The day after… and the start of something new (Advent Tea, day 1)

That was quite some NaNoWriMo we did last month! Now on to something new, something I also love besides writing stories: TEA!

Last month, on the 18th day of NaNoWriMo, received a birthday gift from a friend and it was right on the money: an advent calendar with tea. I love tea! And I love advent calendars perhaps even more.

The calendar is from ‘tea’ brand Pukka, that produces not so much teas as infusions. Very little actual tea goes into them, and I am such a tea snob that I make this distinction when I can, but for the sake of practicality I will keep referring to it as ‘tea’ (even though it isn’t…).

You may be familiar with Pukka. Their packaging is quite attractive. I have first encountered them in an organic food shop and have often bought various teas as gifts. Not so much for myself though, so this advent calendar is a perfect opportunity to try out new stuff – and perhaps discover my new favourite ‘tea’!

Day 1: feel new

This one has aniseed, sweet fennel seed, cardemom pod, licorice, coriander seeds and turmeric. As for its supposed effects on one’s constitution, life or whatsits:

At first I felt it was a bit weird to start a calendar of the last month of the year, and counting down to Christmas as the Main Event ™, with ‘feel new’. But then I read the description behind the packet on the calendar:

For mornings after the night before.

Let me tell you about my night before…

Last night I was exhausted and went to bed early, around ten-ish. Then in the middle of the night I was woken up by an almighty noise. Like trying to sleep in the middle of an engine room. It took a few moments for me to realise that I was hearing the washing machine. It needs maintenance or repairs… (Either that or it tries to awaken the dead at the end of each cycle, I don’t know.) Assuming that my man had put it on a timer for the night, and that it must be morning already, I cursed the gods of wintertime and got up. I shuffled to the kitchen to start the coffee machine, and discovered that it was a quarter past three. Well f*ck. The time obviously didn’t work the way it was intended. But I was awake. So I made tea (or ‘tea’ because it was Sleepy Time infusion) and wrote in my diary and got back into bed – although not before furiously prodding my man.
So I could use some ‘herbs to help [me] feel like new’.

It is a nice light tea. Nothing earth-shattering or innovative but some tried-and-true flavours that go together well. The colour is a pleasant light greenish brown in my mug. It does not, however, quite make up for a half-broken night. But that may be too much to expect from a cup of tea anyway.

Drop me a few tea/infusions blogs, folks! I’d love to read yours!