The Perfect Cup of Chai

Those who know me really well will know that I have other passions besides "scrapbooking." I also happen to love tea - making it, collecting it, serving it, splurging on it, etc.

My favorite brand is Lupicia, which is a chain store that started out in San Fran, I do believe. There are nearly 200 branches in Japan, making it seem like Lupicia is a Japanese company, but it's not. That said, because tea stores like this are so very rare in Wisconsin, some might feel like bringing tea gifts bought at a Lupicia store in Japan would be the perfect Japanese souvenir. My mother, when visiting in December, spent a pretty penny at a nearby Lupicia, on Xmas gifts for her friends and family. It started because I brought her a chai gift set that I bought at a Lupicia Exposition, which Kaz and I attended back in October.

So, in this entry, as my ode to my 2nd passion of tea drinking, I will explain how to make the perfect cup of chai, as I see it. But, I also want to introduce a couple of my other favorite teas from Lupicia.

A Few of My Favorite Teas
Sakurambo
This is made with black tea and cherry leaves, with some tiny red cherries to boot. It is colorful and has a wonderful aroma, and it can be served as a hot tea in winter or an ice tea in summer. Milk and sugar are not needed as it is a fruity herbal tea. If you want the the green tea version, look for Sakurambo Vert.

Pierrot
I do believe that this word means "clown" in French, and I only say that because the Japanese word for clown is "piro" and that is certainly not from the English language. This tea is fruity & flowery. It is similar to Sakurambo but more obvious in it's flowery flavor. Also served hot or cold and withOUT milk or sugar.

Orange Chocolate
I discovered this lovely tea at the same time I found the chai booth at the tea expo back in October. Orange tea brings back memories of childhood because Mom always had it in the house and we would drink it during those cold days of winter. Milk and sugar are of course a welcome addition to this soothing tea.

How to Make Chai
Chai is a type of Indian tea using black tea mixed with spices. Spices can vary, but common elements include black pepper, cinnamon stick and or ginger. At Lupicia, you can buy the spice mixtures in small jars, and there are 3 types to choose from.

Masala - a mixture of black pepper, pink pepper, cinnamon stick & cardamom.
Ginger - dried ginger plus cardamom
Cinnamon - a mixture of cinnamon stick & black pepper

The most recommended tea for making Chai is called Assam, which is a plain black tea commonly used for serving English tea. I'll take a cup of Assam any old time, but I found that Orange Chocolate performs rather nicely as the black tea of chai.

The finished tea is a mixture of the black tea, spices, hot water, milk & brown sugar.

Here is the best way to make chai, as I see it, with lots of trial and error. I find the methodical actions of making this tea a very soothing excuse for me to be in the kitchen in the mornings.

1. Fill your cup with water to measure the amount you'll need for boiling. Remember that about 1/4 will boil off in the simmering process, so fill it to the brim.

2. Pour your water into the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Then, turn down the heat so it is just simmering.

3. Add the spices. About 2 teaspoons will do for starters, but if you are making tea for two, then add about 1 tsp more. You can play around with these amounts as you make more cups of chai.

4. Add the black tea. About 1 tsp will do at first, add another tsp if you like your tea a little stronger.

5. Let the mixture simmer for about 3 minutes. Set your timer for sure because the water you'll need for the tea will boil off sooner than you think.

6. After 3 minutes, the tea mixture is properly steeped. In the meantime, fill your tea cup with 1/4 of the way with milk and warm that up in the microwave.

7. Use a tea strainer to pour the tea mixture over your cup.

8. Fill it up to the top and you'll see the milk / tea mixture has come just to the brim of the cup. Perfect!

9. Now for the fun, sugary part. Lupicia sells special sugar for teas, and this one is especially made for Assam teas. I thought I would try it out so I splurged, but I found that this brown sugar is eerily similar to the brown sugars you can buy at any store. Brown sugar dissolves better in tea, so keep that in mind. Honey is another good alternative.

10. And, now it is time to take a sip of this wonderfully, aromatic tea.

Enjoy!

Check out Lupicia's recommendations for chai as well.

What a Decade

I've seen more than a few bloggers writing about the highlights of the past decade and thought I would join in, although I am not sure if need an invitation to do so.

2000 - I was working for ABC Rail Systems and living in Fitchburg, a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin. I lived in an apartment complex that was located near a park with a pond where geese often rested. I know this because I often went walking very early mornings or late evenings for exercise. I also enjoyed X-country skiing at a local park, and for some reason, I  preferred skiing in the moonlight until someone advised me not to. At that time, I was still working for REM, doing 24 hour shifts on 3 weekends a month, and I was officially single but still seeing Michael off and on. Yusuke and I had been out of contact for about a year, but we began writing letters here and there in the spring. And, one more thing, I took a temporary 3rd job in the spring to pay for my enormous tax bill - it was correcting essays for some high school achievement exams - and it was there that I met Warren who ended up referring me for his old position at Scholastic Book Fairs. I landed that job and started working there in the summer. It seemed like a good time to make some major changes in my life, and since I was moving to a new apartment in Fitchburg in July, I also "left" Michael. What I mean, is that I moved and changed jobs without giving Michael my new contact information and it took him quite a while to track me down. It was the only way to get out of that relationship because I was kind of addicted to him. This is turning out to be long, but bear with me. Yusuke & I officially got back together later that summer, and he came to visit me for Xmas. We got engaged then.

2001 - Wedding planning took up most of the year. I was finding out that Scholastic really didn't pay well, so I was quite poor. My new car payments, slightly expensive apartment & long commute to work didn't help much. I remember that my fridge was empty most of the time, and the only social outlet I could afford was the $2 a week country line dance lessons down the road. Despite that, in March I traveled to Japan to meet Yusuke's family and to attend a wedding. I went again in July to spend more time with Yusuke and finalize some wedding details. At that time, we discussed the possibility of living in Japan (temporarily!!!) because he had a much better job than I did. I moved out of my expensive apartment in September and began renting a room from a woman who owned a condo. It was located much closer to my job, so I was able to start paying down my debts. Despite my money issues, I rocked at planning my wedding though and budgeting it down to a $5000 event, and I was quite proud of myself for that. Our wedding took place in Madison on November 24. Yusuke & his family flew in for the week. I quit my job at Scholastic right around Xmas time and moved back to my parents' house.

2002 - I moved to Japan at the end of January and began working for ECC in March. Yusuke had found a small apartment for us in Inagekaigan, near his parents' house and also near the high school where we met. I felt comfortable with this neighborhood already. I began taking Japanese classes with a teacher in Tsuga once a week, and I joined AFWJ in the summer. We took a few hot spring trips that year. The best trip we took was to Kurumayama in the Nagano highlands. I went back to Colorado to visit Shannon and to Wisconsin for Xmas that year.

2003 - I took on the job as Journal Editor for the AFWJ Journal and began learning how to use the design software. I also was offered the Native English teacher job at the same high school where Yusuke and I went and began working there in April. That job really stressed me out in the first few months and I began having a few health problems because of it. Luckily, they hired two more teachers in August so things got better...now there are 5 native teachers working there. We went to Kurumayama again in the summer.

2004 - My parents came to visit for the first time in March. Shannon and Jill came later that year in July. I was still editing the Journal so that kept me very busy. I was becoming good friends with some other AFWJ members like Kaz and Louise. We are still great friends to this day. Rather than return to WI for Xmas, Yusuke and I took a road trip called the Music City Tour, and we traveled to Nashville, Memphis & New Orleans.

2005 - This year we had a lot of changes. I lost weight using the South Beach Diet and then we also signed a contract to buy our condo. Most of the year was spent preparing for that, but I did a bit of traveling as well. Kaz & I went to visit a friend (Wendy) in Osaka, I went to Nagoya to visit Amy O., and Yusuke & I spent Xmas in WI and then roadtripped with Shannon out to Colorado.

2006 - We bought Max from a breeder in Chiba and then moved to our condo in March. In June, I attended the AFWJ Convention in Kyushu and then got pregnant upon my return. Ha ha. Shannon came to visit in July, and I went home to WI for a couple weeks in August. We spent Xmas in Japan.

2007 - Ailin was born in February, and I was on maternity leave for the whole year. I started the Bilingual Babies group with a friend, and later started the Craft 'n' Chat events with another friend. Both still going strong although I no longer participate in Bilingual Babies group.

2008 - Ailin went into daycare and I returned to work in February. A couple friends and I started the Bilingual Kids Club, which is still going strong. We visited WI and Colorado in July & August. Shannon got married so I stood up in her wedding. For Xmas holidays, we went to Okinawa instead of going home to WI again. Oh, and I got pregnant with Luka in September.

2009 - I started maternity leave in May and Luka was born in June. We traveled home to WI in November and stayed for about one month. I finally began doing digital scrapbooking.

There you have it...in a nutshell. I actually think that the beginning of the decade was much more exciting, but I think I am much happier now.

2010 Goals

Every year in January, Yusuke and I have a meeting to discuss our goals for this year and last year. We have a spiral journal where we write up our lists separately and then check off the goals we have accomplished. Then, we each write up new lists for the coming year. This tradition started in 2004, but I was doing it for several years on my own before that. I am really glad he joined me in this tradition because it is a great way for us to take a step back and see if we are on the same page...and also of course to acknowledge each other's growth & development, or lack thereof.

2009 Goals Achieved
Following are the goals that I did accomplish:

• Do a 2009 Chronological Family Scrapbook
• Do a "Travels in Japan" Scrapbook
• Enjoy maternity leave with new baby!
• Take an on-line photography class
• Learn how to use Photoshop Elements
• Keep dining table, coffee table & counter free of junk
• Keep scrap/computer room neat & organized
• Teach Ailin more English songs & words

After looking at my list and noticing some of the goals I did not achieve in the past year, I try to keep them in mind when I make my new list. I do sometimes include those goals - other times I leave them out or I reword them. For example, last year, one of my goals was to "be more sympathetic to Yusuke." I asked him if he thought that I had achieved that goal and of course, he said, "NO!"

2010 Goals

• Keep surfaces clutter-free
• Do cleaning & maintenance routine
• Stick to budget & save money
• Make weekly menus, eat out less & buy less
• Complete all tasks & projects on the Master Project List
• Learn more Japanese / soup / bean recipes
• Learn more slow cooker recipes
• Finish the 2009 Chronological Album
• Keep up with the 2010 Chronological Album
• Try to control anger & emotions
• Continue participating in Craft n Chat & Bilingual Kids Club
• Make a peaceful atmosphere in our home
• Do workbooks with Ailin 3x a week
• Have a date with Yusuke 1x a week (even at home.)
• Make whoopee with Yusuke 1x a week.

Well, as you can imagine, this list includes a few items that were on last year's list but I failed to accomplish. I have to admit that I didn't do such a great job with our budget last year, but since I was not earning a paycheck for most of the time, it was beyond challenging, so I kind of gave up. This year, when I go back to work, I plan to get back on the wagon with that. And, let's just say that "be more sympathetic to Yusuke" has been replaced with "try to control..." and "make whoopee..." I think that will suffice. Several of the items in the first half of the list are a direct result of the Simplify 101 classes I took last fall.

This time, Yusuke did something different. After reading over my list, he put a star next to the ones that he fully encourages & supports. I don't think it means he will necessarily do the cleaning for me, but at least he will be aware of it. And, even though he did not add that last one to his own goals list, at least he is aware of "my" goal and he will try to help me achieve it in any way he can.

He also suggested that we up the ante by awarding each other 1000 yen (that's about $10) for each goal accomplished when we check our lists next January 2011. So, I could potentially earn about $150 next January if I achieve all the goals in my list. (Yusuke has 18 goals on his list...you do the math.)

I won't list all of his goals here, but here are just a few:

• Go for a walk around Tokyo more than 1x per month with family
• Clean my desk each night
• Eat less junk food
• Say "yes" as much as possible

That last one is a good one. We recently saw the movie "Yes Man" starring Jim Carrey. What a great, inspiring movie for anyone who feels like they might be in a rut! Basically, he lives his life in a very lonely, non-flexible routine where he avoids answering his cell phone, avoids most social situations & hates his boring job. Then, he takes part in a seminar where he promises to say yes to every question no matter what it is, and from then on, his life takes him in a direction he never imagined. Nothing really spectacular happens, but he meets an interesting woman and they start dating, he gets a job promotion & he starts having fun. I can see why Yusuke was inspired by this movie, and I hope that he continues to move towards this goal.

Creating the Life you Love
This is the title of another online class taught at Simplify 101. I was going back and forth on this one, but it is a popular one, offered only in January, and several of my online acquaintances were really excited about taking it. Even Yoko, a friend in my building who has become addicted to online classes because of me, was signed up for it. A few days before the class started, I signed up as well. I thought I would use the class to get me on a diet/exercise schedule so I can lose some weight this year. Notice that health and weight were not included on my 2010 Goals List? This is why. I wondered what Aby Garvey would have up her sleeve in this class, so I wanted to save those big health-related goals for the class.

It turns out that this class is more about changing you into a goal-oriented person who lives a positive, gratitude-filled life, not necessarily about helping you achieve one specific goal in a short amount of time.

The first week's assignment is to create a list of 101 Dreams. I tried to alter my blog to reflect my growing list, but I suck at managing this blog, so it didn't work out very well. Aby taught us 5 techniques to use when making our lists, and I tried all 5. The first was to answer several questions about various areas of our lives - relationships, finances, career, things, etc. The, we could do some mind-mapping based on some statements like, "I am at my best..." Another technique was to create a list of things you DON'T want and from that, make a list of things you DO want.

I finally got to my 101st dream tonight. It was interesting to do this list because many of them will be fairly easy to achieve with some planning. I didn't go all out and write down "pie in the sky" dreams, like you might imagine. However, when I got to about #95, I started to really struggle, so I read back over my list again. I found that I had repeated certain things a few times, so I decided to go to 110 just in case. Those last 15 dreams were probably the best ones because I felt like my mind was unlocking a little bit.

I am curious to see what Aby will have us do with these 101 Dream lists because obviously it is too overwhelming to start planning for all these dreams right now.

The other part of this class is to write gratitude journal every night before bed. I am trying to keep up with that because I already know what a difference it makes in your daily life. I recommend to anyone who is feeling a little down. We really do have a lot to be thankful for and the more we acknowledge it, the more we will express it to those around us...which makes for a more positive environment all around.