Tea and Cigarettes

On social practices in Taiwan

My dad grew up in Taiwan. When he turned 18, he joined the military to complete his mandatory two-year military service. He said it was there that he picked up smoking. A few years later, he went to the States with his family, and another few years later, he met my mom. Soon after, my dad quit smoking. His reasons for quitting occasionally change. Sometimes he says he did it because he felt like it, and other times he says did it for my mom, who doesn’t like the smell. I’ve never once seen him smoke a cigarette, and he hates the smell of smoke now. He made sure to always tell me to never pick up smoking.

As I was preparing to visit Taiwan this past winter, I was intent on learning as much about the culture as I could. Like many things when I was younger, I didn’t fully appreciate the trips there before. I realized that when I tried recalling specific details about Taiwan couldn’t. This time around, I paid closer attention to everything. All the food and shops. Walking through markets and looking at plants. Drinking tea and smoking cigarettes.

Tea

My grandpa used to make a lot of tea. It’s one of the things I’ll never forget about him. It was like he had a timer in his brain. He would sit in his chair watching the news or smoking a cigarette when all of a sudden he’d reach over and turn on the electric kettle. Then he’d lean forward and grab the teapot sitting on the coffee table, emptying the tightly packed leaves remaining from the last brew. Once filled with fresh leaves, he poured water until it flowed over the top. The lid would be put back on, sliding down slowly as it pushed more water over the edges of it. It happened so much, I didn’t even notice sometimes.

My grandpa passed away when I started college, and I never asked him about tea or drank it all that much when I was younger. I wish I had asked him to teach me.

He passed it on to his two sons, my mom’s brothers. When I expressed an interest in learning to brew tea, they were the ones who showed me. With their crash course on tea, I took every opportunity to make it.

Throughout my trip, I drank tea every single day. Whether we were sitting on the couch just watching TV or visiting family, tea was almost always brewing. Upon arriving at each relative’s house, the first order of business was to make tea. Some families used fancy setups and tools, while others poured it into paper cups. My grandpa had a humble stainless steel tray. I opted for a smaller version of that to bring back. Once my uncles knew of my interest in tea, they made sure I had plenty of tea paraphernalia to bring back. By the time I left, my suitcase was filled with tea leaves and teapots.

The variance in tea trays. Left to right, my grandpa's stainless steel set, my older uncle's stone tray, and another relative's ceramic.

Cigarettes

For a long time, I followed my dad’s example. I despised the smell of smoke and would hold my breath whenever I passed through a cloud of it. Many of my relatives in Taiwan are smokers. It used to be one of the things I disliked about visiting, the constant smell of stale cigarettes lingering in the air. The time I visited before, I would force my uncles and grandpa to stop smoking, hovering around them like a fly until they agreed to put out their cigarettes. It got to the point where they would try to sneak outside without me noticing.

It had been a while since I was last in Taiwan, about 6 years. In the time between, I had finished high school and went to college. As I started living on my own, I began shedding many of the beliefs I had as a kid. I had my freshman year experience with other college kids, where everyone was partying like crazy without parents around. I gave up on patronizing the adults around me to quit smoking, and the smell started to not bother me as much anymore.

When I went back to Taiwan this time and saw my uncles smoking, I didn’t urge them to stop like I used to. In all honesty, it felt a little comforting.

Atmosphere - 氣氛 (Qìfēn)

I have a flawed approach when it comes to smoking. It’s a fact that smoking is bad for the body and it’s best not to do it at all. I believe that, and most of the time I don’t find smoking worth the risk. But there are certain occasions when I don’t feel this way. When the mood is just right and there’s a certain buzz in the air. It was at these moments that, when my uncles and cousin were smoking cigarettes, I found myself reaching for one too.

氣氛 (Qìfēn) is the Chinese word for atmosphere or ambiance. This time around, I was old enough to appreciate the little things Taiwan had to offer. The food and drink, the markets, the plants, and the tea and cigarettes. My mom joked that it was the 氣氛 (Qìfēn) that made me want to smoke. Some would argue that’s just peer pressure. But taking part in these social rituals, I enjoy the moment more. Whether I think it’s good or bad, sharing that with my family is enough for me to be at peace with my decisions. And sitting around with relatives I hadn’t seen in years, sipping tea and smoking cigarettes, I felt closer to them than I had before.

Naturally, I developed a cough during my trip that stuck around for a couple of months. After I came back, I stopped smoking. I still brew a good amount of tea, especially when I have friends over, but I haven’t felt the need to smoke since Taiwan. Who knows though, when I feel the 氣氛 (Qìfēn) again, I might have to help myself to one.