I find it quite fitting that the phrase describing the land of my new residence also describes the way I have been enjoying my tea. After a long night of new and dizzy wanderings, I find myself needing a recalibration. I do this with my favorite Starbucks cup filled with a tasty brew of herbal tea. 
I must admit that my recent methods of making tea have been a bit on the crude side. I haven’t had the time or money to purchase the proper equipment for fine tea making, but then again I haven’t exactly been finding fine tea either. I suppose I’m being a bit snobbish with my desire for perfection, as my kettle is absolutely fine. It’s sturdy, it works, and it gets the job done.
I must admit that there is something I enjoy about the crudeness of my new tea methods. They may not be so “full flavored” anymore, but they have their own unique pleasantness about them. Perhaps it’s the fact that my new location in the world is giving my tea an extra spark. Along with these new methods have come some new tools. Such as my new extra large cup. I really like it, as I have an interest in Chinese astrology and it displays the year of the ox in bright red – my favorite color. The yellow is neat on the inside too because you can still see the color of the tea.
Some other news about tea tools in my world are not what I have aquired, but rather what I have lost. I no longer have a thermometer, timer, teapot, ceramic tea holder, electric kettle, and certainly no crystal sugar. Although, I have found much delight in plain old cane sugar shaped into cubes. It’s the first time I’ve ever though to use a sugar cube only because it was all I could find. A wonderfull discovery.
In case you’re like me and have only been acustom to broken English, I’ll bring in the translator of what my point is. Actually, it’s a lot like this article – crudeness. My adventures these days have me traveling and packing light and loose leaf tea is a rare treat to get. I’m learning that even though methods change and availability diminishes, you can still sqeeze out a cup of quality and enjoy that morning calm.