It’s 7.00 am. The stage is all set for a long grueling day ahead. I had hit the snooze button and now I’m running late for everything. I haven’t had my cup of morning brew. Unsure, I plan for it later in the day and dash out of the front door to Office.

Damn! it’s 8.30 already.I wish to perish; I can’t reset my day!

My annoyance heaps as I hit brakes and the car careens to a halt at a green light unexpectedly turning red. Half awake and peppery I have missed my cup of morning mud and now that dump feeling is killing me. Grumpy and low, I couldn’t think straight for now except fancy a blast-of-a-cup of steaming hot aromatic frothy pick-me-up caffeine. Seconds blink at intersection stop light and my misery runs deep. Am I panicking? Is the worst yet to come? I could absolutely hear my heart pinging! Nothing much to do but sit it out, I take a deep breath and glower hatefully at everything around me.

And then something catches my eye. Chaayos on my left and Starbucks on my right; both seemed to be madly beckoning my either shoulder and none looked ready to lay back even for a sec. Already thinking of the drub ahead, for a moment I could see the ghosts of the two brewing giants battling it out right there for a witless win !

The stupor fades quickly. The car behind me has honked hard for no reason.

The indignation comes back and this time it’s ruthless. I’m pissed and couldn’t decide what and how my day is going to be? Right now I have no ears for the angel and the devil. There’s no way I can park my car anywhere near. Besides who’s got the time to think about which one is going to make my day? I definitely need something that’s more than a brew but again will have to wait for the moment. Worried like hell, I could feel the wrathful gaze of my manager inching up my neck already . He’s nuts! He desperately wants to strip me in public for anything. Dumbed down? Yeah! …that’s exactly the chance he’s waiting to pounce upon that I’m won’t let him have. I won’t be jammed or squeezed or squashed!

I push the gas pedal hard …lights are green again.

There’s so little to contemplate. I mean it’s a normal thing happening in everyday life of most of us. Sometimes you nail it; at others the twist ruins the day. It’s not much of a feat I’d say …to talk so much about your choice of brew but I sincerely doubt if you could decide on what would really get you that aesthetic pleasure you so intensely crave for when you need it most.

Tea or Coffee; let’s see how accurate is your choice?

Who’s the Gucci here!

I guess there are only few things more comforting in this world than a cup of tea. Steaming hot, softly aromatic, delicately sweetened and deliciously frothed, I simply love it…more in the morning. Home made it tastes best. It props me up fast and breathes new life in my day. Newly steeped, it tastes utterly divine to me. Incidentally, I’ve read somewhere; 92-96°C is the best water temperature for it to brew perfectly.  With so much of flavor and enthralling aroma hitting your senses, life suddenly tends to appear bigger and better. So I wait a moment for the water to boil. I’m certain of the upshot and not worried about what pours out in my cup!

With so many flavors and textures to choose from it doesn’t matter which tea leaves you put in your pot; the storm in the cup will never fail to happen. Small wonder, I can’t go wrong with something that simply is never out of style.

Tea isn’t just a beverage. It’s the stuff that kicks off cheers anywhere anytime. It’s the habit to struggle out of morning slumber; it’s the apology to get out of the Office for some free air; it’s the aft-dinner fixation to sip chamomile or jasmine tea; it’s the warm succor to help unwind after a long day.

Tea is a great mix of camaraderie, calm and ceremony in equal measure.

Today it has over 3000 varieties savored worldwide. First and foremost taken as a medicine, today bazillions of cups invigorate countless people everyday. But it’s more of the health benefits that bucks-up its approval. Polyphenols in almost every tea variety increases our metabolism, helps in weight loss, prevents age related cellular damage, lowers cholesterols and reduces heart risk. Antioxidants like catechins, theaflavins and thearubigins in black tea promote good heart health. Rooibos tea has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and helps in stopping allergies like rhinitis and asthma from triggering, reduces inflammation and joint pains, repair collagen and connective tissue joints and control or prevent diabetes!

Did you know that people who consumed four cups of black tea daily had 32% lower risk of heart diseases than those who drank no tea! that a cup of jasmine tea contains 15-60 mg of caffeine that stimulates the nervous system by inhibiting adenosine –a neurotransmitter to slow down the central nervous system; that green tea slackens the growth of cancer cells and lower the risk of Alzheimer and Parkinson’s!

Now that you have learned about your surety against ill health so well, doesn’t your cup taste sweeter? Or is it your weakness for a fluffy, silky smooth and warm …hell no! I’m not talking about the bed, but the delicious, frothed, silky smooth cup of goodness that makes you swoon with craving?  Bustling with bitterness alkaloid caffeine, coffee is damn well good in energizing and packs enough of jolt of excitement to ride you through the day.

Of birds and bees and the morning brew

Since when what was raised as a coffee filter bag, a good hand filtered coffee has never run backwards- not for love nor money! Even brewed at somewhat crowded not so clean gas stations that eternally smell of diesel and desperation and not for a moment stop gloating over day old poor donuts that peer miserably out of glass shelves; the unmistakable aroma and flavor never seems to go wrong. No matter what and how it is made, the result is always delicious.

Speaking of which; did you know that coffee beans grow bigger and better when the birds and the bees join forces to pollinate coffee plants? Incredibly this trade-off with nature is what ensures you a mug of strong flavored, absolutely delicious creamy happiness each time you reach out for one.

Coffee is not important merely because it perks up your senses fast. It is a brew that’s about sharing and lovin’. Its soft, sweet toned bitterness heightens the enjoyment of the moment and instantly warms you up. The smell and flavor of a perfect mug is ever more exciting when aroma from a freshly made pot wafts through and arouses your senses strongly. With raw beans roasted to perfection and a sheer blend of flavors and spices doubling up, wouldn’t this be your drink of the memories! Freak’n diverse in flavors and textures, it’s hard to gather if you want your mug to keep you on your toes or let it be an easy pleasurable brew of comfort.

Whatever… it’s never good to knock something or someone out of the bill. Give me the simple, honest charm of Chaayos or Bubba’s Bubble Tea or Boldly Brewed and I wouldn’t want to sip my morning stimulant in a place that would make me feel mogul but digs deep in my pocket. Discounts, rewards, free coffees, endless extras, honestly Starbucks simply wouldn’t find its way into my cup. My quaint tea joint at least keeps it real simple; wouldn’t know your name and couldn’t care less!

Then there is so much of fresh food!  What better place to fill yourself up? Bubba’s & BBs of course! Search me! I wouldn’t want to miss some fiery explosive food even at 7 in the morning?

So next time you’re faced with the age old choice between Tea and Coffee, just remember; an artsy ceramic mug or a patchy Styrofoam cup-it’s all and only about getting the right kick when you need it most!

I chose and reset my favorite to a place that doesn’t want me to learn Italian to get caffeinated.

I stay real… I stay myself!