A Nice Cup of Tea
01:02:04i
Happy International Tea Day!
“Tea is the finest solution to nearly every catastrophe and conundrum that the day may bring.”
01-02-04i
International Tea Day
#13 As you may or may not be aware, May 21st marks International Tea Day, so I would like to pay homage to two of my favourite night watch companions: tea (quite obviously) and Eric Arthur Blair.
Now, let me delve into my relationship with my mother-in-law (bear with me on this one). She defected from communist Czechoslovakia in 1966 during the peak of Soviet control and let's just say she possesses a rather candid demeanour. Initially, upon learning of our plans to embark on a world cruise, she inundated me with newspaper clippings detailing maritime disasters. However, when it became clear that her efforts couldn't deter us from our adventure, she bid us farewell with an unexpected parting gift: a bone china tea set.
It's a complicated relationship.
Woody enjoying a ‘nice cup of tea’ sat on the dolphin seat on ‘bommie watch’
Turning now to Eric Arthur Blair, (aka George Orwell), whose audio book adaptations have been one of my most steadfast companions during many a night watch across the oceans. Orwell is renowned for his dystopian masterpiece "1984" (published in 1949) and his anti-communist novella "Animal Farm" (released on August 17, 1945).
Orwell, a man of humble origins, immersed himself in the contrasting ideologies of Fascism and Communism, infusing his writings with a profound sense of authenticity. Having borne witness to the ravages of war, poverty, and tyranny, as well as suffered through the travesty of terrible cups of tea, he felt compelled to leverage his talents in denouncing these abominations.
His essay "A Nice Cup of Tea," originally published in the London Evening Standard on January 12, 1946, amidst wartime rationing, offered not only practical advice on tea brewing but also delved into cultural identity and tradition. In his trademark allegorical style, Orwell conveyed the significance of maintaining a semblance of normalcy amidst chaos, highlighting the comforting and stabilising role of tea.
No day is too hot to enjoy a nice cup of tea in the Pacific
While the bone china tea set didn’t find its way aboard S/V Mothership for obvious reasons, a substantial stash of English tea certainly did, fortifying long days and nights at sea.
Now, on this International Family Day (Yes it’s officially ‘International Day of Families’ today!), I've chosen to adopt a more nuanced perspective of my mother-in-law's farewell gift. Rather than interpreting it as a cynical or sardonic gesture, I see it as imbued with deeper meaning. Perhaps, beneath her stoic ex-Soviet exterior, she sought to convey that a "nice cup of tea" could bring solace amidst the tumult of life at sea, transcending borders, ideologies, and oceans, and celebrating the resilience of the human spirit.
So, I would like to extend warm wishes for a joyous International Day of Families today, as well as sipping and savouring a nice cup of tea in recognition of International Tea Day on Tuesday.
Bottoms up!
“Tea is the Finest
..”
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