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Monday 16 February 2009

I'm a little tea boy, short and stout.....

The answer to Sunday's little tickler was eight no shows and by the time I had my coat and mittens on there were two brouhahas a brewing and a rumbling and a not so gently simmering. They were both in my section so clearly I was to blame according to my waiter chums. Personally I would lay the blame at the door of Mr Alcohol who closed the door on Mr Passive Aggression and opened the door and dragged in Mr All out Rage. Should have just had a nice cup of tea and left the booze alone...

I'm always chittering on about how much coffee I drink. In fact if you follow my every movement on Twitter I am always either going for a coffee or just back from coffee. I would have you believe that my day starts and ends with litre after litre of bean juice. I have probably given you the impression that I am one of those jittery twitchy people who is jacked up to the hilt on caffeine. But it's all a lie, it's not true, it's a cover. There I've said it, I've come clean.

I am a tea boy and that's that.

Now don't get me wrong I do enjoy the short sharp boost of bitterish relief that can only be found in a teeny tiny espresso cup but tea is my true love and it's with a cup of tea in one hand and LMM in the other that I truly feel complete.

Sigh...

Do you, like me, have a love for tea? I'm a three bag per cup man, I do use big cups it has to be said. But oh how I love tea. Tea tea tea tea tea tea tea tea mmmmmmm tea. I spend most of my waking hours sipping, quaffing and imbibing cup after cup of strong black yea. It's a grand life, it really is.

So it was with glee and excitement that I opened the little brown package that was popped with an oh so delicate touch by the postman through my letterbox on Friday morning. Because I knew what it was, it was my membership to THE TEA APPRECIATION SOCIETY!

Hurrah! A society that finally wants me! A society that finally accepts me for what I am, a tea boy! Actually there is no screening process and I'm pretty sure they will accept anyone with the correct money. But it was a joy and it many ways a relief to find a group of like minded individuals with whom I can share my love for all things tea in a safe and secure environment free from the fidgety and somewhat paranoid glare of the coffee addicts. Tea is a simple drink for simple folk. We need not the vulgar showiness of lattes and cappuccino nor the aggression of espresso. No, for us, happiness, relief, refreshment and replenishment can be found in a simple cup of tea.

So if you feel that you too could belong in such a society and that you have a love of tea and tea related paraphernalia then I implore you to join The Tea Appreciation Society.

Huzzah for tea and huzzah for societies of tea drinkers!

*******

But if you must drink coffee, and I don't suggest for a moment that you shouldn't, then pop along to Bewley's on Grafton Street where they have a superb Fairtrade exhibition which runs to the 8th of March. You and a friend, (assuming you have a friend if not just buddy up with the other sad sack on the next table over), can enjoy a Fairtrade coffee, tea or hot chocolate. There are also cakes to be had but I couldn't swear as to their ethical status, maybe the baker beats her baker chums until they get the cream just right. I sure she doesn't but until I know for sure I can't really comment.

There are competitions that involve actual prizes, unlike the virtual nonsense handed out around these parts. There is everything from cakes to jollies to Nicaragua.

Which is nice.

Details can be found here and here.

And before any smart arse says it I didn't get a truck load of free tea and or coffee from the good people at Bewley's in return for this post. I just care about stuff and things.....and tea. Obviously.

29 People trying to get Manuel's attention:

Megan McGurk said...

I drink far more tea than coffee, always. For a stretch I was sticking to that white tea shit, but it tasted of potpourri and had very little zip to it. So now I'm back on the Twinings.

Megan McGurk said...

Hey, so I called the 8 no-shows.
What's my prize?

Manuel said...

medbh: ah Twinings...so good, so so good...tea, strong, black, no sugar....easy really....

I'm virtually hugging you right now.....

Anonymous said...

You DO know that black tea has about as much caffeine as coffee....






...don't you?

Manuel said...

pete in az: welcome! yes, yes I did..but it;s still easier and less confrontational than drinking espresso.....

Anonymous said...

You must be permanently buzzed unless, of course, you sup infusions.

Do you hold your little finger up?

Manuel said...

99 words: sleep doesn't come easy....infusions? pfft..pinky out at all times

Clever Idea Widgetry said...

I'm not a tea guy, but when I do indulge (mostly when illness or tummy trouble about) I also use three bags. I was ashamed to admit that until now. Maybe I thought I was killing a koala bear in the rain forest or something. Thanks to the WDF, I can come out of the three bag closet. Thanks.

Manuel said...

Crisatunity: three bags is the only...dunk them with pride and welcome to the club...!

Jenny said...

I'm a coffee drinker. I ask restaurants what roast they serve and annoy the wait staff when I make them go in the kitchn and find out, when they don't know. I don't know why I do, because it's usually burned beyond good taste on some burner. No one can make decent tea in the U.S., so I stick with the Java.

Old Knudsen said...

I'm a tea MAN! but I can't get Nambarrie over here also its too hot to drink tea.

you boil tea in a metal pot until its drawn a man, that is the mark of a good strong/stewed cup of tay.

Coffee is for the weak, Hitler, Gerry Adams and Jason from Halloween, or is it Friday the 13th? anyway they all like coffee.

My Monday post is a tribute to the man Sammy Wilson, he likes tea.

Anonymous said...

I drank tea a lot when I was young but not now. My jolt I need from coffee especially in the morning.

Alan in Belfast (Alan Meban) said...

Hurray for coming out of the closet (tea chest?) as a tea drinker.

Tea good; coffee evil.

Can't drink the hard stuff without staying awake for 48 hours. So it's tea all the way. My wife's habit of mixing a bag of "normal" (though is tea ever normal?) and a bag of earl grey in the same pot is quite charming - though my poor sense of smell means I don't benefit from the aroma.

Keep drinking the tea ...

Anonymous said...

Tea FTW. Coffee just has this sort of "dark" taste in comparison, not nice at all.

Plus all coffee tastes the same, whereas you get a nice variety of lavours from different blends of tea!

Ian said...

Jaysis, I thought I was bad using 2 tea bags ! I go throught about 5 cups a day, possibly more with having no school !

But I do just LOVE tea!

Lottie said...

Mmm Tea. I don't think "I love tea" really says it all for me.

Anonymous said...

I average 7 or 8 pots a day, each one an 8-cup pot. You should see how pleasant I am when kept away from tea for more than 40 minutes (unless I have alcohol to distract me).

Tea drinkers are to be trusted, coffee drinkers tolerated, and those who don't touch caffeine ideally relocated to a different solar system.

The Mistress said...

Would you like a good teabagging from Old Knudsen?

Native Minnow said...

I don't like tea or coffee. I'll stick to my water, lemonade or cranberry juice thanks.

Anonymous said...

Nothing beats a good cup of tea brewed so much that you could walk on it, but even so - 3 bags per cup is ridiculous!

So what (apart from LMM) is the best accompaniment to a cuppa? KitKat? Jam sammich? Dare i say it... ciggy?

Looby said...

take the test manuel
http://feeds.blogthings.com/areyoucoffeeorteaquiz/

savannah said...

well, sugar, you're going to do the "kreativ blogger" thing, one by one? so far, you love taking off your shoes after a long day and tea..ok ;) i can't wait for the proust questionnaire ;) xoxoxo

liederess said...

Oh no! I get my caffeine and flavonoids from dark chocolate. Maybe I should find a chocolate society to join. I feel so left out. I don't drink alcohol either. Am I banned from reading your blog?

Queen of Denial said...

I love black tea myself, though I have been seduced by the occasional cappucino. Tea tastes nicest out of my big blue mug (home) or Lord of the Rings mug (work). Can't be arsed making a pot just for me, but it definitely nicest out of a tea pot that you have to lift with a cloth or you'll burn the skin off your hands.

Anonymous said...

Could you please fill a Yank in on what an "LMM" is? Thank You ever so much gov-nar. ha ha

JT

Old Knudsen said...

I like the way MJ's link says a dominant male and his submissive partner.

Thats you and me mate, open yer mouth.

Manuel said...

James Tracy: bwahahahaha a LMM is my dear sweet girlfriend, Little Miss Manuel....

Knudsen I'll be back for you later....

Anonymous said...

the old tea has more caffine than coffee thing - has that not been done on QI, and the pubesforhair fella does his daft look while the siren goes off... apparently its nonsense, coffee in its drinkable state has herds more caffeine than tea... unless you make your tea with coffee... or heroin

5 Tea Drinkers
- George Orwell
- Mrs Doyle
- Boy George
- The fish in Boston harbour
- Mad hatter

Manuel said...

toast: alan davies puts me off tea.....and living......hideous...