When I don’t feel well, there are certain comforts that I enjoy that also bring a speedier recovery. Tea is one of those comforts. Something about the warmth and complexity of leaves brewing delights my stomach. Wrapping my hands around an enormous mug filled with a lovely white or rooibos make me feel strong and safe.
My appreciation for tea began in London many years ago. I abandoned my daily cup of coffee to experience an English breakfast and it set sail from there. My roommate used t make fun of me because I almost always walked around the dorm with my massive mug of tea. The heat and subtlety helped me concentrate and remain calm during final papers and exam time.
I would visit tea shops after finishing a selection to discover a new blend that would surprise me, inspire me or tempt me. Black and white teas were my main poison then. My trip to Ireland only put more fuel to my obsessive fire.
Returning to the states I was maniacal with continuing my new tradition. But I grew tired of the graininess o the black tea and the white tea was too subtle – more like hot water with a drop of floavor than something adventurous.
I turned to green tea which did nothing but revolt me. The flavor of dirty sock water made me want to retch. But I wanted to give it a chance so I tried different mixtures. Nothing worked until I blended it with herbs to cover the soap taste. Mint, hibiscus and chamomile assisted in making it more palatable.
When I went to Nepal with a couple of friends, we went to a tea shop accompanied by our tour guide. Our guide used to work for a tea company so he educated us on the way tea leaves are cultivated and picked. This instruction enhanced my love of the beverage.
While reading the No. 1 Lady’s Detective Agency series, I was intrigued by the red bush tea that Precious often sipped while resolving mysteries. I located rooibos tea in a number of shops and a new respect for tea arose. So when I am not consuming my morning joe, you can usually find me sipping a splendid demitasse of radiance and solace.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
The Project
As back-to-school approaches, I always feel like I should be doing something challenging to replicate those good old school days. I have been giving this some consideration for a while. I decided that I will work on two projects, one of which I will chronicle to some degree on my blog. The other one I will do personally and will keep tabs on at a later date.
My autumnal project is to read Victor Hugo's classic 'Les Miserables' in French. I started the project a little while ago and so far, so good. I've read a couple of books in the tome already and it's as inspiring as I thought it would be.
I expected it to be harder to get through than it has been but I like Hugo's style. He does not use difficult vocabulary which makes my life easier. I do have to look up an occasional word but I don't have to carry a dictionary with me while I read which is a great help. If I had to consult the dictionary a lot, I probably would have given up by now.
There are times when his description is a little long-winded but I just skim those parts. His character descriptions are very distinct and visual. Even if I hadn't seen the musical three times, I would have envisioned the characters very clearly thanks to his detail.
I'm approaching the end to the first section called Fantine. On a number of occasions I've found myself gasping at the action taking place on the page. My eyes have also teared up on two occasions. Let's hope it stays this way.
My autumnal project is to read Victor Hugo's classic 'Les Miserables' in French. I started the project a little while ago and so far, so good. I've read a couple of books in the tome already and it's as inspiring as I thought it would be.
I expected it to be harder to get through than it has been but I like Hugo's style. He does not use difficult vocabulary which makes my life easier. I do have to look up an occasional word but I don't have to carry a dictionary with me while I read which is a great help. If I had to consult the dictionary a lot, I probably would have given up by now.
There are times when his description is a little long-winded but I just skim those parts. His character descriptions are very distinct and visual. Even if I hadn't seen the musical three times, I would have envisioned the characters very clearly thanks to his detail.
I'm approaching the end to the first section called Fantine. On a number of occasions I've found myself gasping at the action taking place on the page. My eyes have also teared up on two occasions. Let's hope it stays this way.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Sneaking a Sip
Walking to work is not a pleasant experience. As my footsteps bring me closer to the building, the dread and lethargy in my body overwhelm me. Occasionally though I do see some uplifting things on my way to work.
Most mornings there is a canine unit out in the street on my way to work. Just seeing the dogs and them playing with their handlers puts me in a good mood. Yesterday, I witnessed a very cute show that made me laugh for most of the day and which made me rethink my walk to work.
There are benches that line the street that I walk by on my way to work. Mostly there are tourists who sit there and eat or take pictures. The locals occasionally sit there to take a breather or to smoke a couple of cigarettes. A particular local yesterday was sitting on one of these benches talking on her cell phone. Sitting right next to her was a super pudgy pug who had his face in her enormous cup of coffee. While he slurped up the coffee, she continued on her telephone tirade not noticing what was happening to the left of her.
The amusing part was not that the dog was lapping up the coffee but that it was a pug that was doing it. Pugs are generally not an active breed of dog so the fact that he was drinking the coffee made me think this little guy was looking to do some exercise. Pugs also have a problem with their noses. Because they don’t have snouts they tend to sound like they always have emphysema. This puggie was no different. He was sipping and sniffling away. I kept imagining him bouncing off the bench and blazing down the street passed the business people and the brokers. Of course that would be my imagination getting the best of me because I don’t think a gallon of coffee would have propelled this puppy in any way. But darn it, he was cute and the sight was delightful.
Regardless, I give the dog credit for being clever and having initiative. I think he figured that as long as his master wasn’t paying any attention to him, he could do whatever he pleased. Even if it wouldn’t result in much energy at the end of the day, he’s still had a taste of a good cup of joe.
Most mornings there is a canine unit out in the street on my way to work. Just seeing the dogs and them playing with their handlers puts me in a good mood. Yesterday, I witnessed a very cute show that made me laugh for most of the day and which made me rethink my walk to work.
There are benches that line the street that I walk by on my way to work. Mostly there are tourists who sit there and eat or take pictures. The locals occasionally sit there to take a breather or to smoke a couple of cigarettes. A particular local yesterday was sitting on one of these benches talking on her cell phone. Sitting right next to her was a super pudgy pug who had his face in her enormous cup of coffee. While he slurped up the coffee, she continued on her telephone tirade not noticing what was happening to the left of her.
The amusing part was not that the dog was lapping up the coffee but that it was a pug that was doing it. Pugs are generally not an active breed of dog so the fact that he was drinking the coffee made me think this little guy was looking to do some exercise. Pugs also have a problem with their noses. Because they don’t have snouts they tend to sound like they always have emphysema. This puggie was no different. He was sipping and sniffling away. I kept imagining him bouncing off the bench and blazing down the street passed the business people and the brokers. Of course that would be my imagination getting the best of me because I don’t think a gallon of coffee would have propelled this puppy in any way. But darn it, he was cute and the sight was delightful.
Regardless, I give the dog credit for being clever and having initiative. I think he figured that as long as his master wasn’t paying any attention to him, he could do whatever he pleased. Even if it wouldn’t result in much energy at the end of the day, he’s still had a taste of a good cup of joe.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tremors
As most everyone has heard we had an earthquake in New York City yesterday. This was the first one through which I had ever been awake. The other times I woke up and everything was foggy so I thought that perhaps I was dreaming. This time around, I wish I had been dreaming. It was equally surreal but being startled out of bed and thinking it’s a dream is better than being on the 19th floor of an office building in Manhattan.
I was sitting at my desk trying to finish a deliverable. I had just finished lunch and was getting to a groove, when I began to get very dizzy. I thought it was something I had eaten. I realized then that the dizziness was due to the floor shaking under my feet and my desk bending up and down beneath my arms. I looked around my desk to see if perhaps it wasn’t my eyes playing tricks on me. When I saw the other people on my floor looking as befuddled as I was, I knew something was not right.
I rushed to check NY1 on the internet but nothing was reported yet. I got a couple of Instant Messages from friends asking if I had felt that. I confirmed that I felt the building shaking. I said I thought it was an earthquake. Once I said it and understood, I got up from my desk and waited by the staircase for an evacuation announcement. The announcement never came.
The fire safety director said they were inspecting the building to see if it was structurally sound and that if there were any problems we would be evacuated. And we waited. After about 15 minutes, a number of us returned to our desks to check out the news. It was confirmed that the earthquake was 5.8 and the epicenter was in Virginia.
Another announcement stated that the building was still being checked. (I could have died by now. Thanks so much fire safety director!) I called my husband and my parents to check on them. Everything was fine. I got an influx of emails from friends asking if I had felt the tremors. I spent most of the afternoon checking in with people to make sure they were fine.
By 4 pm I had ensured family and friends were safe and went back to getting my work done. The deliverable was a little late but who cares when it comes to being safe. Obviously some people didn’t care about our safety or they would have let us go home. If I didn’t know who I was dealing with before, now I am certain!
I was sitting at my desk trying to finish a deliverable. I had just finished lunch and was getting to a groove, when I began to get very dizzy. I thought it was something I had eaten. I realized then that the dizziness was due to the floor shaking under my feet and my desk bending up and down beneath my arms. I looked around my desk to see if perhaps it wasn’t my eyes playing tricks on me. When I saw the other people on my floor looking as befuddled as I was, I knew something was not right.
I rushed to check NY1 on the internet but nothing was reported yet. I got a couple of Instant Messages from friends asking if I had felt that. I confirmed that I felt the building shaking. I said I thought it was an earthquake. Once I said it and understood, I got up from my desk and waited by the staircase for an evacuation announcement. The announcement never came.
The fire safety director said they were inspecting the building to see if it was structurally sound and that if there were any problems we would be evacuated. And we waited. After about 15 minutes, a number of us returned to our desks to check out the news. It was confirmed that the earthquake was 5.8 and the epicenter was in Virginia.
Another announcement stated that the building was still being checked. (I could have died by now. Thanks so much fire safety director!) I called my husband and my parents to check on them. Everything was fine. I got an influx of emails from friends asking if I had felt the tremors. I spent most of the afternoon checking in with people to make sure they were fine.
By 4 pm I had ensured family and friends were safe and went back to getting my work done. The deliverable was a little late but who cares when it comes to being safe. Obviously some people didn’t care about our safety or they would have let us go home. If I didn’t know who I was dealing with before, now I am certain!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Snuffleupagus
Living in New York City you never know who you will see walking in the street. Just the other night my husband and I saw Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones with two little kids. We both saw them and squeezed each others hand and didn’t say a thing more. We didn’t interrupt them or bother them in anyway. There is an understanding among New Yorkers that you should let celebrities live their lives and not bother them.
About a month ago, my husband and I were going to dinner when we saw someone famous. My husband turned to me and said "It’s Snuffleupagus." I shook my head and said “His name is Stephanopoulus." My husband responded to my correction by saying “That’s what I said." And I just continued to shake my head. As we were walking by the gentleman, my husband proceeded to tell me “Man, he’s short!” To which I am sure I became very red. I’m certain the famous person heard my husband’s comments.
On our way home from dinner, we saw a friend and my husband told her how we had seen Snuffleupagus. She started laughing because she had figured out who he meant even though he was doctoring the celebrity’s real name. My husband continued to mention throughout the rest of the night that the celebrity certainly looked a lot taller on television.
By the end of the night, I really wished we had seen the famous Sesame Street character walking in the street than the poor guy who must constantly be picked on for his lack of height.
About a month ago, my husband and I were going to dinner when we saw someone famous. My husband turned to me and said "It’s Snuffleupagus." I shook my head and said “His name is Stephanopoulus." My husband responded to my correction by saying “That’s what I said." And I just continued to shake my head. As we were walking by the gentleman, my husband proceeded to tell me “Man, he’s short!” To which I am sure I became very red. I’m certain the famous person heard my husband’s comments.
On our way home from dinner, we saw a friend and my husband told her how we had seen Snuffleupagus. She started laughing because she had figured out who he meant even though he was doctoring the celebrity’s real name. My husband continued to mention throughout the rest of the night that the celebrity certainly looked a lot taller on television.
By the end of the night, I really wished we had seen the famous Sesame Street character walking in the street than the poor guy who must constantly be picked on for his lack of height.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The Pest
Going to my parent’s place on Long Island is always an adventure. I never quite know what I will find. A number of years ago we found a turtle in the pool which we kept as a pet. In recent years we’ve had visits by frogs that have been the delight of my dog Foxy’s day. She enjoys trying to bite them just as they hop away.
A few weeks ago, I walked in and said hello and walked to the back yard to see how our garden was growing. I looked up into the tree nearby and saw something that looked like a nest. I told my husband about it and as we looked closer, we realized it wasn’t a nest at all. There was a sleeping raccoon propped in the tree in broad daylight. My husband and I didn’t really care one way or another about the visitor. However when we told my dad, he said we should kill it.
He even told my husband to turn to an informercial channel and see if they don’t sell a rifle that he could use to kill it. My husband relayed this advice to me and I just giggled. A little later on my father told my mom about the raccoon perched in the tree. My mom’s solution to getting rid of the raccoon was to shoot it.
Despite how much they argue, they still agree on some things. Later on in the day, a particularly touching moment, my husband and I caught both my parents sitting outside in the backyard talking. No yelling, just talking. As we eavesdropped we came to understand what was happening, they were concocting plans on how to get the raccoon out of the tree.
As the sun was setting, I was reading out in the backyard. I caught the raccoon climb down from the tree and walk along the periphery of the house to wherever it was planning to spend the night. I told my husband what I had witnessed.
The next morning, just after everyone had had their coffee, we went to check if the raccoon had returned. Nope, our neighborhood pest had decided to hot foot it out of the hostile environment. My mom and dad both muttered something under their breath. What my husband and I had heard as something to the effect of ‘we should have shot it when we had the chance.’
A few weeks ago, I walked in and said hello and walked to the back yard to see how our garden was growing. I looked up into the tree nearby and saw something that looked like a nest. I told my husband about it and as we looked closer, we realized it wasn’t a nest at all. There was a sleeping raccoon propped in the tree in broad daylight. My husband and I didn’t really care one way or another about the visitor. However when we told my dad, he said we should kill it.
He even told my husband to turn to an informercial channel and see if they don’t sell a rifle that he could use to kill it. My husband relayed this advice to me and I just giggled. A little later on my father told my mom about the raccoon perched in the tree. My mom’s solution to getting rid of the raccoon was to shoot it.
Despite how much they argue, they still agree on some things. Later on in the day, a particularly touching moment, my husband and I caught both my parents sitting outside in the backyard talking. No yelling, just talking. As we eavesdropped we came to understand what was happening, they were concocting plans on how to get the raccoon out of the tree.
As the sun was setting, I was reading out in the backyard. I caught the raccoon climb down from the tree and walk along the periphery of the house to wherever it was planning to spend the night. I told my husband what I had witnessed.
The next morning, just after everyone had had their coffee, we went to check if the raccoon had returned. Nope, our neighborhood pest had decided to hot foot it out of the hostile environment. My mom and dad both muttered something under their breath. What my husband and I had heard as something to the effect of ‘we should have shot it when we had the chance.’
The Return
Yesterday morning I awoke with a great throbbing pain in my back and a cramp in my ribs. It had returned. The pain I had felt for a number of weeks a few months ago decided to rear its head again. Fabulous! I had been having a slight twinge in my back for weeks but the rib crushing pain had decided it was time for an encore. What stank is that I wasn’t that thrilled with the concert in the first place.
I bounced out of bed and started doing all the exercises and stretches I had in my physical therapy arsenal. It felt better after the 45 minutes of exercise. But it left me feeling very defeated. Was I going to have to really deal with this for the rest of my life. And the worst part is that I had no idea what had brought it on, just as I never knew before. Could I really be forced to spend the rest of my life doing 45 minutes of stretches every morning and another 30 or so at night before bed?
I guess this is what happens as you get older. Your body does whatever the hell it wants without consulting you. I’ll figure something out eventually with this pain. The detective work begins.
I bounced out of bed and started doing all the exercises and stretches I had in my physical therapy arsenal. It felt better after the 45 minutes of exercise. But it left me feeling very defeated. Was I going to have to really deal with this for the rest of my life. And the worst part is that I had no idea what had brought it on, just as I never knew before. Could I really be forced to spend the rest of my life doing 45 minutes of stretches every morning and another 30 or so at night before bed?
I guess this is what happens as you get older. Your body does whatever the hell it wants without consulting you. I’ll figure something out eventually with this pain. The detective work begins.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
What's Going On?
Today two interesting things transpired either in my view or were reported to me that led me to wonder what is happening in the world.
On my way to the gym this morning, I noticed a lady on the corner trying to hail a cab. She was on the southeastern most corner holding her hand up waiting for a cab to come southward towards her. She noticed a cab stopped at the light on the same southeastern intersection. She waved her hand at the cab to signal that she wanted him to pick her up. She sighed exasperatedly at this cab as if to say ‘Why haven’t you picked me up yet?’
The cab driver in the stopped car looked incredulously at the lady who was obviously annoyed that he hadn’t picked her up yet.
Two things were astonishing to me about this sight
1) The cab was stopped at a red light
2) The lady was only a maximum of 5 feet away from this stopped car. Could she not walk over to it and get in?
The second item was narrated to me by a colleague. He told me that there was a fire drill in his building. Everyone was required to leave their floor through the assigned exits and to walk down two flights of stairs to ‘test’ the evacuation plan. This happens at least once a year in my company. Occasionally they test where we just convene in front of the exits to prove we know where they are. Other times we do the full evacuation plan and more often we do the two flights down test.
He told me they returned only to find that his boss didn’t do the test. He went into the bathroom and hid there until the fire drill was over. I asked myself what concoction he must have been sipping to think this was a wise decision.
Am I wrong to think that there are indications on a daily basis that things are just getting ridiculous? Or is it me?
On my way to the gym this morning, I noticed a lady on the corner trying to hail a cab. She was on the southeastern most corner holding her hand up waiting for a cab to come southward towards her. She noticed a cab stopped at the light on the same southeastern intersection. She waved her hand at the cab to signal that she wanted him to pick her up. She sighed exasperatedly at this cab as if to say ‘Why haven’t you picked me up yet?’
The cab driver in the stopped car looked incredulously at the lady who was obviously annoyed that he hadn’t picked her up yet.
Two things were astonishing to me about this sight
1) The cab was stopped at a red light
2) The lady was only a maximum of 5 feet away from this stopped car. Could she not walk over to it and get in?
The second item was narrated to me by a colleague. He told me that there was a fire drill in his building. Everyone was required to leave their floor through the assigned exits and to walk down two flights of stairs to ‘test’ the evacuation plan. This happens at least once a year in my company. Occasionally they test where we just convene in front of the exits to prove we know where they are. Other times we do the full evacuation plan and more often we do the two flights down test.
He told me they returned only to find that his boss didn’t do the test. He went into the bathroom and hid there until the fire drill was over. I asked myself what concoction he must have been sipping to think this was a wise decision.
Am I wrong to think that there are indications on a daily basis that things are just getting ridiculous? Or is it me?
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