Chefs - particularly those in big cities - are known for pushing the envelope when it comes to using ingredients in ways they were never meant to be used. You just have to tune into Iron Chef - where you'll see sardine-flavored ice cream, or coffee-crusted rib eye - to see these culinary mad scientists at work creating new ways to look at food and the use of ingredients.

Social networking has made it easier for enthusiasts to unite online in praise of a common passion. For some, it may be friending a favorite band on MySpace. Others track the comings and goings (and random thoughts) of their favorite celebrities on Twitter. A fan of Jimmy Buffett? You and thousands of other Parrot-heads can share your favorite concert memories on Facebook.

You can pursue pretty much anything in college nowadays. Even tea and tea appreciation is a viable field of study in higher institutions. Colleges around the globe have started offering courses and even degrees in the art, cultivation, and marketing of tea.

In the post post-modern 21st Century, as more and more art forms and genres undergo mash ups, mixes, and various other blends and permutations – and the culinary world sees its own shake up, as various ethnic traditions collide, deconstruct, and reform in new and exciting ways – so, too, has the tradition of tea been ushered into the new millennium.

The fact that tea is an excellent source of antioxidants – along with possessing a myriad of other health benefits – has long been established and reported at length. Its properties are believed to improve liver and kidney functions, clear your digestive system, and improve your mood. That's great for your internal mechanism, but what about externally? Can tea also benefit your physical appearance?