Tea

Filipinos in general are no real tea drinkers. Sometime ago, there was an iced tea boom, so it was no surprise that bottled iced tea products came in the market. Then soon after that, people started hearing about milk teas. People won't even take a sip of Chowking's Nai Cha, and now milk tea/bubble tea merchants are sprouting left and right--Quickly, Serenitea, Gong Cha, Chado, Chatime, Moonleaf, Bubble Tea, Tea 101, A-Gan Tea, Happy Lemon, Sip, etc. Even the coffee shops offer tea drinks. If there are people I know who drink real tea, that'll be the elderly or folks from Chinatown. If you offer hot tea to these milk tea afficionados, I bet they won't even drink it.

I've always liked my tea green (but I also like oolong ang black). Ever since I was 8, my family has been drinking sencha that my uncle brings home from Japan every year. One day, my friend Sam introduced me to Starbucks' Chai Latte. It tasted like heaven. Forget I said that. If I have a chance to taste an authentic Masala chai, I'll take it. One of these days, I'll find one. It must have been the aroma. I have a huge weakness to anything that is spiced and aromatic. Though it's not spiced and aromatic, Gong Cha's Wintermelon Tea didn't fail to make me shut up and drink. And I thought I wasn't into that.

One of my favorite TV characters, Patrick Jane (The Mentalist) drinks tea in every episode. If real tea isn't costly, I'd probably drink one everyday. Glad there are tea bags to compensate my needs. My office has a coffee station that offers free, freshly brewed green tea, but they're made by huge batches so you can't say they're still fresh. The tea is just always hot and never looked green at all. Because I'm not a big coffee fan, cheapskates like me still drink the tea from it. Damn.

Jasmine tea from yesterday's book reading afternoon.
(from one of my brother's students)

50 ARCHITECTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
-- from my brother's school library.

I thank the universe for good people who give me tea bags because I've never bought one for myself. I wonder why. Maybe when I've found the ultimate one. (＃´ー´)旦

Hey hipsters, drink hot tea! (　 ゜Д゜)⊃旦