What's Brewing?
Monday, September 14, 2015
Stumbled upon a blog about
chai (http://chaiwallahsofindia.com)
– about tea, the tea moments and many other sweet little vignettes one can
share about chai. Armed with inspiration from this, wanted to scribble a few
lines.
Anyone travelling across
India, especially in Kerala, would have seen the tiny little tea stalls
adorning the roads. This is something you cannot miss, especially in small
village centers. A stall like that provides a hub of constant activity not only
to the avid tea drinkers, but also to anyone around that area. With teeming
conversations and no specific topic to cling on, folks burst in to have piping
hot tea and small snacks to complement the moment. I have peeped in and been
part of the ambience of many such tea spots and have given ears to those
staunch political debates – the participants vouching a specific party or criticizing
others based on the radio/television news which is always an accompaniment to
the wholesome merriness. Given a chance, the locals would show off a new cycle
or with newer generations, a bike and so on.
We could so picture the
scene - The tea stall owner with less to add, but his business eye always at
the alert, the main tea master pouring the tea in a scenic arc to the waiting
glasses and the wanderers in multiple wooden benches huddled around the
crisscrossing wooden tables with a newspaper or two in the mix. For the
villages, this used to be one of the main centers where many decisions are
taken and bonds forged. On the side of the highways, these little teashops are
a savior to the long distance traveller to warm up with tiny dots of
conversations and the energy to go miles. With the hours of business anytime
from the wee hours in the morning to late night, one might wonder when does the
owner sleep!
An authentic wonder that never ceases to amaze
anyone who loves chai!
Pic Credits : http://chaiwallahsofindia.com
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