Tea conversions come in the strangest places...
In most meetings that take place in my professional life (and, like many I'm sure, meetings seem to be taking up an ever-larger portion of my time), I can be found with a gongdaobei filled with tea and a little tasting cup. I consider this normal behaviour, particularly as it aids in keeping my attention on the meeting.
Recently, I was in a meeting with a chap who (in my limited sphere, at least) was Important. As the hours drew on, our eyes were getting a bit misty from staring at graphs for too long.
"Fancy a cuppa?"
In most meetings that take place in my professional life (and, like many I'm sure, meetings seem to be taking up an ever-larger portion of my time), I can be found with a gongdaobei filled with tea and a little tasting cup. I consider this normal behaviour, particularly as it aids in keeping my attention on the meeting.
Recently, I was in a meeting with a chap who (in my limited sphere, at least) was Important. As the hours drew on, our eyes were getting a bit misty from staring at graphs for too long.
"Fancy a cuppa?"
"How about some of that special tea?"
Hmm. The tea to which Dr. Important is referring was the 1990s Tibetan Heicha, kindly donated by she-who-wishes-to-remain-nameless, MYSTERIELLA. She didn't enjoy it at all. I'm loathe to provide it to Dr. Important, lest I poison him.
"Are you sure? It's rather unusual."
"You bet."
Several gongdaobei later, it turns out that Dr. Important has developed a taste for this stuff. We spend the remainder of the meeting talking tea, where he grills me for web-sites, recommendations, details on types of tea, brewing tips.
We ran out of time to finish the actual work, but I consider it's in the name of a good cause.
So, thanks again, MYSTERIELLA!
---
Let's hear about your tea-conversions. Over to you.
Hmm. The tea to which Dr. Important is referring was the 1990s Tibetan Heicha, kindly donated by she-who-wishes-to-remain-nameless, MYSTERIELLA. She didn't enjoy it at all. I'm loathe to provide it to Dr. Important, lest I poison him.
"Are you sure? It's rather unusual."
"You bet."
Several gongdaobei later, it turns out that Dr. Important has developed a taste for this stuff. We spend the remainder of the meeting talking tea, where he grills me for web-sites, recommendations, details on types of tea, brewing tips.
We ran out of time to finish the actual work, but I consider it's in the name of a good cause.
So, thanks again, MYSTERIELLA!
---
Let's hear about your tea-conversions. Over to you.
(Also: further notes added to 2005 Yisheng "Yiwu Zhengshan" and 2006 6FTM "Yesheng Banzhang".)
9 comments:
At this point, most of my tea conversations have been with the already converted.
However, I am in the midst of planning an acupuncture and herbal medicine clinic. This clinic will hold community-building as a central value -- and playing a vital role in that goal will be the tea table. I have a sneaky subversive plan to create new gong fu cha addicts with the use of needles and tea-conversation. I'll report back later.
"Conversation" eh? That is how you got me hooked on pu'er, you devil. I hope those checks from the Chinese government are coming in handy. ;-)
Dear Dave,
It's your duty as a healer to bring people to gongfucha. Brew them!
Dear Scotto,
Heh, nice. You got me hooked on Penhaligon's, though, so we're quits!
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
My most recent tea conversation was with my sister who was visiting over the long weekend. We went over to the office for a little while and I introduced her to gungfu cha whilst my 9-yr-old nephew messed with obscure Windows settings on my work machine (another tale). I gave her the broad overview; a Wuyi Yancha, a young sheng Puer, and the YSLLC Small Bud Dian Hong that you enjoyed so much. She instantly loved it, and I had no choice but to part with more of it, leaving only a small amount for my own consumption. An excuse to buy more hong cha; there have been several tempting selections at Jing that I've had an eye on. We watched a youtube video of yixing teapot making, and now she wants to try it at the next handbuilding clay class she goes to...perhaps cha dao will infiltrate this barbarian culture and spread throughout the land....
You always have the best hongcha... that would probably convert the most hardened coffee drinker into a tea-sipping softy. :)
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
Tea sipping softy....I like that.
I used to drink espresso shots and coffee like it was my job. I had an iron stomach. I would also eat big juicy steaks and burgers.
Now, I've quit drinking coffee (just lost my taste for it) and quit eating meat (I still eat the occasional fish and sushi!).
So, yeah, tea-sipping softy right here!!!
:)
Dear Daniel,
Fear not, you can once again tormnet your iron stomach by drinking rough young shengpu. :)
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
P.s. I enjoy a good coffee, but couldn't make a habit of it. It just seems to brutal on the ol' physiology. Tea seems more "sympathetic" to the body.
茶談話
你好, 久時間沒有看見
飲料茶
謝謝
Tea Conversation
“Hi, long time no see.”
“Drink tea.”
“Thx"
john
Crikey, I managed to read 9 out of 17, somehow. :)
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