Elegance in My Palm Carol Chen Week of November 2-6 by Lamia Haque: Pick up the object closest to you. Describe it in the utmost detail possible. Use your five senses. Find symbolic meaning in those details, and relate the way you describe it with ways you might describe yourself. When I wake up in the morning, I take out a small mug from my kitchen cabinet. It’s
slightly bigger than a baseball and feels cool to the touch. There are three small, sharp grooves on the handle and eight large, shallow grooves in the body of the cup, making it easier to grip. The body of the cup is a warm eggshell color with a thin forest green rim. All around the cup are various fruits: magenta cherries, yellow lemons, indigo plums, and red-brown apples. Each fruit has two vibrant green leaves and a light yellow stem. Just under the rim is a band featuring cartoon-like vines on a pastel green background beneath olive-colored leaves. This simple and elegant design soothes my eyes. Peering into the empty cup in my hands, I see the pure, off-white glow of the porcelain. This majestic vision doesn’t last long. As I feel the need for a boost from caffeine, I pour espresso into the cup, almost all the way to the rim. Now, all I see are warm browns. As I pour a little bit of milk in, a cloud of white blooms inside the brown liquid, turning my cup into chocolate-colored energy. When I use this cup in the morning, I feel refreshed and revitalized. I often stay up late working on homework and projects, so I need my daily dose of caffeine to stay alert the next day. Too much caffeine can be harmful, so this small cup that fits perfectly in my palm is my 8 a.m. savior. But this little, colorful cup isn’t just for mornings. Whenever I have time during the weekends, I try to make my favorite foods and beverages from scratch. Many of these foods and beverages require a mug, so I use my cup for these recipes. With this cup, I can experience new treats in my own home instead of having to hike to some distant cafe or restaurant. Because I can try these new foods and drinks, this cup is even more special to me since each new food item that I create brings me joy. One of my favorite beverages is bubble tea. I have always loved the taste of this drink, especially the combination of chewy pearls with silky milk tea. I would often get large cups of it from my local bubble tea cafes. During a trip to my local Asian supermarket, I bought a bag of tapioca pearls to see if I was capable of making my own version of the beverage. Once I understood and successfully attempted to follow the recipe, I could change it however I liked. The best changes that I make are changes to the tea itself. Instead of using only classic black or green teas, I add rose or lavender to introduce new fragrances. Some days, I use Earl Grey or Oolong tea to add even more flavors. The cup I love so much enables me to experiment with my drinks in ways I would never have been able to do before. What makes these experiences even better, is that my cup holds elegance in a way that a classic red solo cup could never do. I also enjoy making scrambled eggs in this cup, due to its ease and simplicity. Since I only use one medium egg, my cup is the perfect size and shape to hold all the ingredients. I have also made muffins, cinnamon rolls, soup, and even macaroni and cheese in my cup. This cup is also a hardy cup. I have accidentally bumped it off my table a few times, but each time, it survived the fall unharmed. When it hits the ground and bounces to a stop, it does so with grace. To make my “mug recipes,” I often heat my cup in the microwave and oven. It has withstood the heat of both appliances many times and has the same beauty and shine as it did when new. I love everything about this cup, especially its elegance and hardiness. Because I also want to be graceful and strong, I am grateful to see this cup every day as a personal reminder when I pour myself some coffee.
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