On a cold winter night
Ashrill whistle punctured the waiting air. High-pitched and gloriously melodious. Who was this songstress? Could it be Margot Robbie whistling at me? And as I pondered this random thought, a whole symphony erupted.
Emphatic in its urgent momentum, I wondered who the conductor of this concerto was? Though as I gazed upon the unique and truly magnificent African vista, all I saw was a large tree nearby. Beyond, lay a flat featureless plain. Though stark in its appearance, it exhibited unexpected and haunting beauty. I deduced that the song could only have come from the hidden songbirds of the towering tree.
Africa, fashioned from its own unique fabric, operated at its own exceptional frequency. A clock, unlike most other places in the world, is largely surplus to requirements on this continent. Nature supplies all we need. You see, as the sun begins its descent into the looming night, it is serenaded by beautiful birdsong. As the fading sky signalled the end of our day, we continued our journey. The vehicle traversed the untouched African landscape effortlessly, while its inhabitants, though tired were filled with excitement.
It had been a great day. Earlier that day, the morning sunrise had once again been welcomed by more birdsong that had signalled the beginning of our game drive. This private farm possessed unique salt pans that had allowed us magnificent, unimpeded views of the animals in their natural habitat. This photo evidence safely stored on my camera. A beehive of activity welcomed us into our campsite.
A large fire in the middle served as our focal point, to warm our bodies as a frigid desert night beckoned. Off to the side, the chef had prepared the stands for a succulent braai for the evening. As we pulled out the armchairs and found our spots around our combustion fuelled comforter, then the wilderness stories began. One wondered if suspension of disbelief would be required for these? No matter, the sound of good cheer and laughter echoed into the winter night. The words, “Boys it’s ready”, signalled the transition to the culinary festivities for the evening.
Now I’m not sure if it’s the Milky Way embellished African night sky, or the free range non-steroid embellished livestock, but the food just tastes better on this continent. We have some of the finest beef and lamb on this planet. And tonight the chef had outdone himself. And as the belly filled posse continued with the fireside stories and laughter, the chef had one more offering to bestow. On a cold winter night under the twinkling sky, there is nothing better than a warm drink to sooth one’s soul. Waiting hands were filled with mugs of piping hot masala chai. To those not in the know, masala chai is an Indian variation of the queen of England’s favourite drink, tea. This innovative tweaking of Camellia sinensis elevated the queen’s favourite into beverage nirvana. But is tea more than a warm pick me up on a frigid winter evening? Tea is intrinsic to many cultures around the world and was known for its medicinal properties in the East.
The history of tea dates back to around 2737 BC when Chinese Emperor Shen Nung stirred a few leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant into a pot of boiling water and had the first ever cup of tea. Following this historic beginning, tea is now the most widely consumed beverage in the world, besides water. Turkey has far and away the highest per capita consumption at 3.16 kg annually. Surprisingly, the Irish at 2.19 kg come in second and finally the English appear in third at 1.94 kg per capita. Other than savouring the taste, drinking at least two cups of black tea a day may help people live a longer, healthier life according to the National Institute of Health. For the study, researchers from the National Cancer Institute evaluated health data from 498,043 people in the UK between the ages of 40-69 years of age.
The participants were followed for 11 years and researchers determined that people who consume two cups of tea a day had a nine percent to 13% lower risk of death from all causes, compared to people who didn’t drink any tea at all. People who drank tea were also found to have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease and stroke. These findings held true irrespective of how the tea was consumed, hot or cold or with or without sugar. The benefits capped at two cups, any further consumption provided no added benefit nor was it shown to be harmful. The benefits appear to be associated with tea’s high levels of polyphenols and flavonoids, which are known to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Both these phenomena have been shown to damage our cells, which may eventually lead to cancer. In addition, inflammation has been found to be a contributing factor for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The phytonutrients, compounds produced by plants, can improve immunity and repair cell damage. While it is refreshing to know that a beverage as popular as tea has been shown to bestow significant physical health benefits, I always say it soothes the soul. It is reported that the queen’s favourite meal is “probably” afternoon tea. She prefers Earl Grey, as hot as possible with no milk or sugar. If it’s good enough for the Queen of England, then surely it’s good enough for me.