Tea for You and Tea for Me
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Published: January 14th 2010
Last Saturday, Candy and I went out to dinner at a Buddhist restaurant we love. On the way back to the metro, she asked if I wanted to stop in a tea shop on the corner. She knows I'm looking for a tea set and suggested we have a look. There are 3 main types of
tea sets: the everyday one which is usually plain white or uninteresting to look at but is very delicate looking; the earthy, purple clay kind, that looks like the mug I bought last year; and the glazed and hand-painted variety that most likely cost a fortune. Upon entering the shop I noticed one of the first type, but it wasn't plain white--it had green scenic paintings on it! I tried to put it out of my mind.
We tried some tea. It was delicious. They always serve tea in tea shops in hopes that you'll fall in love with an expensive variety and buy some. Or maybe buy two kinds instead of one. Then, since the women there were bored, they performed a
&feature=related">full tea ceremony for us. It is quite different from a
Japanese tea ceremony or
Korean tea ceremony. Music from the computer tinkled in the background and
she measured, washed, smelled, brewed, poured, and sipped.
Her movements were so graceful it was like watching a ballet performed with arms. I was mesmorized. Then, after we'd enjoyed what I know had to be very expensive tea, she performed for us on a traditional Chinese instrument, a
Guzheng, or Chinese zither. She performed numerous pieces for us; Candy said they were all traditional and very famous. Check out the link to hear what it sounds like.
So there we were, 2 hours later, after a trip to the bathroom in the rain when the shop keepers held the umbrellas and we ran, and I was still thinking about the tea set. Tea sets are personal. They reflect the person serving the tea. They are on display in the home everyday where anyone can see them, not just stuffed in a corner or cupboard. While I wanted a fancy one, I didn't want to buy one that I'd be afraid to use and enjoy. I decided to go for it, especially since the price was reasonable... and Candy is a better bargainer than I am. I also got the
tools, used for measuring, pouring, and tweezers for washing and serving the tiny cups.
Here are the
links to parts
2 and
3of the last link I gave you with the word "tools." She explains the rest of the ceremony and what's happening in English. She's just not as graceful to watch as the other woman was. This one is all about the
green tea ceremony, which is different from the oolong ceremony. (There are 3 parts, but I'm only giving the first link.)
This one is a graceful tea ceremony of tea in a see-through glass--it's like the tea I had in Chengdu--I love watching the tea come to life in the water.
This last webpage has a whole plethora of videos on the types of tea, growing tea, preparing tea, and tea history. Doesn't this put American tea bags to shame?
I decided not to get a
tea pet; while cute, I saw no point. But I did get the
tea tray. Before you think, "A tray, Kris, it's a tray, what's the point?" allow me to explain. It's not just a tray. If you clicked the link, you already know that. The art of making tea requires the host to wash the pot, wash the cups, wash the leaves, pour water over the pot while its brewing,
etc. The water has to go somewhere, as this is obviously not performed in the kitchen next to the sink. The tray has slots in it for the water to drain. Some trays have a hose to a bucket below and some, like mine, have a tray you can remove. Carrie has a "coffee table" with this built in. I imagine that the hot water also just evaporates.
So for a bargain price of a little over USD 30 I walked out with a full tea set, the accessories, and the tea tray. Compared to the prices I've seen online, I made out quite well! Now to have people over so I can use it.
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