Things That Make Me Happy, Part 2

BUBBLE TEA!!

For those who have never had it, bubble tea is an Asian tea experience. You can choose your flavor, though I always get the original milk tea. What makes it fun, though, is the bubbles.

The bubbles in bubbles tea are actually blueberry-sized balls of tapioca. Chewy, a little sticky, they sit in the bottom of your cup and surprise every time one comes up the straw and into your mouth. Caveat: if you're making bubble tea at home, as I am today, regular straws won't do the trick. You need a straw thick enough to suck up a marble.

Even more fun than drinking bubble tea is giving it to a friend. I love the look of surprise and either delight or disgust that washes across a face with the first tapioca experience.

Haven't tried bubble tea yet? Come on by. I'll brew you some.

photo credit: http://whatscookingamerica.net

http://whatscookingamerica.net/BubbleTea.htm

Tea Time

My first day on my new job, Stan asked if I'd like some tea.

I answered, "You never have to ask if I want tea. The answer is always yes."

It's true. Just like Sabrina who, in her movie, says that Paris is always a good idea, tea is always a good idea. (I'd take Paris, too, but at 20 cents a cup, tea's a bit more accessible.)

One whole cabinet in my kitchen is filled with tea. Earl Gray, Lady Gray, English and Irish breakfast. Rwandan, Kenyan, Ugandan. Indian Chai, Black Chai, Homemade Chai Blend. Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon. Ginger, fruit, and mint ... there's something for everyone.

I have my tea cups, too, but when I want to drink tea, I always reach for the big mugs. The one with Christmas trees reminds me of Lori who judges how well she likes a mug by how thin it's lip is. The "Shh, I'm reading" one doesn't really work, but I like it. My new Copco To Go mug will get me 10 cents off a drink at Starbucks.

Excuse me now. I need to put the kettle on.

Third Place Hang-outs

I told you I lost my third place hang-out, my morning version of Cheers, where I could go for a good cup of tea with a friend and where I was bound to run into someone I knew. Cafe Divine closed down months ago and has recently been converted to a church meeting place with a really good espresso bar. I finally realized that it won't be open as a coffee shop business again. It's time to find a new place to meet.

I put the word out on my home school community chat loop that I'm looking for a third place. Here are my requirements:

1. It must serve coffee AND tea, several varieties of each to satisfy a range of tastes.

2. It must have comfortable seating that invites you to stay a while.

3. It must have a peaceful atmosphere so we can carry on a conversation without having to shout above the music or the people next to us.

4. It shouldn't cost as much to have a drink as to eat a meal. Price points matter.

I got back about a dozen responses, but for my first sortie I chose a place on my own. Excellent, inexpensive coffee (with a 25-cent discount if you use your own cup), comfortable couches, a knowledgeable barista, and no music being piped in. And a book exchange shelf. Who wants to go?

Chado

Chado - the Way of Tea

Wa - Harmony

Kei - Respect

 

Sei - Purity

 

Jaku - tranquility

Harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility are the four principles of the Urasenke method of Japanese tea ceremony. I found a bit of each in the Portland Japanese Gardens.

If you were to distill your life to its four basic principles, what would they be?

happiness is...

...a good book.

...a good friend.

...a hot drink.

...a new mug.

...and a warm puppy.

Chai

Before Starbucks offered it in a blended latte...

Before Oregon chai was ever conceived...

Before I'd been introduced to the subtle flavors of true Indian chai...

...chai was the gift of Kenya. A blend of whole milk fresh from the family cow, an extraordinary amount of sugar, the black tea leaves of the Great Rift Valley, and whatever ashes and smoke drifted down into the pot, Kenyan chai is more than just a drink.

It says "welcome" and "We don't have much, but we'll share what we've got." To drink a cup or twelve of chai says "thank you for welcoming me" and "I trust you."

Chai in the states is not quite the same. I don't have an enamel tea set, nor an open fire, nor a cow. But I do have dear friends to whom I love to say "welcome" and "let me share with you another piece of God's world."

I've had chai twice this week - once as receiver, once as giver. And both times were sweeter than the raw sugar that filled my cup.

Reinvigoration

I love the trend of having a coffee shop in a book store. Powells has its cafe. Barnes and Noble has Starbucks. And Branches, our Christian book store, has Cafe Divine.

The writing life can be a lonely existence. Sitting in front of a computer screen, blocking out the world, writing down thoughts that may never be seen by anyone else... sometimes it seems a writer is alone in the universe.

One of the most invigorating things I know to do is to talk shop with another writer. When two creators rub thoughts together, inspiration can be rekindled. Iron on iron, sparks on wood shavings, water on seeds, ideas are born and formed and take on a life of their own.

Do you have a friend who brings out your best ideas? Do you have a place where inspiration is born? I have several of each, but Cafe Divine is a special favorite.