True story: back in my college days (c. 1989) I was taking a class called Comparative Civilizations. On one of the exams, I was supposed to list four characteristics of a civilization; I came up with three, but could not think of the fourth, no matter how I tried. I completed the rest of the exam, and came back to the question, but still no joy. Finally, I put down "tea" and added "I know this isn't it, but I don't think it's possible to be truly civilized without it."
I got full credit for the answer ...
Anyway, here's my favorite poem about tea. (By Robert Service, no less.)
A Pot of Tea
You make it in your mess-tin by the brazier's rosy gleam;
You watch it cloud, then settle amber clear;
You lift it with your bay'nit, and you sniff the fragrant steam;
The very breath of it is ripe with cheer.
You're awful cold and dirty, and a-cursin' of your lot;
You scoff the blushin' 'alf of it, so rich and rippin' 'ot;
It bucks you up like anythink, just seems to touch the spot:
God bless the man that first discovered Tea!
Since I came out to fight in France, which ain't the other day,
I think I've drunk enough to float a barge;
All kinds of fancy foreign dope, from caffy and doo lay,
To rum they serves you out before a charge.
In back rooms of estaminays I've gurgled pints of cham;
I've swilled down mugs of cider till I've felt a bloomin' dam;
But 'struth! they all ain't in it with the vintage of Assam:
God bless the man that first invented Tea!
I think them lazy lumps o' gods wot kips on asphodel
Swigs nectar that's a flavour of Oolong;
I only wish them sons o' guns a-grillin' down in 'ell
Could 'ave their daily ration of Suchong.
Hurrah! I'm off to battle, which is 'ell and 'eaven too;
And if I don't give some poor bloke a sexton's job to do,
To-night, by Fritz's campfire, won't I 'ave a gorgeous brew
(For fightin' mustn't interfere with Tea).
To-night we'll all be tellin' of the Boches that we slew,
As we drink the giddy victory in Tea.
--Scott
"MacDonald the piper stood up in the pulpit,
He made the pipes skirl out the music divine."
I drink tea, and lots of it. I found that difficult to understand though amusing in the parts I could. Sometimes being hard of hearing is difficult. Other times it is indeed a blessing.
I like mostly green teas, though I do occasionally indulge in lapsang suchong.
ith:
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