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End of semesters can be very difficult, you have to say goodbye to new friends, colleagues, and thoughtful professors. Yesterday was my last day at my internship, where I was able to work with Chinese scholars and students. It was a wonderful experience not only to improve my resume, but I was also able to learn so much about a culture different from mine.

I was very accustomed to running out to the student bookstore and grabbing a large 60-cent pop, but the faint delicious smells from my co-workers cubicles drove me to ditch my soda habit and explore the world of tea. Initially, teatime was a great way to start a conversation, but it persisted into more, and changed my life for the healthier.

Caffeine from tea is extremely beneficial to ones health. Research proves the benefits in many different areas such as cardiovascular health, different cancers, and weight loss.

I can’t say just yet if I’m any less prone to cancer than I was before switching to green tea as my go to beverage (after water of course!), but I have noticed my skin clearing up and an overall better energy to my day.

For a 20-year-old that has had too many fights with kidney stones (well, two times, but seriously if you have had them, that is two times too many!) it was about time I laid off the pop completely. With any beverage choice it is good to incorporate equal or greater parts water into your diet. Green tea is a great supplement to water because of its anti-oxidant properties, and the health benefits from caffeine.

As my old job ends, and my summer starts this new habit is definitely something I’ll be keeping up with.

Does tea bring you and your friends or loved ones together? Do you have any special places you like to go, or make teatime an event?

I do. I love to call up my friends and plan an evening at a local hookah parlor where they also have a wide selection of organic loose-leaf teas. I know smoking tobacco is not good for you, but we see no harm in sharing one hookah once in a while. 

It is really the conversation that brings us back time after time. It is weird how friends grow apart, and the diverse paths that life takes you on. Sometimes it is very needed to have a “thing” that your group can agree on to do every so often.

I think teatime is a great centerpiece that allows easy conversation and connections to be made. Whether it is about getting to know a new person or, like me, reconnecting with people who are already so important to your life, it is a much-needed pastime.

The picture is of my friends Meghan, Clare and I. While we all live in the same city, we have different aspirations and goals that will ultimately lead us to different corners of the Earth. These girls made high school bearable, and have now supported by decisions halfway through college, I can’t imagine going through the tribulations of life without them!

I am very grateful for these memories, and the relaxing qualities of tea induced conversations.

Looking for a way to relieve puffy eyes after a night of little to no sleep?

Luckily, your used tea bags can help sooth and reduce under eye bags and dark circles.

Use a loose leaf tea pouch to brew your tea.  After making your tea, take the moist tea bag and let it cool. Once the tea bag becomes cold, let the bag rest on your eyes for ten to fifteen minutes, then discard.

You might look/ feel silly, but the tea bags really do have health properties!

Only caffeinated tea bags work, and they do so because they contain an astringent called tannin. The tannin constricts your blood vessels and encourages extra liquids to flush out of your skin. 

Some people prefer warm tea bags for the comfort they provide, but cold tea bags will act faster to reduce swollen under eyes.

So go on, try it! I know some days I need a way to feel a little more refreshed!

I’ve never been great at origami, but if it means not slaving over keigo (敬語), honorifics, or memorizing hundreds of kanji ( 漢字), Chinese characters, in Japanese class – I’ll try it!

In Iowa, high schools and colleges joined together to make 1 million cranes to send to Japan to show support. And so, our sensei (先生) taught us how to make paper cranes.

Mine didn’t turn out so well... but I am still proud of it!

I previously wrote on the safety of Japanese imported tea after radioactive contamination fears. In my research, the affected areas of Japan were not the major tea growing prefectures.

So which ones are?

Japan has 47 prefectures – three of which grow the majority of Japanese green tea – Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and Mie.

Shizuoka is located between Mt. Fuji and the Pacific coast west of Tokyo. This area actually accounts for 40% of Japan’s commercial production each year!

Kagoshima is located in southern Kyushu, in the far southwest of Japan; this area produces around 20% of tea leaves. Lastly, is Mie, which is located in central Japan.

Japan was influenced by China’s culture, and created their own tea culture, now Japanese sencha (煎茶) is a major mainstay tea in Japan and in America as well.

There are the obvious signs winter is over — snow melts, sunset after 6 p.m., and baseball season starts.

But here is what makes me think of the warmer seasons:
Open toed sandals,
Late night talks on the balcony,
Nature walks,
Sidewalk-chalkin’,
And switching from warm beverages, to cold ones.

My roommate is a big fan of sun tea, and since it’s her first year on her own, we were initially skeptical of her brewing abilities.

Turns out, it’s really easy. And yes, I’m sure most of you reading are this going, of course, it’s sun tea, its ridiculously easy to make! But please, remember, we are college undergraduates that survive largely on ramen and scraps we find around the house.

What you’ll need.
4 cups of cold water
5 teabags or 5 teaspoons of tealeaves
Large, very sterile glass container.

Instructions.
1. First, wash your container thoroughly, as the tea steeping occurs at the same temperature for bacterial growth.
2. Fill the container with 4 cups of cold water.
3. Add 5 teabags or 5 teaspoons of tealeaves, and secure lid tightly.
4. Put the container in direct sunlight for two hours.
5. Remove the tea bags/ strain tealeaves out.
6. Serve over ice and mix with sugar if desired.
7. Drink all tea within a few hours and discard whatever is left over.

Tips & warnings.
Wikihow.com recommends that you use caffeinated tea rather than herbal tea.
There is some controversy over the safety of sun tea, below is an excerpt from the website:

“What the CDC has said is that there is a theoretical risk of an increase of the bacteria commonly found in fresh water (Alcaligenes viscolactis) that has not shown itself clearly in real life, and it appears that this concern has been somewhat blown out of proportion due to internet information drift and the never-ending need for sensationalism about the potential for food poisoning.[2] What matters most is clean handling of the tea, as with anything you consume.” (wikihow.com/Make-Sun_tea)

So please, go sit on your balcony — lawn, nook, or whatever — sip on your favorite springtime beverage and enjoy the warmer temperatures. I know that's what I’ll be doing!

[Picture- my roommate and friend talking on our balcony last summer, good times!]