I’m 40 years old today and for first time brought my mate in class, audio electronics and synthesis classes… Why? Because people that never saw mate before are disconcerted, confused, and intrigued. So we explain, we show, we share. It takes time.. but I like it.
I’m a …13-year-old regular drinker, and it started in Uruguay, in 2000! Exactly in 1999–it was the end of the year celebrations. I was visiting my grandmother, in order for my daughter (born in jan 1999) to meet her. For my first night out, giving the responsibility of the child to my granny (knowing that she will get no sleep at all for me to enjoy) I went to a public reunion organized with drums, fire, and people!
I arrived in Salinas (east coast of Uruguay), with my bicycle, to a house, with say 60 people around. It was summer, and the atmosphere was quiet and happy. After being at the house for 4 minutes, some person just walked towards me and offered me a mate! Oh! wow. That first mate out of my home circle tasted like LIFE! I knew mate by my parents. They drink it each morning and in such a perfect way that I wonder sometimes if it isn’t mate that keeps them together! They are married, in love, still, for the last 42 years, and they drink their mate in bed each morning! Probably they have turns, or whatever, they get their mate ready (brushing teeth always before! father says it’s very important not to drink mate without cleaning your night eliminations!) and they talk! Actually talk! For an hour sometimes more or less. And yeah!, it’s nice to see. And I wish it to many couples.
I will go back to the night in Salinas in the South Summer ’99! It was such a nice sensation! And that mate, I’m telling you, tasted like the perfect drink. Very quick I talked with many other people, and after an hour of being there, I was the one heating up the water and learning how to prepare this drink of the gods.
I have written already some of what I know about mate in this blog : www.cultureofmate.wordpress.com and I hope to write so much more about and keep meeting new people, share the information and the sensation, please feel free to be the one asking questions!