Hi my name is Jessica, and I am a Tea-aholic.

Today, April 18th 2010, marks the day when I stopped caring about my daily level of caffeine consumption. Last semester I diligently went cold-turkey, a mean feat for this coffee-addict. Well, at least I switched to decaf. After a few days of killer headaches, the shakes, mild narcolepsy, and general grumpiness, my friend Starbucks and I crossed the barrier into the next dimension of healthier living. However, my resolve was shaken up quite a bit, when 'normal' tea re-entered my life in Cape Town.

I don't ever remember a time in my childhood when 'hot tea' wasn't part of the picture. It should be noted that the concept of non-iced-English-breakfast-mixed-with-milk was and is near-heresy in the minds of most Arkansans, but for the child of a quasi-Zimbabwean, it was a staple in the diet. Some children go from the breast to the bottle, but I went for the breast to the bear-(that is to say, the recycled bear-shaped honey container that became the vessel for my beveragal comfort). (Side-note: I'm pretty sure that 10 out of 10 pediatricians would recommend NOT giving your child caffeinated drinks at infancy, but Mark and Angie Schleiff were still youngsters then and thus, shall not be blamed for my current self-destructive habits.)

After a few years of mere acquaintanceship, I am proud(?) to inform you that Hot Tea and I are going steady once again. Just to put our relationship in perspective for you...on a typical Sunday (like today), I wake up in the mornin, and I'm drinkin tea. I go to church, and I'm drinkin tea while I wait for worship to start. Church ends, and I'm chattin with friends with a nice warm cup in hand. What better way to follow lunch than with a cup o' tea? I am homeworking in the afternoon, and check my watch only to discover that it is 4:00. What time is it? High Tea time!! 6 o'clock church, and..well you get the picture. Like the pringles people say, once you pop you just can't stop. It is a slippery slope my friends, a slippery slope indeed.

'Why is she writing this ode to a beverage?', you might ask. Whelp, apparently 6-plus cups of tea in one day isn't conducive to sleeping. Imagine that. So, here I am, jittering through this message--too jazzed to rest but too intelectuallazy to hang out with William Faulkner. Such is the life of a tea-aholic.

Easter in the Western Cape

I find it harder and harder to think of stuff to write about as the novelty of day to day life fades and a sense of home replaces it. Now, I am throwing back an embarrassingly high number of cups of tea a day, I have long sense given up the rising tone at the end of my questions, and I no longer shudder as I pass each potential mugger on the street. :) Because of this shift, I find it hard to think of uniquely South Africanish anecdotes. So instead, I will just tell you about my awesome weekend.

For Easter weekend, our church went away to camp in Stellenbosch, where we lodged in a boarding school. My fellow American friend Audrey and I both chuckled at how differently something like this might have gone down in the U.S. of A. We all kind of just rocked up in the afternoon whenever we wanted to and never really had a schedule. It was wonderful! The days consisted of chilling/chatting together, some set aside times of worship and teaching, more chilling/chatting, drinking lots of tea, and watching the guys of the church compete to see who would win the much-sought-after title of "manliest man on main".

On Saturday night, after worshipping for a while, we had a time where everyone encouraged and called out things in each other that they felt the Lord laying on their hearts. It was truly one of the most joyful and encouraging times I have ever experienced. Sunday, we had some more wonderful worship in the morning and the evening, we ate some hot cross buns, and we got to see one of my friends who had given his life to Christ over the weekend get baptised. The whole weekend was filled with just this overwhelming sweetness as everyone enjoyed fellowshipping with each other as well as with the Holy Spirit. It was such a blessing to communally share such an excitement over the fact that Jesus conquered death!

Best. Easter. Ever.