A tea tale...

As I'm sure everyone is well-aware, tea is a very popular beverage in Hong Kong. If you go to any Chinese restaurant here, it's pretty much a staple. You'll receive two pots, one with tea and the other with hot water. When a table runs out of hot water, in order to get more they prop the teapot lid off to the side a little. Just recently I found out why. Like I said in my last post, everything that happens in Hong Kong (and Chinese culture in general) stems from some sort of legend or story.

Apparently, there was once a very poor man who did not have enough money to pay for his meal, so he devised a plan to get around it. He placed a small bird inside one of the teapots. When his waitress came by to refill his tea, the bird flew out. He claimed that it was a very rare and special bird, and the restaurant ended up paying for his meal. From that point onward, Chinese restaurants will not refill pots that still have their lids on because they don't want to risk a similar situation. (This story was told to me by the president of the Rotary Club of New Territories).