High over tea!

What is more refreshing than starting the day with a cup of tea!!!  

When I graduated from my days of drinking only milk, I found coffee to be my kick-starter of the day. I liked it strong and bitter and would grab a cappuccino from Starbucks at every opportunity I get. It has been more than 6 years since I discovered the magical world of TEA. I used to spend more time at the neatly stacked tea shelves in the supermarket than any other section, totally immersed in the world of herbal infusions, different flavours of green tea, beautifully wrapped packs of black tea and many more.

I remember being addicted to green tea at one point of my life, which meant I could not think straight without sipping on one. Then I diving deep into the ocean of tea and found the intoxicating aroma and flavor of different herbal infusions – my favourite still remains Strawberry and Cranberry infusion. I love watching the colour of water changing into a deep red tone when I dip the tea bag and the aroma that wafting out takes me out into a another galaxy!!! I relish every sip I take and make sure my cup is help just beneath my nose for a constant whiff.  Also, there is nothing like a steaming cup of freshly brewed black tea with sugar topped with some sprigs of fresh mint leaves. The scent of mint leaves and the tea will relax your senses and bring a smile to your face. How can I forget the chamomile tea - my savior during my monthly cramps. The flavor of chamomile is not very easy to describe but it soothes you and I’d say its equivalent to the feel of cool ocean breeze.

When I learnt about the tea ceremony of Japan I was completely fascinated by the special importance given to the brewing and serving of tea. Japanese culture has never stopped to amuse me and I am totally captivated by their traditions, dresses, art, mannerisms, language and many more except for the cuisine (I cannot get myself to eat anything beyond miso soup). The Japanese tea ceremony where the whole concept of having people over tea and the elaborate way of serving it by beautifully dressed dainty women sounds like such an exotic experience.

I was totally elated when I came across Infinitea in Bangalore – a tea bar in Cunningham Road where you get to drink almost all types of tea under the sun. Besides the oolong tea, black tea, infusions etc., there is a new variety called the flower tea where the dry tea leaf flower or whatever you call it blooms into a flower when you pour hot water over it. It is so delightful to watch and then drink the concoction over a tea-filled conversation.

Hey coffee-lovers, beat that!!!

The most uncomfortable discussion...Still??

Every morning I open the newspaper to a minimum of 2 sexual assault articles in some part of the world and occasionally an article about sex education. I do not want to talk about the former mainly because it is very disturbing and demonic and it would make this blog look very dark.

I have been hearing about sex education in school for more than 10 years now. I never had one in school though and the closest to this topic we had was a session of menstruation and how babies are born (where the intercourse part was cleverly excluded). This session was specially arranged by the school where girls of 6^th to 9^th grade were asked to attend. Since, the Biology teachers were shy and I still cannot imagine why they have to be in front of a bunch of silly girls, a doctor was invited to talk. It was definitely an educative session and I felt the school did an excellent job of getting a doctor to explain the process. But what I cannot forget was the atmosphere created by the teachers – I recollect how everybody looked grave and were staring at each one of us. Some of us had the jitters and we felt we were going to be beheaded.

I do not want to generalise all the teachers or parents in this world – but I strongly feel that the parents and teachers need to relax some of their muscles and not make a big deal about sex education where they scare the hell out of the children. They manipulate the children’s mind in getting them to think it’s a taboo and a topic which cannot be breached upon. Even today, not all parents are comfortable in talking about this to their children. Quick glances are exchanged, unnecessary clearing of throat, sudden recollection of something important and hence, disappearance act are some of the common reactions from parents when children pose any sex related question. It is totally unfair to blame the parents because they would be in a dilemma on how much detail to disclose without blemishing the child’s innocence. But is a child’s innocence stained when they know about sex?  

I am no psychologist or counsellor to give tips or advice on how to educate your child on sex, but it would be easy if we start to look at the forbidden word in a new light. It is definitely not shameful and it is the nature’s way of procreation. The concept of right and wrong can be broadly explained only until the children reach a certain age – which would obviously be what the parent’s think is right or wrong. It is essential, however, to teach the children to think on their own to make the right decision – giving them the freedom to make the right choice. It is important to have sex education in all schools. It is very important to educate the children at a very young age about their body and the ‘good touch’ and the ‘bad touch’. The world is most certainly not a safe place and it is not an easy task to have the children under our wings all the time. Hence, be aware and be approachable to not just your child but others’ as well.