I had this argument with my good friend who, like me, is from America, and we really have virtually no say in the matter, we have no experience, and we really should just shut up and mind our own business when it comes to tea. (That was one heck of a long sentence.) So there we are, both of us, neither of us with any real knowledge, but we're trying to one-up each other when it comes to having tea. We (Americans) do that; we're perhaps the most annoyingly arrogant beings on the planet, and where there are times our British friends would love to slap us right across the face (in private of course, so no one would see them do it) we still hold the upper hand in so many other matters, that to actually lay a hand on us would certainly bring about a very public, and openly live-streamed slapping battle royale, that no one would want to admit took place.
Americans should simply shut up and listen to their British friends when it comes to tea. That is my statement and I stand by it, but it didn't and won't stop me from arguing with my American friends about what is proper, what is correct, what is acceptable, what is -- well, British. Let's be honest; there probably is a proper way, and you KNOW we are not carrying it out correctly. Let me take a moment now and make a few of my English pals cringe. I'll start by saying I drink hot tea from about 11 a.m. to about 7:00 p.m. and I tend to use the same tea bag for at least two cups and sometimes three. I never (sorry) ever use a pretty or dainty teacup, as my fingers don't really wrap around the delicate handle very well without dipping the edge and spilling my tea. I don't use a saucer (plate) because I rarely spill my tea. I use a coffee mug - - there, I said it, let the slapping commence, I'll shut the door and pull down the blinds.
There are people in this world, and I am one of them, who have more than 30 different types of tea to choose from so that I am never bored. I have loose tea, tea in tea bags, tea in sachets, which as you know, are sweet little mesh bags, but they aren't bags, they are sachets, so I say I have tea in sachets. I have tea that I created from loose bulk, I have tea that comes in tins that are replenished on a monthly basis, and teas in tins that I will have for the next 14 years without finishing; vanilla licorice comes to mind. Do you see where I am going with this? I have tea. When you come to my house in the morning you are offered coffee or tea. If you choose tea you must then choose if you want black or green tea. I have both. You must then go to the tea cabinet, as I have an entire cabinet devoted to my tea collection, and you must decide for yourself which tea it is that you want to drink. I will assist you if you need help. I am really cool like that.
My tea drinking, and yes, my pretend tea-drinking, started when I was but a wee child, maybe around the age of three, and I would watch my Auntie Eileen Choules, a real live English Ex-Pat who lived in our neighborhood. She offered tea to all of the ladies in the neighborhood, those with and without children, but she liked it when we came over as she herself had three kids, and we were roughly the same ages as her kids. She and Mom (Mum) would sit at her dainty table and drink their dainty teas in their dainty cups, and I loved the pomp and circumstance; I remember thinking I would be invited to drink tea someday, and I needed to pay close attention to see just exactly how it was done. I was in fact, invited for tea, the day after my formal graduation from high school. I was 17 years old, and let me tell you, I relished every single moment of that afternoon delight. We even had scones!! SCONES!!
Auntie Eileen was my mother's age of course, and she was straight out of London. I know nothing, and I do mean nothing about her other than she was from London, had three kids, came to America for her husband's employment, she moved to our neighborhood, and that she loved tea. Other than that, she was my mother's friend, and when I was growing up kids were not seen they were not heard, they were expected to be absent when the ladies talked, and even though some of us (me) hid and watched the goings-on during those afternoon teas, we were not permitted (as children) to participate or even have a say at the table; not once. My, how times have changed.
Today, I am absolutely certain that my friend (we'll call her Jeannie) doesn't know as much as I know about high tea when you should have it, what goes with it, how it should be done, and even if it should be done by crude and unworthy sorts like us. I do know, however, that I was "taught" by experience, by watching it actually happen both at Auntie's house and my own. I know that it took place right after school let out, and I know that the butter melted just so over the tops of those scones - - unless it was held at my house, and in that case, the butter melted just so over the hot canned biscuits that Mom popped into the oven. I can't believe Eileen would consider speaking to Mom after being subjected to that sort of treatment! (Ha!)
My favorite teas are Lady Grey (Twinings makes a great one), Constant Comment, Tazo's Green Zen, and H&T Black Current. I'm open to just about anything really, heck, I tried vanilla licorice, but I do prefer the staples. So, there you have it, me and my tea drinking habit. I hope you have a similar story to share with your friends regarding your childhood upbringings and how they may differ from today's kids' experiences. I can tell you that when my own kids were growing up and Jeannie and I were having tea that Jeannie routinely went for a Dr. Pepper instead and she would leave me hanging time after time again with my tea; even when I did pull out the tiny delicate china teacups with matching saucers Jeannie was not much for sipping and talking - - she only humored me on my birthday. I force her to humor me on my birthday, it will happen! We will have high tea on that one day!
Enjoy your tea, and please, please, don't forget the scones. Oh, the scones (with lemon curd) stop me. I'm about to drool.
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