High Tea

Afternoon tea on Dalloway Terrace gave us a glimpse into how the British upper class spent their leisure time.  In fact, in Mrs. Dalloway on page 11, Clarissa Dalloway is unwinding while having tea with Peter: “The waiter brought him one of those immense cups of tea which Londoners seem to like; and Sally, two little cakes. How much better is silence; the coffee cup, the table…Let me sit here forever with bare things, this coffee cup, this knife, things in themselves, myself being myself.” What made this experience so engaging was the waiter who was very nice and approachable especially when most of us have never had afternoon tea before. The novelty and unfamiliar of culture afternoon tea made it hard to relish the same experience that Clarissa had, but after our second pot of tea, we were slowly getting the hang of it. While at high tea myself, I tried to focus on the taste of the tea and experience the flavors of the pastries and baked goods that came along with it. The comfort and simplicity of food and tea made it easy to reminisce about the small things in life. I tried to create an experience similar to Clarissa where despite having friends and classmates at afternoon tea, I was able to enjoy the comfort of my vanilla chai and date & almond financier. The vanilla chai had an earthy, smooth blend of ginger, cardamom, cloves, and vanilla that mixed well with the sweetness of the financier. I enjoyed how many of the teas had an earthy, usually less sweet flavor to offset the sugary desserts. Focusing on the flavors made the table quiet, but it was a nice type of quiet that you typically do not get at the local Starbucks in Fresno. Overall, this experience helped me appreciate the smaller things in life and the quality of silence in the presence of friends.