Wednesday 31 October 2012

Happy Hallow-tea! (sorry for the bad pun)

     No morning tea for me today :S Ironic how yesterday's post was all about the mug I bring everyday to school and the next day I must go without it. You see, I had a very busy morning. If you do not live under a rock, you would know that today is in fact Halloween. The day where kids and teenagers alike dress up in ridiculous outfits and beg for candy. My school is actually pretty good when it comes to Halloween, of course not everybody dresses up because, well, it's "embarrassing". But enough kids to make it a thing dress up. I am wearing a costume. I am none other than the icon of our childhood, Scoobert Doo.
     I had a hard time figuring out what I was going to wear this year. It had to be something good, it is my senior year after all. At first I was thinking about going as Marty Mcfly from the famous eighties sci-fi- Back to the Future. But then one day my dad brought home a pair of footie pyjamas with ears a tail and black spots. That's when I knew I'd be Scooby Doo.
     Sorry this post wasn't about tea, I'll try and get back on track tomorrow.

-Sarah

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Morning Pick Me Up

     I try to drink a cup of tea every morning. Like what coffee is to most people, tea is for me. It's my waker upper, my morning caffeine dose, part of my routine. I know tea isn't exactly known for its high levels of caffeine, but you'd be surprised on how much. Obviously teas such as white tea, herbal tea and roobios all have little to no caffeine in them. But certain green teas, oolongs and black teas have enough caffeine in them to open my eyes a little wider. Also there is a certain type of tea sold at Teavana called maté that contains 100% of the caffeine found in coffee.
     Because I wake up so late for school I rarely have time to sit down and sip on a hot cup of tea. So most mornings my tea is enjoyed at school, at my desk in my first period class. I have a special Teaopia mug that I got for my 16th birthday. It's bright orange, has a rubber top, an in cup strainer for leaves and no handles. It also has a picture of a person meditating with a teacup on the side. Beacause of my time deprived morning routine I don't have time to waste steeping my tea, so the in cup strainer is really useful. I usually prefer a chai, earl grey or any other black teas for my early morning, most likely with vanilla skim milk and if I'm really sleepy, a tablespoon of white sugar.

-Sarah

Monday 29 October 2012

Mug Shot

    Is it weird if I say my favourite part of tea is holding a mug? Well I guess that's not true, the taste is pretty substantial but I really really like holding a mug. Tea was the first hot drink I really got into so it was my first experience holding a mug. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I just like the warmth in my hands. I am one of those people who grasp the mug with both palms and hold it under my chin so the steam hits my face. It's probably the one of the most comfortable scenarios out there. The effect is lost with a skinny cup with those too-small handles that you can't fit more than more than two fingers in; you need a big fat ceramic mug. I suppose you could do that will any hot drink but I don't know, everything just seems better when it's tea.

-Sarah

Bagged or Loose?

     Today I will be giving my opinion on the age old battle when it comes to tea. Loose leaf or Tea bags. I am a loose leaf person, but I'm not exactly a snob when it comes to bagged tea. Teavana (Teaopia) is solely a loose leaf store with drums filled with perfectly dried leaves, flowers and fruits. I find that way makes the flavours more distinct and clear instead of them being all smushed together. Also loose tea is better for you, being made of all natural ingredients, unlike bagged tea which is grounded up into fine and processed specs.
     Though my preference is loose tea there are some aspects that can be frustrating. For one it is generally more expensive than a two dollar box of bagged tea. Then there is the issue of steeping. Obviously steeping a tea with a bag is extremely easy an quick, only needing a few dunks to get an acceptable amount of flavor. With loose leaf however you need certain tools and a few minutes to make a perfect cup of tea. This could be the reason why 96% percent of all cups of tea are steeped using teabags. Teavana sells a variety of ways to steep their leaves, some are make-shift tea bags or 'steep-as-you-go' travel mugs. I personally don't find it that much of a hassle but I can understand that side of argument. I guess it's a matter of opinion, what's more important, quality or convenience?

A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water- Eleanor Roosevelt

-Sarah

Friday 26 October 2012

Tea___a?

    Every teenager has a favourite store at their local mall. Whether it be American Eagle, Cinnabon or Coles. I visit my favourite place at least once a week, sometimes it being the only store I enter that trip. This store is currently titled Teavana, a quality loose leaf store where you can purchase a cup or a bag of tea as well as nifty teaware.
    Now Teavana is still new to me. A few months back it went by a different name, a name that became a regular addition to my everyday vocabulary. The store used to be called Teopia. It was Teaopia that really got me hooked on tea about two years ago. But last January the small Canadian company was bought out by a larger American one with a similar goal.
    The Teaopia I grew to love slowly morphed into the strange new Teavana that I've heard all about. I was nervous at first because Teaopia had become a common hangout for me. I knew all of the employees and they all knew me. We'd talk and laugh about how many teas on the wall I had tried. And it was unsettling that I wouldn't get to finish "the wall" that I worked so hard to taste.
    But eventually the transformation went through and in that giant space next to the fountain a new store appeared. But I grew to love Teavana. The familiar orange and black turned into earthy green and humble pink. The teas are different but equally as tasty. All the employees are the exact same people, and it even has its own tea wall!
    Change is always scary but once you accept it you can find some positive perks.

-Sarah


Let's Get Started, Shall We?

Hiya people!

    So my name is Sarah Collie and I am a grade 12 student from Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School, and this blog is a class project. The course is writers craft, and the task is to carefully construct our thoughts. Our teacher is trying to keep us 'hip' by letting us write and essentially express on a medium other than lined paper. Now unlike other blogs out there this is not a stream of consciousness project, not a 'brain dump bin' but a well crafted log of our thoughts.
     Now, why liquid wisdom? Tea. I am a down and out tea addict. I drink minimum three cups of tea a day with my record being eight. I can't get enough of the stuff. So because the best type of blogs are themed ones, I figure why not write about stuff I'm passionate about.
      So I'm not sure how long this little arrangement will go on for. Currently I have a lot of ideas for entries but as many of you know, opinions change over time. I'm not saying I'll suddenly hate tea (that will never happen) but my opinions for posts may change. Basically this blog's expiration date is whenever I run out of ideas.
     I can't promise right this instant what the content will be. I'm thinking reviews, famous quotes, tea related anecdotes and just opinions in general. Also apparently I'll be assigned some class projects so those might not be relative at all to the theme. We'll see I guess.
      I look forward to sharing my liquid induced wisdom with you.

-Sarah