Today I want to write about tea and friendship.

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In my small world, tea is friendship: I started drinking and enjoying tea when I was in highschool (to have a source of caffeine), then I started getting involved in muffins and herbal blends, then I started using tea as an excuse to meet up with my best friend, when we had to catch up.
Tearoom in the city, our kitchen, more or less cool cups, more or less interesting teas. Up untill “When can I see you? I have a kickass vanilla black tea you must try!”.
Up untill the other day: I was hand washing a teaset that belonged to my great-grandmother, and as soon as I finished, I had to go to visit my friend, to test drive her new vintage teaset.
Yes, to grownup women that, loosing the StepfordWife sindrome, have absolutely no problems at all in “playing ladies”, and having tea with dolls (ok, no real dolls included). It was wonderful

Emilie Autumn, definately NOT a Stepford Wife

Tea is friendship because, between the time it takes to boil water and then seep the tea and then wait for it not to burn your tongue, you take some time, you slow down, you sit down and you talk.

They say women only talk about shallow things and gossip. Without giving this too much consideration, let me just quote Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction “When you little scamps get together you’re worse than a sewing circle”.

And basically we’re back to the start: we’re people, and people gossip, talk about art, spirituality, cooking recipes, politics, DIY, shallow things and things that matter. People have stuff to talk about, that’s it!
Of course if in a relationship one of the two parts feels envious and in competition, the relashionship can’t develop. And this is true in any case, no matter the gender or the kind of the relationship between to people.

Moreover, I don’t know if it’s just me, but this thing of taking a moment, stopping for a moment and taking some time and a cup of tea, is spreading: any commercial of anything “relaxing” picture a fuming cup somewhere, tearooms and teashops are (and I’m happy for this) spreading.
I’m taking this as a sign of a world that wants to slow down, reconsider its priorities, take it easy.
And enjoy the moment.

Whether it is with your favourite mug, or to use your new teaset with your friends, or to try out a new blend, or to experiment with a new muffin recipe, or see what quote you get from your Yogi Tea (I love these).
Just a moment to enjoy a little luxury, a daily beauty.
I think this is our western and modern take on the Japanese Tea Ceremony.
A ritual of zen spirituality that is sooooo far from our culture, yes, but I like to thing that we somehow got the four pillars anyway: Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquillity.

This is how I read it: we should stop considering men and women so different when it comes down to personality and behaviour, and start to see us all as people.
So?
So back to tea, to this slowing down movement I’m noticing, this will in people to stop and think, to enjoy the moment, the company, the taste of a blend with a sweet, the beauty of a cup, and maybe finally consider eachother for who we are: thinking people with personality, not gender identities burdened with stereotypes.
I see this new curve the world is taking, and I’m hoping on it, this will for harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity, for everyone, because they are pleasures for people. Just like a soft revolution to change the world.
One cup of the at a time.

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