Bladders of Steel: Yousef's Tea-drinking Competition

If you go past the Church of the Map and turn left down Carpet Alley, there is a little rug store run by a man named Yousef. Visitors are welcomed into his shop with a warm smile and a handshake, and, more often than not, offered tea.

               

                Tea at Yousef’s has, over the years, become a traditional part of several digs based in Madaba. The tea is made in steel kettles over a propane burner; water and a small cane field’s worth of sugar are added to the kettle and heated to boiling, whereupon the teabags are added, suspended by their strings for about thirty seconds, then dunked a  few more times before the tea is considered ready to serve. It is considered polite to allow the tea to cool some before drinking it.

                Out of this tradition rose another: the tea-drinking competition. Every year, before the end of the dig, archaeologists go bladder-to-bladder to see how many cups of tea they can drink in one sitting before having to pee or having to throw up. The record number this year was 40 cups (about 2L, give or take), held by a member of the Tell Madaba dig group. We were determined that one of our own would break the record. Within our group there was competition as well, Tom and Sebastien each determined to beat the other.

                After supper, about twenty or so of us met at Yousef’s. The existence of a trophy startled one participant. “There’s a trophy?”

                “What, you think this is a joke?” replied Yousef, stern and straight-faced for a moment before grinning.

Everyone had at least a few cups; those of us competing kept track with a pen, either on paper or on our hands or arms. As we drank, people—mostly the men, interestingly enough-- tried on belly-dancing outfits. (There are some very interesting pictures floating around.) As the hours and cups passed, people gradually left. As 10:00 approached, it was down to six of us. Tom and Sebastien were neck and neck; the rest of us were at least ten cups behind (I put back a respectable 30).

                It took as much room as his bladder could muster, but Tom was the first to cross the victory line. With wild eyes and a declaration of, “Caesar is victorious!” he downed the last of his 41^st cup. 

Sebastien, not to be outdone, put back a 41^st as well, prompting Tom to reach for a 42^nd. Sebastien, relentless, did the same. They quickly decided on a tie because they were both about to burst. In the end, no matter how stalwart the heart, how keen the mind, or how strong the arm, the bladder is the great equalizer.