---
title: A Tea Perspective
date: 2026-08-09T11:49:12+05:30
categories:
  - funny
description: I once judged my schoolteachers for spending their breaks obsessing over staff room tea. Decades later, I find myself doing the exact same thing, anxiously hoping the right person makes my daily cup.
tags: [s-anand, humor, education]
---

When I was at school, I assumed that teachers in the staff room would mostly be discussing students, teaching, how to improve things, etc.

A few years after I graduated, I spent time with my teachers in the staff room, and realized that the conversations are _far_ more mundane. The main topic of discussion (which went on for what felt like half-an-hour) was: Why was the tea at the high school staff room far inferior to the one for the junior school staff room? What could they do about it?

It was a bit of a shock for two reasons.

1. What!? Teachers don't spend every second of their time thinking about students and teaching?
2. Tea!? Who cares about tea? _Why_ care about tea?

That day, my perspective changed.

25 years later, my perspective changed again. I wasn't a tea drinker. I started a year ago when I switched my daily lunch to [Ya Kun Kaya Toast](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ya_Kun_Kaya_Toast)'s Set B: Kaya peanut butter toast (which is heavenly) + eggs + tea. I always get it from the same branch across my office.

There's one guy who I think makes it _slightly_ sweeter, and a lady whose tea is more bitter. I spend a fair bit of time every morning (and sometimes it feels like half-an-hour) agonizing over _who_ will be making my tea today.

Never thought the day would come, but this is one of my highlights of the day: having _his_ tea for lunch.

![](https://files.s-anand.net/images/2026-08-09-a-tea-perspective.avif)