Webcomics + Tea = OMG teh INTERNETS is magic!!!11!!1

I like webcomics. I like tea. But I never dreamed they would go together. Enter Tea Club by Phuong-Mai Bui-Quang; a story of a--catgirl--college freshman who joins a club devoted to GT's favorite drink. Did I mention that the president of said club is a bear?

Milk isn´t just for English Breakfast - Tokidoki`s Moofia Blind Box series

Honestly, all of us should know better than to buy a three-inch-tall plastic milk carton for $7. Apparently, I don`t. Each of Tokidoki`s milk-themed Moofia toys comes in a cute milk-carton ´Blind Box´ the point being that you don`t even know if that hard-earned cash is going for something that´s already in your collection. I bought one thinking I would get Soya, which is after all my perferred milk, but I had to settle for whatever the kanji on THIS LITTLE GUY says. I know I should be ashamed of myself, but I like Milk-kun for some reason. I actually feel like wasting even more money on these silly things when I get back to the States.

What is Chai?

Chai is a cool word. I love saying it, because it reminds me of something really sweet. Before I tell you what, though, you should take a look at what Chai actually means:
1. It´s the Russian word for any type of tea.
2. It`s the name of a very specific and unusual type of drink from India. Chai.com describes said drink as "the perfect blend of freshly ground spices (chai masala) like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and pepper, added to a boiling pot of loose leaf tea and milk to make a delicious, satisfying and healthy beverage."

Now, down to why I just love that darn word. A bit ago I was traveling with my mother into the States. The fun thing about this trip was that we kept getting these delays. First off, the day we set out to the big city with an airport, the plane turned out to be full, so we went all the way back with our own private chauffuer and didn´t bother unpacking. (Have I mentioned this was my first time having a chauffuer?) Next day, bright and early another car picked us up from the gate, and we had an air-conditioned ride to the airport, came to Philly, trucked our 5 or so suitcases through the metal detectors, and at the gate were promptly told Burlington Airport was having a storm and we`d have to go tomorrow. (Awesome!) Well, my mother made a fair reek about how the airline already delayed us one day, and next thing we knew we were packed in an SUV with our pockets full of vouchers for a hotel in New Jersey. Gloucester, to be exact.
It had a fine Indian restaurant, a bar with a real pool table, and that roadside-America charm, not to mention a hair dryer and tub in the bathroom (neither of those things I have at home). The weather that afternoon, as we came fresh from looking at the smoky industrialness of the place, was my favorite, and when we came down for dinner it had started to rain. I think I had a spicy soup with either corn or coconut--and my mom ordered a curry that she didn´t like--but what I really remember is checking out the drinks at the back of the menu and thinking, heck, this is free?
"Hey, I`ll have one of these."
By now there was a storm out the covered window by our table, and the waiter brought a low cup that steamed of spices. Beside it was a small metal pitcher of warm milk. I added the milk to the chai slowly and finally it was just hot enough to not burn yourself drinking, but I shouldn`t have waited; the peppery, gingery heat was just as strong as boiling water.
Chai is an unusual tea, and the good kind reminds me of spicy coffee because you add milk. It`s a very adventurous one too, at least for me--if I was going to climb Everest, the first thing I`d throw in my bag would be chai masala because it warms you right up. Then, of course, a hot plate and soymilk.
The point is, that night was a perfect example of what makes tea superior to coffee, Red Bull, whatever your elixir is currently--the smell, the taste, the warmth brings you back to something you like, whether it`s a day the thermometer let you off school, or that first love story you finished at a WiFi cafe. Everything else just gives you a jolt forward, which isn´t all bad, but there are times when you`re better off looking over your shoulder, smiling, and thinking something happy for about ten minutes. Those times are made for tea.


For 2 cups of chai:

1. In a pot, heat 1 cup water & 1 cup milk.

2. Add 1/5 teaspoon Chai Masala

3. Add 2 teaspoons Tea Leaves. (Darjeeling are good, any black tea is cool too)

4. Stir occasionally & bring to a boil.

5. Strain & add sugar or honey to sweeten and enjoy!

Prepared chai will have a golden brown hue.

Flavor Trip - Four O´ Clock Organics

Owies! Tea is expensive now that I`m back home. Since I recently worked from 5PM to 4AM Photoshopping some of my artwork for a contest deadline the next day, however, I decided to splurge on $6 worth of Fair Trade Pomegranate Echinacea from the Four O´Clock series by Trans-herbe. It was a deliciously unusual blend, and I think I´m going to stick with Four O´Clock no matter the cost, because Ginkgo Ginger and Licorice Spice are also some pretty badass-sounding herb teas. Something about drinking something both Fair Trade, Organic, and yummy makes you feel awesome.

Completely Off-Topic - Parkour and Free Running

Yes, this is a complete lapse in topic consistency. Forgive me. But tea is a thing in a world of things, and two of those things are so awesome I have to give them some space alongside the hot mug that usually graces this blog. Those things are Parkour and Free Running.

Some people use the terms interchangeably; both, after all, can be found on Youtube as clips of incredibly brave individuals doing gymnastics in an urban environment. However, closer inspection shows a difference in style; Free Running is when they leap from roof to second-story-balcony-across-the-street, do triple wall-breakdance flips, and generally look scarily amazing. Parkour comes from the French term for 'obstacle course' and can be defined best as a training method to move efficiently and naturally and overcome obstacles; rolls, vaults, and rhythm are key points in the discipline. Both stemmed from what these two guys named Sabastien Foucan and David Belle did in Paris a while ago for fun with a couple of friends. However, I've been watching about a million videos, and then did some reading, and then watched some more videos, but tutorials this time--and I WANT TO DO THIS.

I'm a wimp though, so I'm just building up my stamina and reflexes for now, and practicing rolling on the soccer pitch because it's the most harmless move you can learn. I guess I caught the bug--or just poured another new cup of tea. We now return to your previously scheduled topic.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Tonic Tea - Organic India

Is it any surprise that India--birthplace of yoga and, in a sense, vegetarianism--takes health benefits into consideration with its most popular drink? Today I got two freebies from Organic India at the local Co-Op; Red Mango and Sweet Rose, both caffeine free and containing Tulsi, a medicinal herb revered as "The Holy Basil" by the Hindus. (Tulsi is an adaptogenic herb, proven to support the body's immune system and relieve the negative effects of stress.) Sweet Rose had a strong sense of chamomile, but was just a tad sweeter. However,what really got me was the smell of the tea--a pleasant aroma of roses that lingered after I was done with tea for the night.
I'm really looking forward to Red Mango now!

For the Tea-Time Zone - Traveler's Tins

The Republic of Tea might package their yummy blends in cans, but don't fret; they're just an efficient way to package circular bags. But they also make Traveler's Tins--sleek six-packs of tea bags just right for a jean jacket pocket and only about $4 a pop. As for blends, they're all great, but I recommend the soothing Dancing Leaves green tea.

Since there's room, I'd like to share a travel-related tea anecdote. Once I was sitting next to my brother on a coast-to-coast flight, and I'd swiped some Orange Pekoe from last night's hotel or something. I asked the flight attendant for hot water, all right, and I took the tea out of the wrapper. Then--get this--my brother took the teensy weensy Orange Pekoe wrapper, and folded it into an origami crane. AWESOME. I still have it in my wallet somewhere.