A new tea every month

After passing by the tea aisle in Tesco recently, a thought struck me: I've never really given any tea other than standard black tea a chance. I'm not being adventurous enough, and I can't really call myself a proper tea drinker unless I actuall try something other than Yorkshire Tea (which is delicious, mind).

So I had a quick look at the teas on display and discovered a wealth of different flavours and types just waiting to be drunk. It was at that point that I noticed the price, and my friend mentioned that they were a lot cheaper at The Natural Store, just up the hill.

So, off we went.

I decided to buy two different types there and then: Clipper Chamomile, and Twinings Lapsang Souchong. I picked up a box of Chamomile tea bags and a box of loose Lapsang, paid the man and left.

Later that evening I decided to try the Chamomile. Now, the smell of the teabag, I have to admit, was a little off-putting at first - it smelled like a cross between a campsite at night and a hamster cage. Nevertheless, I persevered and realised that, actually, the smell was quite pleasant. Since I didn't have my little teapot to hand, I chucked a teabag in a mug and let rip with the kettle.

After letting it brew for a while, I took a sip and realised that I may not have let it brew for long enough - it tasted a lot weaker than standard tea, and was a much lighter colour. That being said, it was a very pleasant cup of tea. Very relaxing, and despite the smell, it didn't taste like a campsite at all.

Later on that night, I dug my teapot and tea strainer out of the cupboard and gave the Lapsang Souchong a go. When I opened the packet I immediately got a strong whiff of smoke and peat. Reading the back of the box confirmed this - "[t]he unique Lapsang Souchong flavour is produced by laying the tea leaves on bamboo trays, and allowing smoke from pinewood to permeate through them." Unusual (to me, probably not to a tea connoisseur), but hey. I'll go with it.

Two spoons of tea in the pot, boiling water in, leave it to brew.

The taste is not unlike standard tea, but obviously with a smokier flavour. The peat smell doesn't come through in the taste at all. In my humble opinion, although the box says this tea can be enjoyed with a dash of milk, it tastes a lot better without it. Probably true of most teas, I would imagine.

These two teas are only the first step in my new quest: to try a new tea every month. I have a short list drawn up...

• Earl Grey
• Lady Grey
• Assam
• Darjeeling
• Chai
• Oolong
• Ceylon Black
• Fennel and xxx (there seem to be many different variations on fennel tea)
  
• Rooibos

There are obviously loads more than that to try, but this list should do me for now.

Time for more Lapsang I think!

Finished!

So I finished my script. Once I got into it I quite enjoyed it. It's been a good introduction to scriptwriting and, although it's not the best script in the world, at least I know I can do it now. I have something to work with and edit and make good.

It's rubbish now, but I'll make it better. This is just version 1.0 really.

Work, Work, Play, Work.

So I have a dissertation to write. Or rather, two dissertations, one each semester. The first will be a sitcom pilot; How To Write Yourself Out Of A Paper Bag.

I'm sure you'll get it when it's inevitably snapped up by Channel 4 or BBC 2.

Holy Christ it's been ages

July LAST YEAR? That's seriously how long it's been?

Sorry about that.

I'll try my best to update it a bit more often; indeed, it'd be a good idea, what with me now being a third year English with Creative Writing student and doing an Alt Dot Writing unit. We're encouraged to keep a blog, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Start updating this blog again. Maybe I'll even become famous, you never know. Doubtful, but hey. Anything's possible.

Except...

Music Snobbery Ahoy

I think I'm beginning to understand all the music snobs who snub artists after they become big. Now, I wouldn't go that far but I share a certain sympathy with them. For example, take the artist Kate Nash. She's been around since at least December '06 (this is when I first heard her) and now she is getting to be quite big - prime-time Radio 1 airplay, videos on TV, album out soon on a major label, the lot.Yet despite all of this I can't shake the feeling that somehow she's betrayed me. I used to be able to talk to people about her and they'd have no idea who she was. Now, however, most people will have heard of her and I feel like her songs are not addressing me personally anymore which is the feeling I got when I first heard The Nicest Thing. It was a great feeling, like entering a new relationship. I don't get that so much with her new single, Foundations. That's not so say I don't like it; quite the contrary. I love the song, it just doesn't feel personal anymore. The same thing happened with Reverend And The Makers. I saw them supporting Arctic Monkeys and I loved them instantly. Now they're getting big, some of the magic is going, although they're still great.

Now, I'm just hoping and praying that Kate Nash doesn't sell out.

Money, Money, Money

I'm a student, and as such I have a student loan. Problem is, the student loan doesn't cover living costs, as it is supposed to. All it covers is rent, and then I have to use my overdraft to cover food, bills and other stuff. It's impossible trying to find a job in the town where I live too, so when I'm low on money I have to call my parents (and I HATE asking them for money). So now, at the end of the year, I have no money whatsoever and have to frantically search for jobs both at home and in Penryn, where I live during term-time. If I don't I'll have literally nothing to live on over the year.

More on this as it develops.

Whoops.

The reason I haven't posted in a while (not that anyone's actually reading) is that I tried to install Ubuntu to my laptop. It failed. It completely fucked up Windows XP. it didn't like it at all, no sirree. So, as a pennance for my stupidity, I reformatted my hard drive and installed Windows afresh. Normal service will be resumed shortly once I get my laptop back to how I like it.