Tea

The past couple of months I've had the pleasure of drinking tea with people from three very different cultures.



#1 Ethiopia.

Actually it was coffee... I forgot that little detail. And let me tell you, I don't normally like coffee. But this stuff was amazing. Probably because it had more sugar than coffee. The speical Oromia coffee beans were roasted before my eyes in a small aluminum pan over Roman's electric stove in her subsidized apartment. Refugees have a creative way of using our modern technology that we'd never think of. The roasted beans filled the air with the most amazing smell. (Foldgers, eat your heart out). The beans were ground. Hot water, sugar, and milk added. We drank from very small cups, like a childrens tea set.



#2 Kenya

It reminded me of Chai at first, but it was way better. Stella buys her tea leaves from a special store. The water is boiled with lots and LOTS of ginger first. Then the tea is added, and milk and sugar. It's not as sweet, but definitely got a great ginger kick. I think this was my favorite tea. Her style of hospitality was more westernized, but stellar none the less. Stellar Stella.



#4 Bhutan

Just today I went to Durga's place. I wasn't expecting anything, but you could see the family scurry around as soon as I entered the door in order to supply me with tea. The bhutanese tea is also very delicious, and so so sweet. I think one more cup and I would have my sugar intake for the month. Like the others, milk and sugar are added.



I love to ask them about their hospitality customs. Each time is so very similar. The hospitality of other cultures transcends about 98% of all Americans (I can't say all, because I know some pretty darn hospitable people in this country). But seriously, they put the rest of us to shame. And the thing that gets me the most, is that they are giving their best when they have so little. Everything they have they struggle for. It's very hard to live the refugee life. It's humbling and stressful. But they take such good care of guests. I have been to many other people's homes, and if it wasn't tea, it was soda, or ambasha, or cookies, or bread, or a banana. Their generocity and sincere hospitality is such an honorable and beautiful thing. And I can learn a lot from them.



I wonder if any of them will ever be invited for tea or any stretch of hospitality from their American neighbors.