The Importance of Tea X

“Spiritualitea”

It’s more than just a cup of tea. It’s an experience.

I have a standing date with my work pal, Julie. On Wednesday, we go for tea. Our favourite haunt is “The Red Couch”, otherwise known as the Teavana shop on Fort Street, where we have become somewhat infamous with the staff behind the counter. I hope we are favourites rather than dreaded nutbars, but they are trained to be welcoming so I may never know.

They also allow us to pay on our way out, which is where this story starts.

Unless one is a tea snob, one cannot comprehend the willingness to spend five dollars on a cup of tea. The price is based on how rare or exotic the tea is, white being the priciest, pure green being next, followed in descending order by flavoured green, black and herbal. So when Julie lost her mind over the cost of the white she had just downed, the ensuing discussion resulted in me losing mine. “You enjoyed that tea,” I scolded. “I watched you.”

“I’d have enjoyed it more if it was $3.99 instead of $5!” she retorted.

The twist here is that the staff were on her side. One admitted that their prices are hefty, but the better deal is to buy it loose and brew it at home, where even the costliest pearls work out to a dollar per cup. Her partner behind the bench mused that the in-house brew should be two bucks across the board. I listened to this for a awhile, then broke in.

“You guys are missing the point,” I said. “This is more than a cup of tea. This is an experience. Your tea is brewed for you—thank you, ladies—while we hang out on the comfy couch in this tranquil shop and get a much-needed respite from the office. It’s not just the tea. It’s the whole package. See?”

I’m unsure that my point was received on all fronts, but I think the staff felt marginally better. Julie is a riot—I love her dearly—who begrudges nothing to no one and will learn from her five dollar error in judgment rather than be bitter about a perceived rip-off. When we next hit the Couch, she’ll opt for the three dollar brew and enjoy the same experience. ’Cause that’s what tea all about, Charlie Brown. The experience.