Scholar-Journalist of the Week: The Magic of Tea

Jasveen Kaur is a person who wanders through economics in the sunlight, skates smoothly with speed in the evening, and turns into a perplexed poet at night. Born in Delhi, the 19-year-old is currently pursuing B Sc. in Economics from Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA) in Jalandhar. When asked about her writing journey, the aspirational writer mentioned, “I have always craved for thrilling experiences and with time I discovered that words are the most satisfying thrilling adventure that I can experience on this earth.” She  wrote her first poem when she was in class 1. “It was about things that might take place in one minute, like a pizza might be delivered,” she expressed. But the first prose that she wrote in class 8 was about altruism. And since then, there has been no stopping. Recently, she completed her internship with Shri Ram College of Commerce and made the most of this big opportunity by writing several articles for the college. In this interview, Jasveen further shares her learnings from this writing journey. Read on:

What kind of books do you like to read and why? Any book/novel you are reading currently? Who is your favourite author?

I’ve tried all the genres – be it romance, comedy, science, fiction or self-help. But I guess I never found something as adventurous and thrilling as Goosebumps Series by RL Stine. Read any book from this series and I am so damn sure you’ll just love it. Sometimes, I get suggestions that I must start reading self-help or mature novels. But I am still stuck on Stine and Blyton. I also like reading books written by 

Ruskin Bond. 

Share your learnings from this writing journey? 

I think, one doesn’t need any special kind of expertise to become a great writer, unless you’re applying for technical writing. The more you practice, the better you get. No matter how boring and old it might sound, it is the utmost truth that practice makes a man perfect.

Why did you decide to write on the topic ‘The Magic of Tea’

I remember this movie Bawarchi in which Rajesh Khanna appreciated the tea he had. I guess it’s pretty clear from his lines that tea is a drink that touches the soul of almost every Indian. And that’s why I chose this topic because I wanted to touch the hearts of people through this article.

Are you fond of drinking tea? What is your connection to tea?

Personally, I am not fond of drinking tea unless it’s made by my father. He makes tea which tastes different than any other and I just enjoy it. In June, when I travelled to Delhi, I visited a special chai wala. He has a secret recipe that has been passed on to him from his ancestors and his tea shop is more than 100 years old. And when I took the first sip – Oh My God –  that was just fantastic and I forgot the world around me while drinking it.

Every one in India is thrilled to offer guests or visitors at least a cup of tea? What, according to you, is so fascinating about this drink?

I think I’ll be very honest here, the reason people just find tea so fascinating is because they are somewhere habitual or in some cases addicted to it. It leaves a direct impact on their mind and calms it pretty quickly. And so, whenever we visit someone, tea is often served, sometimes infused with elaichi (cardamom), ginger or some other special ingredient. A good cup of tea infused with these flavours  just helps in uplifting the mood and well, it’s the best way to get a long conversation rolling.

Please share three benefits of consuming tea?

As I already discussed in the article, herbal tea is detoxifying and makes the immune system strong. Black tea has higher caffeine content and is good for the heart if consumed in the right amount. But most importantly I feel the best benefit that every type of tea provides is that it soothes one’s soul.

One piece of advice to aspiring writers

I am not the best writer myself but if there’s one piece of advice I would like to give is that be authentic –  please don’t be a copycat! Write less but write original. Also, what I hate these days is that people often share poetry pieces, articles, etc., but they never give credit to the writer. Please mention the writer’s name or share it in inverted commas. Finally, always encourage your fellow writers.