On Apr 1, 11:56 pm, "Melinda" > wrote:
> > Um, no offense..... but..... did somebody knock them over the head or
> > do they just have issues?
>
> > Any sort of common sense would tell these people that, maybe, just
> > maybe, the tea is light in colour anyway? In this day and age, a
> > phone call to check how to brew a tea really isn't that hard to do...
>
> > Besides.... you need a pretty big pot just to fill it with 250g of
> > tea. I mean... c'mon
>
> > MarshalN
> >http://www.xanga.com/MarshalN
>
> Any more I ask people what they like before I go out of my way to get them
> really good teas....most of the time I think my mother-in-law likes flavored
> teas and herbals so....that's what she gets. Or a gift certificate, that's
> best.
>
> Seriously, if someone is going to spend that much money on a gift for
> someone it is best if they ASK first if the recipient even wants it or knows
> what to do with it, especially food items. Otherwise it's a good bet they'll
> be disappointed with how the gift is received.
>
> Melinda

Evidently the in-laws wanted "chinese tea" and the family friend
decided to get best for them (filial piety?). Maybe it's a lack of
understanding on what tea they wanted or perhaps it it's her
assumption that these in-laws had some common sense in tea making.
Either way, the brew turned out horrid and family relations were
strained. The part that really got me was that before conceeding in
defeat, the in-laws also tried to redeem the brewed liquid with
Coffeemate and sugar.

Perhaps the in-laws, being 70 year old small town folks had something
to do with their tea making ignorance? Who knows? I just find it to be
an amusing story, and judging by the way things are in this world, I
don't doubt one bit that this story is true.