprocessed cane sugar is best!) so it is quick and no-fuss enjoyment! 😁
It's amazing, isn't it?
My husband and I did that with Taiwanese tea in the Philippines. We had a customer who visited several times throughout the year, and he always brought tea. We don't take sugar, and found it enjoyable plain or with lemon.
I think it's a nice idea for these summer months coming up, as I plan to spend most of my time outdoors :))
Oh my, you made me giggle reading this, Milly! 😂 Your mama had a handful with you hehe Gosh... and after all that, you chose Rooibos!!! 🤣🤣🤣 ok now, that is one tea that I do not like at all. My parents loved it... I mean wanted us to drink it and love it too... they managed to convert my brother, but not me or my sister. I do know it has wonderful health properties but tea I drink for pleasure !LOLZ ... I'm glad you enjoy it though... It is a South African fave with many!
Your closing lines killed me hahaha...
Seriously, Milly... you gave me a barrel of laughs this evening. Love your teapot... I almost bought an Alice in Wonderland one some months back from ASDA. I decided against the set as a whole... one because of space and two because I don't tend to use a teapot... unless I go out for tea... (I also like my tea hot so I would have to reheat the tea in the pot for a second mug lol... AND I don't like my tea very strong... so if I'm drinking it in a coffee shop I always pull the bags out (if they use bags) after I pour my first cup. I did buy an Alice in Wonderland teacup and saucer and mug though...cos those I do use! hehe... and I have a few other mugs that are my faves for drinking tea... think I might write a post on them!
!LUV !ALIVE !PIZZA
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Hehe! I haven't met anyone here in the UK who likes Rooibos tea 🤣.
Yes, I was a handful and a real pain to deal with at meal times. There's a popular rice and red kidney beans (what they call rice and peas in Jamaica) made with coconut milk and thyme. One of my absolute favourites. As a child, I sat and picked out every single red kidney bean and then ate when all the beans were gone. All the foods that I hated and gave my mum grief for cooking, are what I request especially now.
I do hope that you'll get to write a post.
Thanks for your lovely comment:)))
Yeah, i think Rooibos is definitely an acquired taste... one that I never did!!😅
Isn't that typical? haha
I will try to meet the deadline. I have 2 other posts to write too! Better get my groove on !LOLZ
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But I don't have thyme for that rubbish.
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I am 100% relating!!!😂 (apart from the part where you did start to drink a bit of tea)
...camomille is great to sleep, or for coughing, indeed and whenever I am sick I will appreciate teas, for their benefits. But I am glad every time when I can go back to coffee!!
Yess!! Also fancy coffee-cups, because that works as well for some😊
Oh and I love(!!!) your Coffee-Goddess-Interpretation❤️☕️
Hehe!
Yeah, I think of tea whenever I'm sick. I'll look for the right combination to infuse then. Not just say "Ooh, I fancy a cup of tea, in the afternoon", like I would coffee.
Thanks for your lovely comment 😍
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