Coffee or Tea?

A simple enough question, one that apparently calls for an absentminded, automatic reply. Whether grabbing a quick breakfast at a fast food chain or dining exquisitely at a high-end restaurant, people around the world are either coffee or tea drinkers. They, however, are an exception to this rule; they constantly switch between a cup of Joe and a bag of Jasmine. Their liking towards both drinks reflects two distinct sides of a single personality.

Coffee is vibrant, zealous, relentless. It is the fuel to a hard long day followed by a harder, longer night. Coffee is the cheap addiction to jumpstart mornings, to quicken afternoons, and to prolong midnights. The character of coffee is attitude, a swagger in which priorities have been predetermined; nothing is more imperative and everything is less important. Drinkers of the morning mud resemble their morning mugs. Coffee drinkers are swift, efficient, and determined. They use as many cups as necessary to get the job done. Often, they have grown with their coffee, settling on one specific bean for the rest of their lives. A daily trip to Starbucks does not suffice, but rather the ritual is fulfilled by a consistent, periodic intake of caffeinated java. Decaffeinated is for amateurs, but energy drinks are for the caffeine addicts. Coffee is the “just right,” a roast of magic that delivers potent powers.

Tea is serene, wistful, tender. It is the wake up call to a fresh morning breeze followed by the scent of sweet nature. Tea is classy, brooding with a freshness of Vogue on the table and Ulysses on the armchair as Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 plays softly from the vinyl. The art of tea is elegance, a style in which literature and music transcend blurry boundaries. Drinkers of the calming chai need not bother themselves with worry. Tea drinkers are sophisticated, careful, and accepting. They savor the single cup as long as possible to prolong its aromatic goodness. Perhaps, they prefer Assam over Earl Grey, but there are no superlatives for the tea drinker; a different day summons a different flavor. Iced tea is summer casual while sweet tea is frowned upon, reserved only for imitators of elite tea culture. Tea defines versatility with a mixture of personalities that gift grand sensations.

So how do they fit in?

She is the cold frappuccino of sweaty summer days. Like cinnamon dolce frappé, she slurps to express herself through graphic tees and colored shorts. Her craving for adventurous escapades during long summer days blends with her yearning for wondrous starry nights.

She is a glass of iced green goodness. A sleek jacket with veteran boots speak class for themselves. Boxing, swimming, and tennis dominate her days of friendly rivalries and intense competition.

She is the warm espresso of soothing autumn afternoons. Like pumpkin spice cappuccino, she sips on the fading fall when families and friends come closest together. This is the time when raking leaves is a tranquil enjoyment, when returning to school is revisiting friendships, when the union of family, friends, and relatives reminds her of delight on Halloween and love on Thanksgiving.

She is a pint of orange pekoe pleasure. The solidarity of early morning jogs through leafy trails induces the simplest state of bliss. Fall is when her reflective, introverted self interacts with his comical, extroverted persona.

She is the hot chocolate of winter weekends. Like salted caramel mocha, she savors the sanctity of silent nights. The joys of coming Christmas celebrations call for exuberance even in the event of first semester finals, national qualifying competitions, and job application due dates.

She is a bowl of black oolong opulence. She believes that wealth is not measured in materials but honored in the heart and mind. With the passing of another year, she remembers her mistakes and settles on reaching new goals.

She is the cool caffè of slick spring mornings. Like milk espresso macchiato, she imbibes herself in the dew drops of rain. She sees nature as a calling to venture outside and air conditioning as a requirement to dwell indoors.

She is a cup of white clover charm. Leaning against her poster of The Last of Us is a signed copy of Same Trailer, Different Park resting on the current issue of The Times.

Although sometimes contradictory, a need for coffee and a need for tea blend together nicely. Like a well-shaken tea latte, they value the vigor of a stuffed schedule as important as the quietude of lazy Sundays. Perhaps they should be credited as a connoisseur of personality. Unlike the listless lives of those wholly withdrawn or ever electrifying, their life has been brewed to a spectrum of flavors. They are careful with their drink because deciding what to order has already been a ritual. You don’t need to remind them not to touch a sizzling pot, but do offer all the selections you have; they are always curious to satisfy conflicting interests.

“Yes, I would like cream with that.”

“Please, squeezed lemon juice is a must.”

After all, what else distinguishes people besides the choices they make?