Tea or coffee?

Today afternoon its unusually quiet. I am sitting in the balcony, sipping hot and sweet ginger tea. It’s a holiday for school but strangely I cannot see even a single kid running around in play area. I am enjoying this quiet. Vary rarely I get to enjoy it.  Small joys of life.

Usually, on a weekday morning, the only thing I drink at home is a sip of water. My day starts early. Usually I am already out of home and on my way to office at 7 am. 10.30 am is the time reserved in office to have first cup of beverage. I don’t have a preference in office – It can be anything of the available choices – tea, coffee, badam milk or green tea. It is part of my routine now. I do it out of habit. I tend to skip it if I do not have company. Actually this hot cup serves as a tiny break in the early busy hours of the day.

But on weekend the story is different. There are only two morning in the week where me and husband can spend some morning time together. Every Saturday and Sunday morning a question is hung in air – Tea or coffee? 

I love ginger teas throughout the year, irrespective of the weather. The aroma of tea, spicy taste of ginger and the sweetness of concoction just brighten up my mornings. But it does not mean I do not enjoy coffee. But I enjoy coffee the typical Marathi way – 3.4^th milk, 1/4^th water, mild coffee with cardamom and nutmeg. Husband is on the other side of the bridge. He supremely enjoys experimenting with different brews, loves the bitterness in his cup of coffee and milk just for touch. I think he is a psudo Indian in some way – ( I know this is very unfair statement but how can he not enjoy tea? Surely this is a strong question mark on his Indian-ness).  We have around 5-6 different kind of coffee powders at home. Thankfully till now he is satisfied with the functioning of the basic coffee maker we have at home. But I strongly suspect arrival of a French press anytime soon in coming months. Cutting it short, coffee it is on most weekend mornings.

But now, husband is off to USA. I am back to my lovely and  hot steaming gingery sweet cup of ambrosia. Not that I don’t like coffee, but it has its own time and situation – after sumptuous south Indian breakfast, on a rainy afternoon, during late night “gappa” ( chit chat – discussions) at home.  Today is bonus day for my tea life. It’s a weekday but a holiday – so here I am with my cup of tea, enjoying the rarely quiet afternoon.

The question – “Tea or coffee?” can rest till husband is back.

Leia Mais…

Peaceful existence.

I was going through the photos on my cellphone so that I could delete unwanted stuff and create space.
I stumbled upon one  photograph, it was clicked around a year back, in Auroville during a short two day visit to Puducherry. The whole concept of Auroville is fascinating. - a universal town with foundation values peace and harmony.

After doing all the typical tourist sightseeing, we sat down to have a cup of coffee.
After a while,  a very old and frail lady walked in the coffee shop. She had a walking stick in one hand and a small jute sling bag over other shoulder. She looked around, chose a seat at one corner, looking out of coffee shop. She walked to the counter, put her order and sat down at chosen place. She was looking out into the horizon as if some very fascinating thing is unfurling in front of her. Soon , she was served with a small cup of tea. She took tea in her hand, inhaled deeply, smiled and took her first sip. With overflowing satisfaction on her face, she put down the cup and again looked far away. Her face was peaceful. There is no other word to describe the content feeling on her face.

She might be staying alone there, far away from her home, with strangers with different nationalities. But she had made peace with the world around her. As if, she did not have any regrets, any sorrows, any unfulfilled wishes in her life.

At this moment more than anything from that trip, I vividly remember lingering smile on her  face and her calm peaceful eyes.

There are many things a person hopes to achieve in his or her life. Whatever I achieve in my life, I wish for the same content feeling at later stage. Inspiring things may not be very grand or totally outstanding, such small-easy to miss things leave a greater impact. You just have to be receptive to small joys of life.

Leia Mais…