Joy of Giving - Card 13 experience

Candid confession - I am a bad tea maker!

Yes... During the days I lived in Delhi and my father visited us often, he would ensure that either he made the tea himself or got the maid to make it. The chai I'd brew would be impossibly bland (yeah! Imagine tea tasting bland...), and dad would always complain that it would either be too watery, too milky or just not boiled enough.

When I'd follow the instructions to make good (and palatable) chai (from mom over STD mind you!), the cup would never be full! I would end up brewing half a cup and would wonder where the damn water disappeared!!!!

Coffee on the other hand is so so simple to make (and drink!)

I don't drink tea (and lately I have stopped drinking coffee too - turned vegan) and always attributed my atrocious tea making skills to the fact that I didn't enjoy a cup of the Indian chai, brewed and boiled, milky and sugary.

I can of course make English tea (just have to boil water and the tea bag does the rest, or simply pour a teaspoon of tea powder in to the boiling water and cover till the flavour soaks in - easy peasy)...

Anyway to cut a long story short, I spent two whole days wondering how I will brew tea good enough to be consumed by the night security staff of my housing complex as part of the Joy of Giving card 13.

Last night, I just plunged into the act. I tried to follow my instincts...and actually stood there tapping on the platform as the tea boiled (hoping its boiled enough).

Brewing one cup has been a challenge for over 20 years, imagine I had to brew almost 20 cups!!! So I took an easy way out. Camouflaged the taste with cardamom and ginger .... And handed over the two flasks at the gate to the supervisor (who by the way, accepted them as if he is used to receiving chai from residents!).

In the morning I picked up the flasks and the cups and the supervisor wasn't there, but the other security men were all smiles; one even thanked me...

Whether they were simply happy that someone had chosen to give them tea on a winter night (its 11 degrees in Pune) or they actually enjoyed the taste, I won't know. But I am glad that 10 people I fed tea to, smiled afterwards :-)