Conversational Chai

Many people in the world are currently seeking the who, what & why of chai. Oregon Chai wants you to expand your horizons, free your mind, enrich your life by helping you become an expert in the field of chai. Just take a few minutes to read this guide and then take a short (easy!) quiz.

Part I. Oregon: "The Puddle State"
(pronounced Or-eh-gun)

Oregon is a beautiful, mossy state on the West Coast of the United States. It is filled with happy, yet soggy people who have spent an inordinately large portion of their lives in warm cafes drinking hot beverages. Consequently, they know a fabulous, life-alteringly delicious drink when they taste it.

Part II. Chai: Need-to-Know Info

Chai, which literally means tea in many cultures, is an ambrosial blend of black tea, honey, vanilla and spices prepared with milk like a latte.

Part III. Oregon Chai: East Meets West, Sweet Meets Spicy

The ancient recipe meets the American palate in a sweet, spicy, soothing chai tea latte that's available in concentrate or instant mixes. Oregon Chai fans love it hot or iced, morning or evening, summer or winter, while relaxing or on the go, sitting by the fire or performing neurosurgery. If they could drink it in their sleep, they would.

Part IV. Tea Time is Me Time

Drinking chai is an indulgent experience. Daydreaming, meditating, self-reflecting and mind-wandering are all highly enhanced by a cup of the heavenly stuff we call chai.

Now, the quiz!

1. What is chai?

A. Slang meaning "tasty," i.e., "This bologna sauce sure is chai."
B. A new language, i.e., "Do you speak chai?"
C. A blend of black tea, honey and milk, i.e., I love this chai! I'm never drinking anything else. Ever.

2. Which of the following are ways and times you can enjoy Oregon Chai?

A. Steamingly hot
B. Refreshingly cool over ice
C. During the winter solstice
D. While performing neurosurgery

3. In which form CAN'T you buy chai?

A. Concentrate
B. Dry Mix
C. New Cheddar Chai - just heat and pour over your favorite tortilla chips!

Answers: 1) C, 2) A, B and C. Yes, you might want to enjoy your Oregon Chai while performing surgery, but we think you should focus on your work. 3) C, silly.

How'd you do?

Twitter contest

Tweet, tweet! We had an informal giveaway on Twitter today. It was good fun, and we got to see what some of our Twitter friends really look like. The entries were pretty brilliant, like this one, complete with captions:

Before Oregon Chai greatness is achieved

Greatness is achieved

Yum. We even had a two-way tie for fifth place, with two entries coming in within 20 seconds of each other. Oh well, we had to give them both chai.

Here are the rest of the winners:

Hey Oregon Chai, give it to me straight!

Enjoying my daily chai!

Me drinking Oregon Chai (although you wouldn't know it since it's in a mug...)

Just bought this an hour ago, can't wait to pop it open!

I had to make another cup cuz I love it so much!

It's All About ME Time

The holidays have the tendency to make a lot of external demands on your time. Does it feel like you spend a lot of time rushing around in order to do things -- for other people?

If your last great escape was to the garage to just be alone where no one could find you, you're definitely showing signs of 'me time' deficiency. Next time you find yourself sneaking off to the grocery store just to shop in peace, try these 'me time' tips instead:

Buy yourself flowers. No, really. The cheaper and more colorful the better. The sight and smell will calm you and make you smile each time you see them.

Make a date. With yourself! If you take your work appointments seriously, why not start blocking out a date to do some things you love? Maybe it's hot yoga; maybe it's curling up with a book and a mug of steaming Oregon Chai.

Enjoy The Dishes. Slow down and take pleasure in your chores. Things like dishes, laundry and cooking can be Moments Of Peace.

Bring The Nap Back. Change into some comfy pajamas and lie down on a bed or couch. Even if you can't fall asleep, 20 minutes of resting and letting your mind wander can be wonderful. You may even think of the solution to whatever problem has been plaguing you all morning. Drink a cup of Oregon Chai to perk you up when you're done and it's time to get back to work Saving The World.

How do you spend your 'me time'? Running? Listening to music? Watching Mad Men?

Daily Zen

They say Oregon Chai is Nirvana, available by the cup.

How about some Zen, available by tweet?

@dailyzen is a user on Twitter who posts daily Snippets Of Wisdom, such as:

"Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes."

Or:

"After enlightenment, the laundry."

And our favorite:

"The purpose of life is to love whoever is around to be loved."

Something to contemplate over your morning cup of Nirvana.

Damsels in DST (Distress!)

You've already reset your watch, the clocks in the kitchen, alarm in the bedroom, kids' bedroom, etc. So why do you still feel out of sync?

Daylight Saving Time is often disorienting, much like travel across time zones. (Could it be that DST is actually code for distress? Hmm.) If you're feeling down because it's 3:30 and the sun's already setting, you can always get one of those nifty clocks designed specially for distressed DST victims.

Or just be thankful you don't live in China, a country as wide as the United States but with only one official time zone. It's pitch black at 10 AM in the western Chinese provinces -- imagine going to work in those conditions!

Besides a cup of Original Oregon Chai, of course, what's your favorite way to beat the DST blues?