Tea and Rubber

Today, I taught my grammar students the word “mirage.” Wait, let me put in a comma after the word “today” in the previous sentence. [pause] I believe I am seeing an illusion right now—a nice, cold Poland Spring water dispenser. After two cups of coffee and turning on my lifesaver, the electric fan, I am still struggling to stay awake and hydrated in this hot and humid environment. I am slammed with work, but I would like to continue sharing my experiences with you.
Last Saturday, I took a two-hour bus trip with the Access Academy ESL students to the Baramasia tea estate in Chittagong, Bangladesh. As we traveled farther from the city, we entered the more serene countryside and the air quality also improved. At the Baramasia estate, a local guide gave us a quick tour of the rubber trees and told us how every morning, workers collect rubber drippings and pour them into pans to meld together. So if you become a local in Bangladesh and wonder where the soles of your rubber sneakers come from, you can take a quick tour of the Baramasia estate to find out!
We climbed a little further up the hill in order to see the tea plants flourishing on Chittagong’s hills. According to my academic director, it was perhaps the nicest place she’s seen thus far in Bangladesh. Additionally, we observed how Baramasia’s black tea was processed and refined. Entering the factory would be a tea-lover’s dream come true—the scent of fresh tea was raw and redolent. I get two daily “tea breaks” throughout my work week, so maybe some of my tea comes from this very tea plantation.

(I haven't quite figured out how to post more pictures...see fb for photo updates.)