As the days grow colder, I fantasize (constantly) about living in a warmer climate. Wouldn't it be nice to never have to scrape ice from your windshield again? Shoveling, a distant, unpleasant memory never to be spoken of (except when weird Uncle Fredrick gets tipsy and talks about the "C" word at holiday dinners). By the "C" word, I of course mean "Canada" (my home and native land). I have another meaning for the "C" word, but it is hardly appropriate for a blog post about tea.Canadians view braving the winter as a badge of honour. And boy do we ever like to talk about the weather ("Remember that storm back in 2009? That sure was somethin'"). While the majority of us do not live in igloos or use sled dogs to commute to work, we do know a thing or two about staying warm. It's really very simple: tea. There's earl grey, orange pekoe, english breakfast, irish breakfast for your basic "house" blends. My favourites are herbal teas - green, mint, and camomile teas, I just can't get enough. Got a tummy bug? Ginger tea. Sour throat? Lemon tea. Not feeling so good overall? You clearly need MORE TEA.
Since I spend the majority of my day at the office, I decided to bring my tea pot and (matching) cups to work. My team (all two of us) have morning tea and afternoon tea. It's all very civilized. Over the coming months we plan to sample assorted flavours, and perhaps even venture into some taste tests of loose leaf versus bagged tea comparisons. I think we all know how that's going to turn out.
My hope, is that by spreading the gospel about tea, more people will partake. That we will unite in our love of tea and take back the phrase "tea party" making it respectable once more. Sheesh. The nerve of some people.
