Miranda Talavera Béjar, Grade 12
UWCRBC
A cup of tea is singlehandedly managing my social relations. Tea time is a long-standing RBC tradition rooted in the old art of conversation. However, tea time transcends superficial small talk and aims for the deepest darkest corners of a person’s soul. Two people from vastly different backgrounds come together in an attempt to find common ground, will it be found? The thrill is in the uncertainty.
I was walking back from anthropology class, loudly complaining about colonial structures when I heard a voice agreeing with me, giving straight facts and amazingly structured arguments. I immediately knew I wanted to be his friend, but there was one small problem: how could I approach my potential new friend without scaring him off? My answer was contained within two monosyllabic words: tea time. Was I about to experience my first tea-originated friendship of my RBC experience? Nerves came over me as I blurted out the definitive words: “We should have tea together sometime”. He agreed, and we arranged our carefully thought out yet organic and laid-back get-together. We met in the balcony of my house, where we drank tea and talked for hours about anything and everything, all at once. We bonded strongly over colonialism and plants, languages and walks.
Here I was, a Mexican woman, in the middle of the Black Forest in Germany, seeing myself in the Ugandan man sitting in front of me while we hypothetically fix every single little thing that is wrong with this world. When would I have ever imagined myself in this situation? The answer is never in a million years. Not even in my wildest dreams. This is the moment I understood the true value of UWC. Of course, we have the personalized education and great opportunities, but nothing compares to this moment right here. I felt closer to him in that moment than I had felt with most of my country-mates in my short 18 years of life.
One singular cup of tea originated one of the closest friendships I have. A friendship I will carry in my heart for the rest of my life. UWC is certainly not a paradise, but I would like to personally thank Mr. Kurt Hahn for believing in the power of education and Mr. Robert Bosch for believing in the power of tea and gifting me my best friends in the process. UWC is what we make of it, and I decided to make it the best moments of my life until this very day.
Two people from vastly different backgrounds came together in an attempt to find common ground, and they succeeded.
I was walking back from anthropology class, loudly complaining about colonial structures when I heard a voice agreeing with me, giving straight facts and amazingly structured arguments. I immediately knew I wanted to be his friend, but there was one small problem: how could I approach my potential new friend without scaring him off? My answer was contained within two monosyllabic words: tea time. Was I about to experience my first tea-originated friendship of my RBC experience? Nerves came over me as I blurted out the definitive words: “We should have tea together sometime”. He agreed, and we arranged our carefully thought out yet organic and laid-back get-together. We met in the balcony of my house, where we drank tea and talked for hours about anything and everything, all at once. We bonded strongly over colonialism and plants, languages and walks.
Here I was, a Mexican woman, in the middle of the Black Forest in Germany, seeing myself in the Ugandan man sitting in front of me while we hypothetically fix every single little thing that is wrong with this world. When would I have ever imagined myself in this situation? The answer is never in a million years. Not even in my wildest dreams. This is the moment I understood the true value of UWC. Of course, we have the personalized education and great opportunities, but nothing compares to this moment right here. I felt closer to him in that moment than I had felt with most of my country-mates in my short 18 years of life.
One singular cup of tea originated one of the closest friendships I have. A friendship I will carry in my heart for the rest of my life. UWC is certainly not a paradise, but I would like to personally thank Mr. Kurt Hahn for believing in the power of education and Mr. Robert Bosch for believing in the power of tea and gifting me my best friends in the process. UWC is what we make of it, and I decided to make it the best moments of my life until this very day.
Two people from vastly different backgrounds came together in an attempt to find common ground, and they succeeded.
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