Tearooms are romantically portrayed as cozy and pleasant places to relax and enjoy teas with cakes, biscuits and sandwiches. Their mythology is reinforced through evocations of scones and clotted cream. Hidden behind the Olde Worlde facade is a darker... ... READ MORE
I hugely enjoyed writing the post on My 20s in Books. And so decided to follow it up with this one. I do like the idea of allowing books to define the years passed. It is true that I... ... READ MORE
Here’s a simple thought exercise. Imagine a standard cup of fresh brewed tea, with a sugar bowl beside it. Pick up the spoon and start adding sugar. One spoonful, two, three, four, five. Don’t stop. Six, seven, eight, nine,... ... READ MORE
The hand that rocks the cradle certainly rules the beautiful Nilgiris district, and this is why… For as long back as I remember groups of women in the Nilgiris have got together – sometimes once a week, sometimes once... ... READ MORE
There are a few places in Siliguri and Darjeeling that are perfect for a sighting of the majestic Kanchenjunga peak. And if there’s one spot in all of Darjeeling that allows for a spectacular view of the peak and... ... READ MORE
Tea has had a pervasive impact on almost all areas of society for almost four hundred years in the West and somewhere between two and three millennia in Asia. It has been a consequential and even pivotal factor in... ... READ MORE
Mid morning, 36 degrees C in Chennai and I arrived for my interview with S. Muthiah – writer, journalist, cartographer and chronicler of the European era in South India, especially Chennai. “This is too early for me,” he said,... ... READ MORE
Ireland is not generally thought of as emblematic of tea. But it stands out as, first, having the highest per capita consumption in the world, along with Turkey and way ahead of England. It also developed the most distinctive... ... READ MORE
What’s the difference between Chinese and Japanese green tea? A brief look at the key distinguishing features of green tea from these two countries. The history books tell us that tea arrived in Japan from China during the 8th... ... READ MORE
