Day 35: Raspberry and Pecan Rooibos Disaster

Well, Heather and I set out for a very nice tea at a beautiful tea room today, but it didn't quite turn out as we had hoped.  I think I can safely say this was the worst tea experience of my 35 days drinking tea every day, and I might even throw in the past year or so of drinking tea also! 

We first went to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and oooh'd and ahhh'd at the beautiful flowers and walkways. Heather even took a picture of me! (It's very rarely that I get photos taken of myself, and even more rarely that I like them! Poor anyone taking a photo of a photographer.)

So then we went downtown to this beautiful tea room to have a proper lunch tea, complete with sandwiches and sweets and three different kinds of tea.  We were running a little late, so we rang them to let them know, and they very graciously said that was fine and they would see us when we got there. We had stopped at Roberts Camera Store and spent a little while with a very helpful guy named Scott who gave us the 411 on all the cameras and lenses and camera bags we might need.  We had a lot of questions and he was really knowledgeable. He was the kind of person (like our friend Wayne at Teas Me Cafe) who helps you simply because he loves to help, and believes that it will work out well in the end (instead of pushing on you things you don't want to buy).  At any rate, we were running late but we made it to the tea room in the end.

It's called Signature at the Propylaeum, and it is an absolutely beautiful house from the outside. I was going to take photos of the place after our tea, but I didn't end up doing that.  We went in and were welcomed, and we just loved the little teacups everywhere, the furnishings, the little teacup with sweets in it, and the entire setting.  We were seated at one table, but there was a bit of confusion which table we were supposed to be at.  A few servers weren't quite sure what to do with us, but finally got us settled at the proper tea table.  There were drinks sitting waiting for us, which were I think meant to be a sparkling juice of some kind, but it appeared they had been sitting there since the time of our original reservation a half hour before.  Any fizziness had faded.  We drank them, and they were nice enough, although not overly impressive.  A few minutes later we got our tea food, and I have to say we tried very hard to be positive about it.  But after a little while we admitted to each other that it really was quite poor indeed.  Everything not only looked, but also tasted, as though it had been prepared either first thing this morning and had sat in the fridge since then, or perhaps even earlier in the week.  The sandwiches were dry and squished, the chocolate-covered strawberries looked limp and pathetic, and the sweets a bit dry as well.  And the scones were a disaster.  Having tasted fresh scones at Serenity last week (and knowing that it is the same caterer who provides food for both Serenity and Signature!), we were pretty horrified.  There was nothing anywhere near the lovely, fresh, exquisite experience we had been hoping for.  Our tea never arrived, so we had to ask for it, and when it did arrive it too tasted like it had been made for our arrival some forty minutes previously and kept warm on a stovetop or under a tea cosy. It was raspberry tea, but so dark that it looked like black tea.

Sometimes I'll mention it to the staff or servers if my food is substandard, but many times I let it pass.  It's not a big deal.  But after 35 days of drinking different and beautiful teas every day, I didn't want to miss out on an opportunity to really taste the teas they were giving us - and there were supposed to be three kinds in total.  So we hesitantly (and feeling terrible about it) mentioned that the tea was warm, not hot, and could we get some fresh tea made?  Our server was fairly grumpy and didn't seem too pleased that we weren't just sitting quietly not making a fuss, so he whisked our cups away and brought new ones.  The next tea he poured out was a pecan rooibos, and it was fairly nice, although again still tasted only warm, not hot.  And worst of all, we had to ask where the third kind of tea was, and our server said, "Oh, I guess we used to have a third one, but I have no idea what happened to it" and his attitude added the nonverbal, "and I don't really care".  Poor Heather and I sat there trying to pretend everything was just lovely and we finally admitted to each other that it wasn't. Either the place or the server or the caterers were having a bad day, or else it is like this all the time - we weren't sure.  Heather is very much not the kind of person to make a fuss or complain if things aren't right - but the normal price for this tea was $18 per person, and right now we were feeling that it wasn't worth the $2 we had paid for a voucher to get a discount, much less the full price.  So she went to speak to someone, and the lady she spoke to was very pleasant and friendly and sorry we had a bad experience, but couldn't really do anything for us. She said she would speak to the caterers. So we left it at that and tried in vain to find someone who would take care of our bill for us.  Heather walked around the entire downstairs looking in every room except the kitchen, and finally came back and sat down and we just waited until someone appeared.

The woman who appeared came to take our bill was friendly enough, and asked genuinely, "How was your tea today?"  I hesitated for a few seconds, looked at Heather, looked back at the woman asking, and decided to tell her the truth. I could have just said it was fine and smiled and left, but I really felt that maybe it was just a bad day and she would be horrified and want to fix it so no one else would have a similar experience.  So, I explained.  I told her that to be honest we hadn't really been impressed, and we were sorry, but the tea wasn't hot and the sandwiches were dry and didn't taste fresh, and....I didn't even get to finish when she took the bill from Heather and said, "Well, then don't pay if you didn't like it.  I wouldn't want you to.  I'm sorry you didn't like it.  No need to pay then, you can just leave.  Goodbye".  I was horrified.  I've never been so summarily dismissed by someone to whom I'm trying (as graciously as possible) to explain that my experience was not entirely up to standard.  We were a bit shocked, but there was nothing else to say, as she had cut me off in the middle of explaining what had happened, and walked back into the kitchen.  So we started gathering our belongings when she appeared again, briskly whisking away teacups and teapots, and said, "I'm sorry that it just wasn't up to your standard.  I usually get 100% ratings."  By this time I can't for the life of me figure out who from, since I've since read a good number of reviews online and most of them are saying the same thing that I am.  And since we were going to be the paying customers (we tried to pay), isn't it our standards that matter?  I actually felt much more annoyed and disgruntled after expressing my concerns than before: because now I felt as though she had figuratively grabbed me, whirled me about, kicked me out the front door, and told me to never come back.

Well, she doesn't need to worry.  Neither Heather, nor I, nor (I hope) any of you will ever go there again.  To add insult to her injury, we stopped at our favourite Teas Me Cafe on our way home (to get the nasty taste of bad customer service out of our minds) and ended up telling them the whole story.  When they asked where we'd been and we told them Signature, they got a knowing look and said 'Ooooh, yes, we've heard a few things about them'.  Which makes me and Heather feel a lot less like horrible criminals and much more like normal people who would just like a good tea experience, especially for the money.  Fortunately for us, we got it (as we always do) at Tea's Me.  I told them about the other green and white teas I'd tried already, and they recommended some new ones which I'm very excited to try - a green chai and a green gojiberry.  So, we chatted with our friends, bought some incredible tea, and as we walked out the owner actually apologised that we had had a bad experience at Signature today! If only the lady we had spoken to had done the same - and changed a few things as a result.

The funny thing is, the photos all make it look so lovely!  But if I've learned anything about doing business in my life it is that even if the venue and sometimes even the product are right, the service makes all the difference - one way or the other.  I just wanted the lady at this tea room to listen to me, hear what I had to say, and want to do differently.  She just wanted me to go away - so I did. 

My walk earlier today was the standard 45 minutes walking and running, but my goodness it is getting hot outside!  I guess I'm getting ready for Arizona weather - which comes tomorrow!

Walk/run length: 45 minutes

Day 30: Japanese Cherry Green Tea

Today was a second-in-a-row beautiful day here in Indianapolis. I was going to have a bit of a lie in, but my body cheerfully woke me at six a.m., so I willingly got up and went for my walk (after the standard cup of green tea, this morning orange, passion fruit, and jasmine). It was fairly chilly outside, even a slight frost on the front lawns and house roofs, and I could see my breath as I walked along. The forest walk that I take here is beautiful - green leaves and blue flowers and the smell of something so fresh and clean that I almost thought I was smelling clean laundry.

Later this afternoon Heather and I went downtown, to a tea shop she loves called Teas Me Cafe. We only made it in there a few minutes before closing time, so we made the most of that time by ooh'ing and ahh'ing at the board of teas. I was in tea heaven. Loose leaf teas in abundance, with a list of green teas that warmed my heart. I ordered a green mango and green Japanese cherry before I even saw the list of white teas, so I threw in a white tea (you'll hear about that one on Saturday), and just before we were about to leave we were introduced to a pomegranate and blueberry herbal tea which I had to have as well!  The owner, Wayne, was incredibly helpful as we debated his entire collection of teas - the kind of person who shows you a new kind of tea because he genuinely thinks you'll like it, not because it's the latest and greatest one or even the most popular.  He opened the tin of pomegranate and blueberry and we both leaned in for a whiff, and stepped back with an 'oooooh, that's SO nice'.  We added that to the pile of teas I was buying, and I took a cup of iced white mango tea for the road.  We dandered the canal for a little while and later on drove back home.

So, tonight, while Heather went to 4H with the two oldest children, I stayed back to have my tea for the day. I couldn't decide which of my new teas to try, so I enlisted the help of two of the younger children.  Kids  are absolutely brilliant.  I love the way their minds work. I kicked off the 'creativities' by suggesting that since I was having the Japanese Cherry green tea, they could get me a few Japanese items, as their dad had just gotten back from a trip to Japan recently.  They went rushing away to return in full Japanese regalia, with Japanese coins, chopsticks, and a Japanese stamp. I took a few photos of the green tea leaves (complete with Japanese cherry blossoms in the tea), and then the ideas really started flowing.

The boys lifted the tea with their chopsticks, sliced the air with karate moves, and then came up with the idea of using the chopsticks to make a nest under the teapot.  Then there was an excited flurry while a small bird was produced, and we settled the bird on the nest. It was happy to nestle into the Japanese nest we had created.

When we finally poured the hot water into the strainer, we rejoiced to see the dry berries suddenly became awake and alert, a bright red colour appearing amongst the greenery of the tea.  Then we poured it out into three green cups (to match the fact that it was green tea), with two smaller mugs for the boys and a larger one for me ("to match our sizes").  Finally it was time to actually drink the tea, and again the boys' minds were rushing about to have more than just tea.
Whilst I drank mine plain, to take in the full flavour of the pale green tea with a slight fruity flavour, the boys added milk, vanilla, and sugar.  I think the sugar was probably their favourite part, as the tea disappeared much more quickly after that. (They were also suggesting cinnamon, ginger, and about twelve other spices which would have completely overwhelmed any of the tea flavour I was trying to achieve, so I left them to their own devices and enjoyed the flavour of my own.)  One of the boys ran to get a tripod so that we could capture all of us enjoying our tea together, so I got to actually be part of my photo this time! We even brought wee Laura into the picture, and the boys insisted that the one with her in it was the best picture of them all.

Green tea is such a pleasant flavour...it manages to be full-bodied and light at the same time.  I can drink five or six cups in a day without feeling that I've had too much, and as always any fruit flavour enhances it without any bitterness.  There's a slight exotic hint to this one, and a sweetness that not all the other fruity green teas have.  And, of course, as with all loose leaf tea, the flavour is most perfect the first time round.  If I were to try to decaffeinate this one I'm sure I would lose most of the exquisite tastes.

So, a great thank you today to Heather for introducing me to Tea's Me; to Wayne, who welcomed us in and shared with us his bounty, and to the boys who made me laugh, stirred up my creativity as well as their own, and truly enjoyed the tea experience with me.

Walk length: 45 minutes

Day 29: Heather Tea

My friend Heather is probably the best hostess I know in the world.  She asked before I came if there was any kind of tea that she should put in stock for my coming, and I said that I have gotten into a routine of having a cup of green tea every morning before I get started on the day. And bless her heart if she didn't go and not just put in a stock of an entire variety of green teas (green tea with mixed berry, with honey, with orange passionfruit and jasmine, with mint, with lemon ginseng), but also a kettle, two mugs, and water so that I could make my cup of tea anytime without even stepping out my bedroom door.  Legendary woman.


So this morning I started with my usual pattern, having a cup of full strength green tea while I'm writing my morning pages. It's my favourite way to begin - lifts the heart by drinking tea with antioxidants, and lifts the mind by releasing everything I'm thinking onto the pages.  I always used to try waking up and having my prayer time or Bible reading time as soon as I woke up, and it's always been an unmitigated disaster.  Spending time with the Lord takes at least some attention and focus, and for the first half hour or so I have absolutely none.  I've tried going for a walk or a run first thing too, and my body just won't cooperate.  I'm learning that it needs to rest before it even begins the day.  Nothing wrong with that - it's just taken me my whole life to figure it out! 

This morning, though, my entire body felt like lead. Traveling is not for the faint of heart, and I had put in some good hours yesterday.  I forced myself to get up at 6 and sit back with my usual cup of green tea, but I couldn't even pick up a pen to start writing.  Most mornings I can begin writing immediately, even if my eyes aren't fully open, and come round to it slowly.  But I just sat there, drinking my tea, pen and paper sitting before me, and an entire half hour went by.  It was actually (other than the fact that it was because I was so tired) really nice.  I loved the silence, the peace, the reflection.  I even loved that I wasn't able to do anything else but drink my tea, because it emptied my mind in a way.  I was so tired I thought I'd go back to sleep, but by then the green tea's persuasive powers had begun, so I suited up to go for my morning walk.

There's a trail just round the corner from Heather's house.  It's perfect - winds around through forest and trees and flowers and a duck pond, and is just long enough for my morning walk.  I've gotten used to 30-40 minutes.  Interestingly enough, because this was the first time I'd taken this walk, I didn't exactly follow the path entirely, and ended up dandering through several different streets before I made it back to the path.  My legs, still feeling a bit leaden, assured me that I had been walking for at least an hour and possibly longer.  My mind, which is slowly learning my body's tricks, realised that it was probably much shorter.  (I boldly did not take my iphone with me on this new walk!)  I was very surprised to come in and discover that I had been out just over 30 minutes. I'll see how it goes tomorrow, but it was an excellent walk and I felt quite revived later.

When I came back, Heather and I decided to try the new tea I had brought for her - it's called Heather Tea, and it's a mix of African and Assam teas, with actual heather blossoms in it.  (We broke open a tea bag to determine if this was indeed the case.)  Heather has a heather plant outside, so we traipsed out there for a mini photo shoot of the heather tea in its natural habitat, even though the blossoms were a bit thin on the ground.  Well, it's May...not September!  Then we came in and had proper cups of tea (Heather has the most amazing collection of teacups I've ever seen, so we were able to choose cups which also had heather blossoms on them), complete with teapot, and drank our tea.  I really like the flavour.  It's a very light tea - Heather says it's the African/Assam blend that keeps it from being bitter - and we both tried very hard to taste the heather blossom flavour, and I don't know if I actually did or just thought I did because I've been staring at the box for so long.  We had it with milk, and then I tried it without - I think I like it best with milk.  I usually want to taste the full flavour of the tea with nothing in it, and I'm not a fan of adding sugar, so this was the way to do it.

We enjoyed our mini tea party, and then we went on with our days.  There are so many teas we don't even know where to begin, but tomorrow we'll be going to a tea shop so I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Walk length:  30 minutes