Here comes the rain again.

I have been drinking tea for years. The earliest memory of sipping a perfectly blended cup of english tea was in 1996. At this time, my mother would only drink Victoria Tea. She couldn't fathom the idea of drinking anything but the best. Well, the apple certainly did not fall from the tree. I grew up with the same tea principles. And with that- hosted some great tea socials. I have many pleasant memories of a crowded kitchen nook, shoulder to shoulder; pots of tea steeping as they should. Nothing beats pouring steaming hot tea from twelve inches above into a pre-milked cup. Nothing.

By 1997 tea had become institutionalized in the household. I took the lead and before we knew it- social teas consumed our weekday evenings. I do wonder sometimes, who in their right mind takes tea so seriously at the age of 17? Well, we did. My family housed two students that year and there was nothing funny about it. It was always english tea. It was always at 9 pm. And it was always good.

Drinking tea. There's more to it than just a fancy title. My favourite time of drinking tea is in the evening and preferrably during a thunder storm; the window slightly ajar and a spray of rain catching a light breeze. That is a perfect night. Nothing goes better with a perfect cup than a perfect song to capture the moment. The band: Pawnshop Diamond. The song: Merde Il Pleut. Everything about this song is good from the cafe chatter in the beginning to the sounds of an accordian- and everything in between.

I had the pleasure of watching Pawnshop Diamond peform a few days ago at the Wise Hall near Commercial Drive. As I entered the venue I quickly found lead singer, Katie and asked "Playing Merde Il Pleut?" Without hestitation she replied "absolutely." Done. I sat in my chair anticipating my favourite tune. And then it happened. The bass line hit and before we knew it we were immersed in song. In this particular set, they jazzed up the number and sped up the tempo. And I liked it. Let's not underestimate the french component too.

As of September 7th, I have returned to french classes after a two month break. As I mentioned in my introduction I do enjoy the sound of the french language. It's so classy. Even swearing in french is tasteful. Merde Il Pleut- what a song. Personally, I think there is something peaceful about the weatherman report: torrential rain. In fact, when it is a torrential rainstorm, j'aime le pluie. You can't run from the inevitable showers so why not have a good attitude about it?

Hilary Duff had the right idea. Her smash hit "Come Clean" became a chart-topper and the theme song to the successful reality television series, Laguna Beach. So what makes this song such a hit? Watch the video and find out. The only thing missing is a steeping hot cup of perfectly blended Merchies Brand Afternoon tea.

A few years ago I befriended a lovely girl who stated her likeness for songs about rain. "How about that Hilary Duff?" I inquired. And from that day on a simple text message or phone call ensued after every listen. I knew it was a great song. But I wanted it to be darker. So I took it upon myself to try and cover her song the way I felt it should be.

Unfortunately, my ability to play guitar is limited to seven chords. In layman's terms: I just don't have it. But that didn't stop me. And by 2007 I attempted to cover Hilary's song. Regrettably, I failed to capture the mood I was looking for. I needed talented musicians to take it to the dark side. Around this time I proposed the idea to a few members of Pawnshop Diamond. I asked Katie one evening after an extremely fun Christmas party. She had the biggest smile on her face and said "I'll consider it- but I will need to hear it first." Nina, the keyboardist didn't need to hear it at all, "I'm in!" she exclaimed. Who were these people? I loved it. Such a positive attitude and raw talent.

The initiative never did make it past the first stage. Perhaps one day I'll push for it. Maybe over a pot of steeped tea. Perhaps on a rainy day. Perhaps it will all come together just like the Beatles sang about so many years ago. In the meantime, I'm going to make myself a cup, listen to Merde Il Pleut and go about my evening. Et pourquoi l'enfer pas? I invite you to do the same.