I can't tell you how many times I've heard over the past few months, "I can't wait to get to ______ so I can have a cuppa." Now for those of you who have never spent significant time on this island, know anyone from this island, or maybe even never been served by a flight attendant who may have a bit of the accent, a "cuppa" is a cup of tea. This is something that is I would say the epitome of British culture, right up there with football and the pub. Think about it, who else conquers the world for tea? Every place there has been a Union Jack, they have been able to grow tea, even great tea. Let's look at two prime examples: India and China. Just think about it for a bit, are you done thinking (because we don't want anyone to get hurt)? Because you can see I'm onto something here. (Note: I would say the States, but we grew tabacco, not tea. So our cash crop killed a bunch of people rather than making them calm) Granted, this statement was taken from my Aunt Mary who pointed it out to me when I told her about how some of my friends say things like "hide the oil, the American's a-commin'" whenever I walk into a room. So all due credit goes to her.
Now a cuppa can be a cure for many many ills. I always thought of it as a way for me to help me get over being sick. Maybe to give that 5 minutes of complete and utter pleasant-ness in my chest when I get my bi-yearly bouts of bronchitis. My college roommate, Amy, always drank about 5 or 6 cups of tea a day right before she got sick. That was her cue that "the sick" was coming. I've had cups of tea for sore throats, hangovers, coughs, before singing in a musical, something relaxing to have during a movie or late at night, in my travel mug in the morning because I didn't drink coffee at the time or don't have a coffee machine available to me or a cafe on my way to class from my house... The list goes on.
But recently I've discovered something new: the cuppa to make you feel better emotionally. How many times has a flatmate knocked on my door asking me if I wanted a cup of tea? Or maybe one after a really hard class test? Or maybe it's time to leave the library and stop studying because you need a cup of tea... There is something about a nice warm cuppa that just completely calms you. It relaxes me from my Costello head to my short stubby toes. A friend of mine recently said that he remembers when he travelled to America and wasn't having the best time. He was there for 10 days, and it hit a point where he went and bought some Yorkshire tea and he just remembers every muscles in his body relaxing and felt like jell-o going onto the floor.
I come home, tell someone about my recent boy issues, bad day of classes, how I want to kill physics, or any over all drama, and 8 times out of 10 someone will say, "do you want a cup of tea?" When I did this at 448 Copper Beech Circle, before I could get through my story, Amy or Marie would have a corkscrew and a bottle of wine in their hands and asking me to get us some wine glasses from the second shelf in the cabinet to the left of the sink. "It's not a wine problem, it's a wine solution," as Amy would say. We'd talk it out, maybe out back on the porch in our stolen chairs... It always felt so good under that clear sky with all the stars. Now I feel I have that again, in a cup of tea with one sugar and a splash of milk.
The only thing that can outdo a perfect cup of tea, is a long walk out of doors. Whenever anything is wrong, go for a walk. There is plenty of countryside, air, and space to think! And considering it's never too horribly cold here, or horribly hot either, it's always pleasant. Take into account that I live spits distance away from Bute Park, might as well. Crappy day, give me a bit of blue sky or a sunset to chase, some green areas, pretty trees, maybe a body of water and no shin splints, and I'll come home feeling a bit better. And maybe I'll top it off with a nice cup of tea to make it one of the better afternoons I've had in a while. So whenever you're having a bad moment, day, week, etc... Just consider getting off your sorry butt, and take you pity party moving to either the kitchen for a cup of tea, outside for a walk, or heck... do both.
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