A Cup of Tea

Sometimes the simplest things give place to some really strong emotions. One of those things for me is definitely Tea. Here is a timeline of tea in my life:

Childhood
I would see my mother and father indulging in tea about 3 to 4 times a day. Those would be the moments where they would chat to each other and not engage in watching TV or doing anything else. It seemed like a good time to catch up.
When we went to visit other families and friends, they would serve tea to everyone except the kids because tea was STRICTLY NOT for kids, only the adults could have it. We would be served coke or juice, as if that was any healthier!?

Teenage
I was allowed the liberty to have tea but I didn’t find any pleasure in it. Maybe I had not yet developed the taste buds for it? I was assigned the job of making the evening tea for both my parents. I had learnt the exact recipe and we used the same teaspoon for the tea leaves which was used for years. The day it that spoon dissappeared, I was at a loss. I wasn’t sure if my tea would taste the same.

Love
I met someone who loved tea and I fell in love with him and with tea at around the same time. We used to go to the hills and the mountains and while the views and the company changed – one thing remained the same – Tea.

Friendship
Tea became a constant. I would go meet friends and we would always start our day with it even if our day actually started in the Afternoon. I had a friend who would give her all and make tea for me. It would simmer for a long time, finely crushed ginger was added in the end. She would bring out the best cups and pour them out neatly. We would then sit at our table with coasters and all, light a scented candle along with a hand rolled cigaratte and those were some of the best evenings with Tea.

Most recently, my father made us all a cup of tea. I had my doubts about how it would taste. I don’t even know the last time he went to a kitchen. To my surprise, it was absolutely delicious. I guess there are some things that you can’t forget how to do once you have learnt it – much like riding a bicycle.

Phases
There have been gaps of months and years when I have not had tea and there have been phases where I have had tea on a daily basis. For me it is just one of those things – the excess of which gets to me and I have to eventually take a break. But whenever I go back, my love gets stronger and I go all in – simmering, sipping and smoking all worries away.

Lockdown and Leisure

Leisure

noun

Time when one is not working or occupied; free time.

The fact that I am writing this post after more than a year of writing anything else on this Blog is testament of the fact that I have too much time on my hands. I was lucky enough to have come back home before all of India went into a lockdown. I am now with my family and we divide our chores – my mother does most of the cooking and I do the dishes and cleaning. Thankfully, my office is making us work from home so that keeps me occupied on most days of the week. I never thought I would be glad about having office work but I really am. I am the kind of person who doesn’t like sitting free for even a second. I am constantly reading, watching something, surfing through the internet, or doing something or the other.

In the first few days of the Lockdown, I thought it would only last a month. I was reading and wathcing shows like a maniac. Trying to finish as much as possible. I thought this is the best time I could ever get to read and watch as much as I can. Then the Lockdown kept getting extended. It’s been more than 2 months now and I am falling into a rut again. Though I am still more productive then when I was before the Lockdown.

I had always wondered what would I do if ever I went on a sabbatical. I always thought it would be the best version of my life. I got to experience a mini version of it with this Lockdown and I guess it isn’t so bad.

Of course I realize all the privileges I have, to have a nice home, to be with family, to have access to all essentials and to have a steady job (for the time being *fingers crossed*). I count my blessings for that every day.

With all the free time I have had, I have started reading more than I have read in years. I have watched at least a 100 of hours of content – TV shows and movies both. I have started meditating – which is new for me and I manage to workout once in every two days. There was a week when I worked out for a week straight (alternating yoga with cardio). These were some of the pros of the Lockdown.

The cons have been few but have a drastic effect on my life. I have retreated into a shell and do not have the urge to talk to people or to socialize. I had read something about Introverts which talked about how when they have stayed away from people  for too long, they want to stay away even more. It is a paradox but it is true in my case. But I have an incredible set of friends who help me come out of the shell with their constant calls and efforts to have a conversation. I truly feel blessed to have them.

Going forward, all I want to do is to keep up or better the productivity levels and to maintain them post the Lockdown as well if possible. I would also want to maintain a better equilibrium of my social life and productivity – which is going to a difficult exercise.

Terrace House: No Script At All

“Konbanwa! Terrace house is a show about six strangers living together and we observe how they interact. All that we’ve prepared is a beautiful home and automobiles.

THERE IS NO SCRIPT AT ALL.”

These are the lines with which every episode of, the path breaking Japanese reality show, Terrace House starts. There are 6 panelists who are sitting in a room, and watching along with us the lives of 6 people (3 men and 3 women) unfold on the screen. 267 episodes and a feature length movie of the show have been broadcasted so far spanning over 5 seasons – 4 of them were shot in Japan while the 3rd one was shot in Hawaii. While the first season was broadcasted solely on Fuji TV, starting from the second season, it has streamed on Netflix for audiences worldwide.

Every episode covers a week in their lives and unlike Big Brother they are free to step out of the house, go on dates with each other to the prettiest places in Japan and carry on their regular work schedules. They are free to leave the house whenever they want and new members come in and take their places. There have been instances where the same member (Seina Shimabukoro) have returned to the show in the same season and even in a different season.

I work in the TV Industry, and it is my job to devise new formats for reality shows in India and that might be the reason why this show intrigues me even more. The Introduction says that they have no script at all and yet there are certain format elements that are consistent throughout the series. In the end it is repetition that keeps the audience hooked and the fact that they have certain expectations from the show that they know will be fulfilled. It also makes for really exciting content when once in a while these format elements are broken – for example, when in season 2, the panel watched the episode in the original Terrace House instead of their usual room in the studio.

I, myself, have seen all the episodes of the show and there is so much I have to say about it, but in this article I will limit myself to talking about these format elements that make the show what it is!

• The Studio Panel: The Studio panel has been consistent thorughout the series. In the very first season, we only started with You and after 13 episodes Reina joined in. It was only after about 25 episodes that we saw the complete panel of 6 which we have fallen in love with. My personal favourites are You and Tokui, who do not shy away from saying the darnedest things about the members, not to mention the hilarious double entendres! Tokui, unfortunately got into a tax evasion scandal and has been missing from the panel in the latest 10 episodes. There are often guest panelists coming in who are mostly celebrities or athletes who are a fan of the show.
• Introduction to new Members: Every time a new member is supposed to come in, we see them revealing the news to their friends and family. We never see their faces, we only see a part of their face or maybe a shot from the back. This is to establish a little background and context to every new entrant. This element does not come in to play with the original 6 members though.
• The House Layout: Ever since Season 1, the house layout has been more or less the same. There is a Girls’ Room and a Boys’ Room. There is a dining table with the iconic table which becomes the centrepiece of the show, with most of the conversations taking place there. There is a lounge area which is mostly situated next to the dining table. In some seasons they have also provided with a swimming pool and a terrace. The Karuizawa season had a beautiful garden and foyer area since the climate was colder there. There is also a playroom where they have a TV where the members can sit together and watch the show week on week. It is as meta as can be! In Season 2, the house opened up a special Japanese styled room for one of the couples that had formed on the show.

There are these elements and several others which keep the audience hooked. While these are the ones that are out there, there are subtler ones that you might not even notice but they make the show what it really is.