A Conversation for Talking Point: Your Favourite 'Hitchhiker' Moment
Tea
Gordon, Ringer of Bells, Keeper of Postal Codes and Maps No One Can Re-fold Properly Started conversation Mar 7, 2003
One of the bits that no one has mentioned yet is the exchange between Arthur and that fine product of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation, the Nutri-Matic Drinks Synthesizer. Fans of the Guide will recall that Arthur was on a quest for a cup of tea just before the Vogons started attacking the Starship Heart of Gold. After several attempts to reason with the machine which resulted in cups on something almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea, he sat down with the machine and explained the history of tea and even gave it a brief history of the East India Company.
"So that's it, is it?" said the Nutri-matic when he had finished.
"Yes," said Arthur, "that is what I want."
"You want the taste of dried leaves boiled in water?"
"Er, yes. With milk."
"Squirted out of a cow?"
"Well, in a manner of speaking I suppose ..."
"I'm going to need some help with this one," said the machine tersely.
My goal for 2003 is to try to figure out tea. While I was preparing my first cup of tea using my shiny new kettle and stylish teapot, I couldn't help but think of this exchange.
Oh, and don't forget what the Guide says about the population of the Universe: "... the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the product of a deranged imagination."
Share and enjoy! 
Key: Complain about this post
Tea
More Conversations for Talking Point: Your Favourite 'Hitchhiker' Moment
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."