You can't rush a good pot of tea - or a good letter. You have to work with it. But with the advent of emails and social media, it's fair to say letter writing is a far cry from what it used to be.
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For some, it's considered a dying art. In a matter of years it's gone from being the norm, to the unusual - even the forgotten. But not for everyone.
This month Launceston's Tisane Tea Room have launched the 'you write it, we'll post is' project aimed at encouraging people to reconnect - pen to paper, heart to heart.
The cafe is encouraging visitors to sit down, take some time out from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind and write a good old fashioned letter. Once it's done, hand it in and they will post it - simple.
The idea was inspired by International Correspondence Writing Month, a movement which challenges people to hand-write and deliver one letter, card, note or postcard everyday for the month of February.
While Tisane is not asking customers to make such a commitment, owner Annie Burns said it was more about encouraging people to pick up a new 'old' habit.
"That's the thing these days. Life is so quick and so busy and you get pulled in so many different directions," she said.
"To actually do something like this you have to take that mindful approach and say 'I am choosing to do this'. To sit down and spend time having a cup of tea.
"What we are encouraging people to do is to come in, grab a cup of tea, a coffee, hot chocolate ... whatever you like.
"If you want to buy card from us, or if you have your own, bring it. Take your time to write it and when you are done, hand it to us and then we will post it.
"I also love the idea of people getting something in the mail that somebody's spent that time to write."
Tucked away at 45 Brisbane Street, the boutique tea room offers a quaint retreat from the outside world, sharing its space with Ms Burns second business, wellness centre Sanctum Body Skin Soul.
Ms Burns established Tisane in May last year with the vision of extending her customer's relaxation experience beyond the salon. She also wanted to give tea a platform in a city known for its coffee culture.
"Sanctum has been opened 10 years this year and we've always served tea. So if you have some treatment, we will sit you down, you get some tea and a little treat to help you relax a little longer.
"It was quite a nice fit to expand on that. We also wanted to give tea a platform and to say 'there is more out there'.
"Even if you are a coffee drinker, that's OK, but there might be a tea out there for you as well."
As for letter writing, Ms Burns admitted it was a craft she always tried to make some time for - a habit that was passed onto her from her mother.
"My mother was a prolific letter and card writer. So your birthday, anniversaries, Christmas ... anything it would be the first card you get," she said.
"When she passed away it was the mantle that I took up. So we still have the calendar on the wall with all the birthdays hand written on and we try to send that out. Because it is just a lovely little touch."
With plans to continue the letter writing project beyond February, next month Tisane also plans to launch tea tasting flights.
Designed to offer yet another extension of the wellness experience, Ms Burns said while tea tastings weren't yet mainstream in Australia, she hoped Launceston would be up for yet another different experience.
"Think along the lines of your whisky tastings, your wine tastings ... tea tasting is around. Perhaps not so much in Australia, but certainly in Asia and Europe and America," she said.
"What we're trying to do is a tea flight. So three teas matched with chocolate. The idea is to come in and try a tea you haven't tried before. To get a bit adventurous, but also to be more mindful."
As for her own love of tea, Ms Burns admitted it took her some time before exposing her taste buds to more exotic flavours, but she said like letter writing, it's become a habit she's happy to foster.
"I grew up in country Queensland where it's Bushells and International Roast coffee. That was it," she said.
"Working in the spa industry I soon became exposed to a lot more teas. You soon find out what you like and it grows because then you get a little more brave and you'll try something else."
- Tisane Tea Room is located in Duncan House at 45 Brisbane Street. For more information visit their Facebook page.
Jessica Willard
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
