The Flavor of Simplicity

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These days, I like to wake up early to make tea. The dorm kitchen is pretty dirty, but I decide to brew it anyway. The method of doing it is pretty specific, but that is why I like to do it. First, I boil the water up to the point where I start to see large bubbles appearing. Next, I take a teaspoon of sencha and drop it into the French Press. Then, I pour the hot water into the Press. I find enjoyment in learning to be intuitive for when it is good to proceed to the next step. Guessing the temperature of the water, timing the seeping period, carefully pouring tea into the bottle are activities I enjoy not because – too little tea leaves?), but this imperfection makes me want to do it again – to be able to instinctively brew a good cup of tea someday.

This process really makes the rest of the day interesting because I thought about how to apply this satisfaction to other parts of my life. In design thinking, this is the “iterative process”: failing again and again to reach a perfect level of something. That’s why people invest thousands of hours into their crafts. The thought of reaching perfection that extends beyond normal human ability keeps them going. Of course, I do this in a more relaxed sense.

A popular contemporary Thai writer (นิ้วกลม) once recounted his trip to a meat restaurant in Bangkok where the chef prepared him with two dishes: wagyu beef and Thai beef. Obviously, the wagyu beef, being more expensive, tastes very good and relatively better than the Thai beef. But when he tastes the Thai beef, he realized that it tastes almost as good as the Wagyu. He realized that the chef was good not because he makes tasty Wagyu dishes; it was because the chef could make something cheap like Thai beef taste good.

I thought about how to apply it to my life. Living in a medium sized town in Upstate New York makes me much more down to Earth. I don’t really crave expensive cuisine like my foodie friends. I am happy with just the “mediocre” but cheap dish I get every day. Instead of trying to maximize happiness from grand events and experiences, perhaps I can try finding happiness or methods in the same simple things I do every day: walking to class, eating cafeteria food, etc. If satisfaction really lies in the process of experiencing or doing these simple things, I can’t imagine how exciting life in this small city will be.