Tea I drank today:

-Earl grey hot chocolate
-Lemon verbena with honey
-Black milk bubble tea
-Yerba mate

Earl Grey Hot Chocolate

After almost 8 years of avoiding chocolate (due to heartburn) I am slowly re-introducing it into my life. I made this hot chocolate with 70% cacao, whole milk, grated ginger, earl grey tea, and some cinnamon.

Spiced Chai

I've been making this really tasty drink from black tea infused with grated ginger and ground spices of cardamom, fennel seeds, peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon. I finish it by adding some creamy milk that I've frothed and that's all it takes to make yourself the perfect cup of chai. It's soothing, warming, and also a little addicting too.

Dried roses for tea, some items for the store, and chocolate made by the Mast Brothers in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 

Can't say it's been the most stress-free holiday season, but I really can't complain. I had a nice, quiet Christmas day with family and I'm thankful for that. Looking forward to watching a movie tonight and eating leftover treats. Happy holidays everyone!

Photo from Esquire

I've been reading quite a lot of tributes to Christopher Hitchens, so now I'd like to take a moment to remember him on my own blog. I've never been able to even understand most of his pieces without a dictionary or Google nearby, let along keep up with everything he wrote. But I do agree that a great voice has fallen silent. From politics to literature to Mother Teresa... and even tea! He held such strong opinions about everything. So I just want to share a favorite of mine, a short and simple piece he wrote at the beginning of this year titled "How to make a decent cup of tea." Pour yourself a proper cup and enjoy!

Lamiaceae

Fresh mint tea and catnip

I'm back in Manila, back in the heat and humidity. The elevator wasn't working in our building and I walked up and down the stairs all day-- we live on the 11th floor! I'm sitting in an air-conditioned cafe right now in the middle of Chinatown, Manila, sipping on this really good sesame tea latte. There is an ant or some other creature crawling on my cake but I don't even care. I continue eating. Roaches probably crawl on me at night for all I know. I've mostly been packing all day with my grandfather, getting ready to head back to Toronto soon.

Being in the Philippines is always a funny time for me. It's the place where I'm supposed to fit in the most-- as it's the place of my birth-- but I almost always feel completely foreign and uncomfortable. Plus, there are so many customs and certain ways of doing things within the subculture of the Philippine-born Chinese community that are even more difficult to grasp and understand. I don't want to say anything negative or sound ungrateful, so I'll just leave it at that. In the meantime, I've mostly been staying at home watching Mad Men (seasons 1-3) and chatting with my grandfather and a few special people that sometimes drop by. Also, really enjoying the food as always. I guess eating is one thing that can always unite people!

Taipei, Taiwan

The tea of cool.

Look what my grandfather found for me! Indeed, I am content =)

I usually feel pretty nauseated if I'm awake before 4pm-- even with Claritin D and some strong English breakfast tea-- but somehow, right about sunset I always seem to feel much better. So it's official: I am a "night person". My cousin brought up a good point the other day... am I even gonna wake up in time for my own wedding?!

Stopped by a farmer's market today, where I saw these lovely teacups.

I assumed the weather in Toronto would be pretty similar to NYC's, but it's not nearly as muggy or hot here. Cool, breezy, and sunny. Listening to this mix while drinking a milk tea.