Random Babbling - 114

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<-- This is brilliant ! Another day at the office another pointless day spent in an ever growing bureaucracy.

 

Mm, might try those kind, never heard of them. It was loose leaf, I prefer it that way.

 

BTA,
Darjeeling is great. One of my favourite teas. For those who like a more full flavour I recommend Assam or Ceylon teas (I really prefer them over Darjeeling in the morning). I never got myself to like the Chinese teas so much, probably because I tried some sort of Oolong first, and didn't really like it*. I was into and still like gunpowder for a while though and also am quite fond of jasmine tea. Still like them, especially the latter, but generally drink Darjeeling more often nowadays (which has a lot to to do with me having bought a pound of Darjeeling 2nd Flush FTGFOP that I want to use up before replenishing on other teas).

Tea is a a wide field that goes far beyond what BTA briefly hinted to. A brief overview, since there is lots of loose tea:

• White tea: Wilted and unoxidized
• Yellow tea: Unwilted and unoxidized, but allowed to yellow
• Green tea: Unwilted and unoxidized
• Oolong: Wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized
• Black tea: Wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized
• Post-fermented tea: Green tea that has been allowed to ferment/compost

All these teas vary greatly in taste and scent.

With Darjeeling tea first flush and second flush describe the time of harvest, the first earlier (mid-March) and the second harvest later in the year (June); the tea tastes different; first flush is more expensive. There also is an in-between that is called in-between and tastes different again - in-between-ish - and an an autumnal tea which is harvested in, you guessed right, autumn) and a monsoon tea (harvested during monsoon season; never tried that one).

Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon describe the region the tea is from. These are all black teas. Darjeeling tea is renowned for its good quality. Depending on what you get that is true. However, there is ample tea around that is cheapish and has the label Darjeeling on it (usually ~51% Darjeeling rests, blended with other teas) - since good and excellent Darjeeling only uses full leafs or even leaf tips only, there is ample rest that can be blended or used for lower quality teas (which is a relative term). It can mean the tea is still good, bit it isn't what Darjeeling stands for (think of a Darjeeling BOP). A buyer should know that. Darjeeling, unless form good trusted sources, is rarely ever cheap.

Darjeeling, and tea quality in general, quality is usually graded. I drink Darjeeling from FTGFOP** on upwards, if I want to afford it. Top quality Darjeeling is a luxury good, and it is in high demand. Prices reflect that. I remember that I once got as a gift some Darjeeling STGFOP that cost something like € 25 for 100g.

Spoiler

*I couldn't just bring me to say that it wasn't my cup of tea.
** Far Too Good For Ordinary People

 

Speaking of tea, it seems the Chinese make their hard boil eggs by boiling eggs in tea. The eggs gets the tea flavor, and depending on the tea you used can be quite tasty.

 

Ah ... yes. I think so.

 

So much for that cultural stereotype.

 

Congratulations, Ragusa, you've been given honorary dual citizenship with Britain, the Queen will probably send a telegraph congratulating you, she has troubled with this new fangled technology.

 

You are also entitled to wear Union Jack knickers

 

baba-bi-doba da bababi-doo!

 

I might be wrong but my German teacher told us that tea was quite popular in northern Germany, especially in the Schleswig-Holstein area. That might explain Ragusas' fondness, or not, whatever, I really just wanted to talk about this bit of trivia.

So I began reading Shakespeare's Henry VI, to see what "the Bard" was all about. On a purely literary point of view, it's brilliant, his use of the English language is quite beautiful. I also need a dictionary nearby, it's full of archaic words. Hither ? Wither ? Hence ? Whence ? Alarum ? I'm still confused about the difference between hither and wither...

I also noticed how verb conjugation in the present tense kinda resemble that of modern German. Both languages are related after all.

But I'm guessing I'm not rooting for the party the author intended his audience to. -- Note that I've only finished the first part, the war between England and France. I'll start reading the remaining parts soon enough.

 

Have you never read Shakespeare before?

 

Those words are archaic? >_>

My gravest disappointmet in school was an english teacher who had to turn up each lesson with a dictionary... even for modern literature and the lesson where I had to convince the class that an elk was not a type of cat... for one the passage was describing its HOOVES.

 

I'm reading Romeo and Juliet right now. But since my book hasn't arrived, I am reading it online.

 

I have not.

And, yes I believe it's full of archaic words, it was written hundreds of years ago. It's still readable though, English hasn't changed enough so we need special training to read Shakespeare, unlike, say Beowulf.

 

Hwæt?

 

Beowulf, isn't that Danish - Hvæd?