Please don't miss the post below this one!!

Okay. MATE. Levi, you asked what it is, so I will tell you...and show you.

Yerba Mate (pronounced yer-bah mah-tay) is a plant that grows in Argentina (and likely other places in South America) that they drink a lot of in Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Lebanon (I think, though it could be some other middle eastern country.) You can drink it in a couple different ways. first of all, you can do it the same way as coffee in a coffee maker. Or you can get it in tea bags. The second best way to do it is in a french press. And the absolute best way to drink it is the traditional way with a bombilla (bom-bee-ya). That's how i drink it. a bombilla is a metal straw with a filter on it.

You put the mate leaves (and sometimes stems) in the bottom of a cup and them put the bombilla in it then fill it with hot water and drink it through the bombilla. Then you can pass the cup around to anyone you're drinking it with because it's a very social drink.

I wouldn't suggest drinking it alone, though, 'cause you sometimes end up doing very strange things...

But here's a picture of me drinking some mate.

and here's some pictures i got off the Internet of some super pretty gourds and bombillas.

in other news, did i tell you i started a band? we're called Skittle Jam. ...you guys should check us out on Myspace and facebook. here's the links!

MySpace

FaceBook

I'm hoping those worked.

Peace and Love!!!