Dear Jasminda,

I’ve made a wonderful new friend and we often meet up at a cafe, but she has the most terrible habit of slurping her tea.

I inwardly cringe with every mouthful.

I’m not sure our friendship can survive this.

Miss Linda G.

Dear Linda,

There comes a time in many friendships when you wonder whether the level of toxicity being brought into your life is worth it.

I’m trying to think of some of the reasons I’ve ended friendships over the years.

One was a friend who tried to suffocate me between two beanbags.

One borrowed my car for a few months and returned it in an unrecognisable state.

One employed me for four hours a week, but then burdened me with intimate details of her personal life for at least 15 hours a week.

I worked out I was earning about $3 an hour to be her on-call psychologist.

So, in the scheme of those examples, tea slurping seems pretty minor.

There is a case for tea slurping.

It increases the aroma by making the tea vaporise.

Your friend could actually be a tea connoisseur.

In some cultures, it is also considered polite to slurp tea.

So perhaps your friend is just highly cultured.

Having said that, it is highly irritating.

A bit like those wine connoisseurs who swill their merlot around and then swish it back and forth through the gaps in their teeth like it’s mouthwash before spitting it into a spittoon.

Now that is revolting.

Perhaps you could choose a different activity to do together.

Bushwalks or yoga spring to mind.

We all have irritating habits, so maybe she’s got a similar issue with one of your vices.

Carpe diem, Jasminda.