Arrive into Wuyi mountain and our fabulous hotel is right next to an ancient Mazu Taoist temple. Here, we ask for some protection.
May our tea adventures run smoothly from here on out. My luggage is currently stuck in Guangzhou some place, but no problem, it could have been me and not the luggage? Everyday is a good day. In this whisper quiet haven at the foothills of Wuyishan, I am counting my blessings, one wisp of cloud at a time.
Note worthy clouds in Guangzhou
A rare glimpse of the sky.
A frustrating day of insane congestion and delays. A day in the life of a mainlander Chinese: expect the unexpected, nothing ever runs smoothly, efficiency is not in the dreams, and nothing ever makes any sense.
Arrival into Taipei at 5 am. Darius and I had 2 breakfasts consecutively back to back. Why not- that’s what Asians live for. Without even a hint of aggression, oppression, or even irony, this surrealistic place that speaks Mandarin, and is the last free place on earth for the Chinese, live on in its own insular fantasy of green forests, fabulous tea and fruits, and pink Hello Kitty lounges. Hopefully, China will never bother to touch this island of relative utopia. Why not- even I would sign up to live in Hello Kitty land if it means no war and oppression……
What awaits me this time, aside from the usual madness that keeps my wits honed , my reflexes sharp,and temper saintly? Well, maybe not the latter. The Chaos of Great China 偉大祖國awaits. Embarking on another great adventure in China, that is. Or How to Outsmart Great Fire Wall.
Reprinted from coffeetea.about.com from the “about food” website. Article is written by Lindsey Goodwin a tea and coffee expert currently living and studying tea in Taiwan. There’s a lot of talk about why leaf teas (such as “loose-leaf tea” and “whole-leaf tea”) are better than teabags. While some of it is true, most of it is made up of broad generalizations, like “Loose-leaf tea is always better than teabags.” Learn what differentiates teabags from leaf teas, why leaf tea is usually better than teabags and how to make the switch from teabags to loose-leaf tea. Whole-Leaf Tea vs. Teabags “Whole-leaf tea” means tea that’s primarily made up of whole, unbroken leaves. Teabags are usually made from the opposite – low tea grades, such as dust and fannings. Dust and fannings are smaller pieces of tea, so they have a larger surface area than whole leaves. A larger surface area means more opportunities for…
Every year, we take one group of tourists to Taiwan in a ‘Follow the Teabuyer Tour’. This year we will be including Wuyi Mountain as well. Professional baristas, sommeliers, Food and Beverage folks, or simply tea aficionados, join us from far and wide. We visit with and make selections of our winter oolong crop during these buying trips, and guests get to come along and experience it all first hand: the terroir, the artisans, the agriculture, the production, the culture and food. And best of all, drinking the freshly made tea at location!
Register at
http://www.teance.com/Upcoming-Events-s/335.htm