The perfect cup of tea

I usually don't care how I brew my tea: boil the water, add the tea leaves, milk and sugar, stir and drink. But once in a while, the urge to do it the mindful way hits me, and I go all out to do everything the way it ought to be done:

1. Pour three-fourths of a cupful of water into the pan


2. Fill 10% of the same cup with milk


3. Allow the water to come to a complete boil


4. Add two teaspoonfuls of tea


5. Wait for about 10 seconds


6. Change the stove setting to 'Simmer' mode for a minute


7. Apply the 'Normal' mode for two quick bursts of five seconds each interspersed by three seconds of 'Simmer' mode


8. Pour the tea into the cup containing the milk


9. Add sugar to taste


10. Stir the cup the Zen way, i.e. don't have any preconceived notion that you have to stir it for 20 seconds; keep stirring until you 'know' that the sugar is now one with the tea

Now you know why I prefer coffee most of the time.