Perpetual Brew 🌀 Week 2

Total Cups Served ...... 836
High Temperature ...... 81°F
Low Temperature ....... 43°F
Days with Rainfall ....... 1

We are hours away from reaching the HALFWAY point of this magical month, aka April aka Perpetual Brew. Find us in Maria Hernandez Park every single day of April serving free tea from 12-6pm.

Week 2 of Perpetual Brew brought more visitors of all sorts – bees, hawks, woodpeckers, elders, kids, and a whole lot of sunshine. And our neighboring linden trees are blooming right in front of our eyes!

Below, you can read about a few highlights from the past week, with SPECIAL GUEST contributors Ziggy Bee & Marissa Fallico, who both served tea for a day!

🎵 Makin' Pancakes

Addie hopped off his bike and nonchalantly approached The Tea Stand.

"Oh, cool, you're brewing tea? I came to the park to make some coffee but forgot my fuel canister," he said, inspecting our hot water setup.

"You came here to make coffee?" I asked in reply.

"Yeah, I love cooking in parks. I cook up steak and eggs, brew espresso, and make some pancakes for me and my friends. When are you here next? Maybe I can come set up next to you and make pancakes for us," Addie said.

Addie stayed true to his word! A couple days after we met in the park, he biked up to The Tea Stand and unloaded his camp stove, a pan, a stick of butter, pancake mix, syrup, plates, and a spatula, and got right to work.

"Who wants a pancake?" he announced, squeezing the pancake mix onto the pan.

Within 10 minutes, we were feasting on sweet, fluffy pockets of starchy sugar, eating them like tacos (Addie had forgotten to bring forks).

Many passersby resisted the sweet temptation of free pancakes, but those who trusted their gut were blessed with a delicious treat and a hot cup of tea to pair with it. One visitor originally declined the offer, then returned with plastic forks to contribute to the cause.

"This is the closest I've ever felt to utopia," I commented between bites, looking around at several new friends sipping tea & munching on pancakes.

"And it only cost $10!" Addie remarked.

I've been serving free tea in parks for over 3 years now. It's become so ordinary for me to the point where it can be difficult to grasp just how unusual of a thing this is for so many people.

Adding pancakes to the mix was just enough of a shift for me to re-experience the joy of being on the receiving end of something unexpected, something free, something delicious.

What a blessing! What a simple, profound gesture! I found myself profusely thanking Addie, overcome with gratitude for his presence and service.

FREE TEA & PANCAKES FOR ALL!

^ Listen to the episode about this day!

🦘 Jumping rope with strangers

Whether it be the kids frolicking nearby, the constant stream of dogs, the shouts of people playing basketball, or the cold tea on a warm day, The Tea Stand became a place of childlike nostalgia on Friday. People were staying longer on the mat to talk with one another, families were enjoying the warmth of the mid-day sun, and bees were flying in and out, visiting us and one another. Soon after opening, we were visited by Sam and her cousin, who graced us with the presence of a jump rope. 

What came next was truly beautiful. Through the vehicle of a jump rope, we shifted out of the familiar, comfortable plane of existence and instead moved towards one that makes space for play.

I mean, how often are you jump roping with strangers in the park?

By situating ourselves in this unconventional environment of interacting with strangers and jump roping, we were able to step into a much more creative and carefree relationship with one another. We all took turns using the jump rope and eventually Sam started swinging the rope on the ground for a game of Snake. 

The rules are straightforward; jump over the rope.

I sat behind the stand, watching the people in front of me jump and laugh and I felt like a kid again! Truly! How simple it is to find joy in playing with others, how simple it is to connect over something we have all experienced and to rehash that experience together. By allowing ourselves the freedom to pursue this joy, we create new pathways and position ourselves towards a future that prioritizes our relationships to one another.

A couple rounds were played and the jumping was had and eventually people said their goodbyes. The tone of the day was set. It was to be a day of belly laughs and big smiles. 

~ by Ziggy Bee

🚸 Las jóvenes almas de Bushwick

On the 11th day, I did a tea stand take over! I had the pleasure of meeting Bernie Mae who chose the herbal hot tea of the day. Her family was so chic and I was really inspired by the cohesion of the group, both in style, grace, and stature.

Bushwick families really bring such vitality to the area; I think little souls bring collective vibration to the fabric of society and the vibes are high at Maria Hernandez Park. For me, being at The Tea Stand helped me reconnect with the fun, playful side of human existence. It also taught me how to use a camp stove.

Little children really had a special day at the park. I was also fortunate enough to witness a race and practio en espanol con las pequenas.

Soy agradecido para los almas de Bushwick! <3

~ by Marissa Fallico

Otherwise...

Come join us in the park! We're open 12-6pm every day of April in Maria Hernandez Park. You can see who is serving tea when on the Perpetual Brew webpage here – we just added a few more takeovers!

Much love to Paige, Ziggy, Marissa, Mattie, and Juno for serving tea this past week and to Grayson, Devika, Ren, and Aidan for helping bag all the tea.

And one more reminder to check out the podcast here. It's the perfect way to start your day and follow along the Perpetual Brew journey from afar :)

Hope to share tea with you soon.

Perpetually yours,
Miles