Blushing in My Tea Cup is Some Rose Bud Tea

Now I know why they say the best camera is the one in your hand at the right place and right time. A careless tripping of some rose bud tea over a book I was reading resulted in this visual poetry...

I must confess I've been biased to this beautiful blush, so much so that I've reserved it for special occasions only. What I've captured here is the last batch of my rose bud tea. It saw me through many a tough days and kept me company through days when I wasn't in the pink of health. Rose Bud Tea is said to add sparkle to your skin and ease complaints of bloatedness.

Flower teas are some of the most popular Chinese herbal tea (Tisane), especially Chrysanthemum and Rose Bud Tea which are noted as Woman's herbs. Tisane is not tea at all, it is a caffeine-free herbal infusion which you can savor any time of the day, any number of times a day. Do give it a try. If you're in Mumbai, it's available at Chado, Phoenix Mills.

P.S: Book Cover is Good Night God Bless by Anita Nair and the Rose Bud Tea was bought from a 50-year old Tea House called Tea Chapter in Singapore.

Cu-tea Calendar 2011

There's still time for 2011 to peep in, but nothing keeps me away from Tea indulgence any time of the year. Karel Capek, a Japanese tea company and their cu-tea calendar:

Images: Omiyage-simply charming things from Japan

Curtain Raiser

From where he comes, space is basic not luxury, privacy is effortless and sanctity is still safeguarded. Knowing this, I understand his unsettling feeling of being a lab specimen in your own house; but I’ve rarely ever experienced it.

Growing up in apartments of a crowded city like Mumbai does that to you- You stop counting the number of windows that have clear vision of your apartment when the tube comes on. This, however, hasn’t grown on B even after being here for over a decade. Every evening B will track me down with the curtains carelessly drawn. Without a word, he’ll make a calculated move and the curtains will behave like the hopelessly punished mischievous kid from school.

In Lonavala tonight, we’ve stayed at this solitary bungalow before but it’s the first time that the sense of space fills me up. A funny feeling creeps in. One part of the grand window is blurred with steam from the Dimbula tea I’m sipping on. Even then, I am sure that nearest lit room is far away. A song plays in my head and I turn to see B on his desk, deep in thought, doing what he does for a living- weaving stories. He senses my eyes on him and looks up. I promptly turn and with my free hand begin to draw on the steamy window- a house.

A smiling B gets up from his desk, with eyes pointing to my tilted teacup and the small puddle on the floor! In his characteristic way he fetches the cup from my hands and dabs some tissues on the floor. He’s the perfect antidote to my clumsiness! He pours me some more tea from the white teapot, beaming this entire time. As the cup exchanges hands, he unassumingly opens the window to a sea of dark.

As we both stand there, my mind wanders off to the fields of turnip and raddish we can see from B’s family house in Doon. They have different set of curtains for summer and winter. While recalling the patterns of each, I make a wish...I hope that curtains always remain as furnishing for me.

Thorns in my Throat- A Poem in Progress

Digging up old treasures is a certain high. Another dive and I come up with a half crumpled note dated 2007. I clearly remember the crazy day at work when I wrote this, exasperated. You'll know why I celebrate the thrill of of my own randomness today. I'm tempted to add more to it each time I read it. This one surely is a poem in progress!

I got thorns in my throat.
Nomad syrup? I spot promote.

Try to exercise but my mind.

It's working on its own design.

Someday this drum will stop to roll.

Pick me up- like ramen from a bowl.
I can fix this. There's no doubt.
A teapot with a broken spout.

Swim through this day in misery.
With a blue jar of green tea.
I want it to rain. Clear all, lest my panes re-frame.
Drizzle now now. Soothe my thorny throat again.

© Snigdha Manchanda Binjola

Image: Big thanks to http://www.etsy.com/shop/luminousphotographer