Chai

 

Chai is the Hindi word for tea.  I planned my days around chai, not only for the time it took to drink it, but also for the inevitable response of my digestive system to caffeine. I loved tea, both for the actual tea itself, and also for the idea of it.  Time taken out of the day to just slow down and enjoy each other’s company, ah what a concept for an uptight Westerner like me who plans my days in 30-minute increments! 

At Visthar, we began the day at 7:00am with self-serve chai in a gazebo type area.  There was a roof, but no walls.  I loved the symbolism of that place because I think it captured the atmosphere of Visthar: a canopy of love and justice and equality, but no walls to keep anyone in or out.  Morning tea was often one of my favorite times of the day.  It meant not just waking up in the cool, crisp air, but also the start (or continuation) of enriching discussions with R and M.  After a few intense hours of class, which was mostly debunking all of my previous knowledge of the world through engaging and sometimes heated discussions, we had chai again to recharge our brains.  We also had chai in the late afternoon, to take another break to enjoy the day before it slipped away.

Tea at BIRDS was served by Anonda, whose name means “happiness” and it couldn’t have been more true.  “Good morning Madame!  Chai?!  Coffee?!”  He was always ready to serve us with an unshakable joy evidenced by the constant grin on his face.  Afternoon tea was almost always paired with a super spicy and delicious snack.  It is actually still surprising to me to think that I enjoyed spicy food, chased by hot tea, on 112 degree afternoons.  These are the kind of things that reminded me I was in India.

At the children’s home, morning tea was our wake up call.  It could come anywhere between 5:30 and 7:30, even though we didn’t get up for breakfast until 8:00.   Fortunately, it was delivered straight to our beds, and being on the top bunk, I never had to open the door!  The top bunk did have its disadvantages too though, because squirrels think it’s a tree and they poop on it, and lizards jump from the ceiling and land on it.  At 5:00pm, the children all got a snack of peanuts (except they were green), and we got our afternoon tea.  In Andhra Pradesh, the tea is made from water buffalo milk!  It is surprisingly delicious, although after a few weeks, I was happy to be back in cow country.     

Tea embodies three characteristics of Indian culture: hospitality, generosity, and time for reflection.