People
who know me are aware about my obsession for tea. I can have tea, anytime,
anywhere, any number of times. I don’t really remember when and how this became
an obsession but I do remember that it was quite early.
My earliest
memory is that I was not allowed to have tea, since I was quite young. I was
told I would be allowed only when I was older. Moreover, my mother would preach
me that tea would make my complexion darker. So, the more I was dissuaded from
having tea, the more fascinating it became for me.
When I
was in school (during teenage), I would grab every opportunity to sneak in tea
for myself. So, when guests (read uncles and aunties of neighbourhood) would be
visiting, I would offer to make tea. While my mom-dad would be busy chatting
with them, I would make some for myself too, and gulp it all down before
anybody wondered where I was!
In
small places, people have very few means of entertainment. Perhaps that is the
reason there were so many gate meetings, to exchange gossip. ‘Gate meeting’ is
the term I am using for the talkathons between ladies residing in nearby
houses, standing near or by the gates. It could stretch for hours too depending
on the volume of gossip or idle talks which needed to be shared alongwith pending
household chores. In those days, women also had the endearing habit of showing
every single thing they shopped for (like sarees, bangles, shawls, dresses,
utensils, some new home accessory or some fancy gadget etc) to each other. OK,
I confess, I do that with my friends too :-) (What’s the fun if you can’t show off and get
some approving or envious glances ha ha then only it is paisa vasool). So, the
point is I would have enough time to make a glassful of nice tea and enjoy
myself during that time. I would remove all evidence of my tea indulgence after
that.
Even
now, when I have tea in front of my mother at odd hours, I half expect her to
stop me and give me a long lecture on ill effects of drinking too much tea. But
now she does not say anything. I feel almost adventurous having mugfuls of tea in
front of her.
While
I was pregnant, I used to feel nauseous all the time. I would not be able to
tolerate tea as well, then I shifted to green tea for a while. But I have never
really liked green tea. Sometimes I have it when I feel I am having too much
tea. In every
party, at home or outside, I ask for tea and if I don't get it, I go for iced tea.
Even
as I am writing this, I am sipping ginger tea. I also make masala tea with
cinnamon -cloves (and add black pepper if one of us has cold or cough). I hate cardamom
tea. I like my tea strong so I always get disapproving glances from my mother
and mother-in-law for the sheer quantity of tea leaves I add to 1 cup of tea.
They feel it can make tea for 4-5 people, and sometimes I agree :-) But what to do I need to have
the perfect colour and the perfect aroma for my kind of tea!
So,
you have any such obsessive habits?
