Cha Bei -- 茶杯

A look back to see an absent friend

2011-12-31T16:45:00.001-08:00

For those that know, no captions required.

The “BEST”

2011-12-17T10:06:00.001-08:00

The old adage: “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” As we each expound the various subjective virtues of one tea over another .. It is exactly that; an individual subjective preference (or rejection) of said tea.

My two favorites are now in the land of Unobtainium (less stock on hand)…. So ..2 Days, about 10 hrs of tea tasting with a goal of finding a Pu-Erh tea. Near the end of day two (Sunday).. Mrs. Yang quietly made a pot and served it up, nothing said just filling the cups and moving on. it was love at first sip. I could not contain my excitement and declared an unsurpassed tea was being presented to us (8 folks in total) Needless to say we extended our say for a few more rounds.

Leaving the store Mrs. Yang gave me gift of the only box she had, with a promise of more to come.

Unbiased by packaging this “Non-Pressed” tea with 10 years of maturing flavor is quite simply the best tea I have had the pleasure to drink.

Hong Kong .. In and Out

2011-12-17T09:38:00.001-08:00

Time fly's when your having fun. Sunday and Monday in HK were, despite the cold temps (8-10), very pleasant, clear skies and clean air!!!!.

Lots of news on the home front .. but more on that later ….

Hong Kong–China–Singapore

2011-12-08T23:27:00.001-08:00

Changes in the tea business .. Retail sales slump .. shop closures etc .. and the rise in prices with high end products being offed … a strange mix to ponder. Lee Hong a friend of 7+ years with her “boyfriend” He studied Tea in university and now works in the retail / teaching store in DongguanSaturday about noon and I am the only customer. This store is downsized by 75% from my last visit and has some of the highest price teas (Pu-erh Only) I’ve see. also a collection of very expensive Tea Pots.Some high price pots, prices are a function of being attributed to a master craftsman. (if you trust the printed cards) These two are 25,000 RMB eachThis one is “only” 13,500 RMBThis Pu-Erh cake not only comes in a very ornate box with lock, It has a zippered jacket, all for: 6,800RMB

Tea Room Art – Hokusai

2011-11-22T10:34:00.001-08:00

Two new additions to my tea room. Very reminiscent of Hohusai’s Tsunami (1760–1849) Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, provides inspiration to many.

Archeology 101 and beyond

2011-11-04T09:16:00.001-07:00

Re-Embanking on a previously abandoned dig of my youth … The Large Samoan construction mafia occupy my side-yard .. Archeology, the precursor to an anticipated construction project.Having dug for the day, they live to dig another day .. hopefully they will manage to lay as well as dig.

Tangible progress, as day fades to night. Plans for more concrete progress ensue.Perfect Progress .. Thursday afternoon .. the finishers are finished

“THERE are fairies at the bottom of our garden!

It's not so very, very far away;

You pass the gardener's shed and you just keep straight ahead” – more accurately the site of our future gardener’s shed.

Now my Thanksgiving holiday plans are “set” .. off to the lumber yard. Time to erect a Folly

For those in inclement Northern Latitudes

2011-11-01T08:08:00.001-07:00

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -
November! ~ Thomas Hood

Robbie heading home:

2011-10-24T07:11:00.001-07:00

Parting Shot

Underwater, in more ways than one

2011-10-17T08:03:00.001-07:00

Pygmy Seahorse, Robbie continues her SCUBA safari.

From my friend Rick in Thailand:
“Here in Chiang Mai there was some flooding around the town but I didn't have any trouble right at my house... (good thing) But it made travel to work adventurous a couple of days and one day I left early from work just to be sure I could get home. I live on the west side of a river that runs North and South through town and where I work is on the east side of the river. A couple of the major ways across the river were flooded and not passable for a couple of days but I was able to take alternate ways which unfortunately everyone else had to do the same so traffic, which is always pretty congested due to Thailand's poor infrastructure was even worse for those days. But all that happened a little over a few weeks ago and since then there hasn't been much rain in our part of the country. But around Bangkok and a few other Providences it's a different story as this has been some of the worst in recent history. “

“I just received these pics this morning. They are from the High Tech Industrial Park just north of BKK where I used to travel to Pemstar. These buildings shown are Hana Microelectronics, the CM my company uses today..... I'm at the Chiang Mai facility but they have a couple in and near the BKK area.”

Stuff and more Stuff

2011-10-12T07:31:00.001-07:00

Robbie is now in Anilao .. couple more weeks and she will head home.

I’ve managed to add another notch on my hammer .. The “Oak and Birch” is officially open or closed for business.

A full restoration is well underway on the 106 year old Sewing machine case work. As a centenarian, time and usage have left their mark. Disassembly to component parts, some judicial cleaning and repairs, should see us good for another hundred years.

Old fasteners: . back in the day when “slotted” screw heads were the only offering.Finishing this drawer, draws the the finish nearer

Stuff …

2011-10-06T07:07:00.001-07:00

Scientists are nibbling at our foundations, can we achieve speed in excess of: 299,792,458 m/s. I would say that its relatively easy, what is not, is to travel faster than an ever evolving list of “Things To Do”

Andrew stopped by for a few hours on Saturday. In town for a wedding (not his) then back to Texas on Monday .. major score for me .. Pair of Oakley Livestrong Jawbones .

Robbie is off globe hopping .. LA to Manila to Singapore to Jakarta to Manila to Anilao to Manila to LA .. About a month of SCUBA .. some pics:…..

Let’s see if the upcoming long weekend can make a dent in that list of projects. If you resonate to these terms you know the plan ahead: Threshold, Jamb, Head Jamb, Stop, Hanging and Casing.

A stitch in time saves nine.

2011-09-21T07:22:00.001-07:00

Three FedEx packages, 46.6kg. What could it be?
Clue #1: Least said soonest mended.
Clue #2: It’s the Singer not the song.
Clue #3: A Greek Tragedy, Euripides Eumendides
Friday Sept. 23rd. Update:……..
All is now revealed … What is behind Door #3 …..
An 1899 Model 27 K / 28 K, cordless, wireless, HPTSM

Human Powered Treadle Sewing Machine. Manufactured by: Singer Manufacturing Company, between 1899 and 1913.The ultimate in “Going Green” and getting Off the Grid.

Life’s a Birch

2011-09-18T13:55:00.001-07:00

Red Birch, “heartwood” of the Yellow Birch tree. A visually pleasing hard wood, a little tricky to work, but with sharp tools and patience you can win the day. (patience is not my long suit) Surface finishing is the tedious part, but that’s a few days away.

A new load of lumber, filled with promise: You just cannot have enough clamps. (hint for Christmas booty) Many hands make light work, thx Sean. My favorite part of the project .. letting the glue dry .. Oh and look, its 5 past Tea-Time

Labour Day–A day to “putter”

2011-09-05T20:14:00.001-07:00

First Monday in Sept. here in the colonies is when we celebrate and remember to party with friends and relatives … So while we head off to enjoy .. back at the ranch, I leave some Oak in a tight place. Nice 3-Day weekend.

A week later sees this one Plumb Hung .. updated 9/11/11

The Door Saga Perpetuates

2011-09-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

Doors in a house seem to reproduce like rabbits. These three can only bring the finish line closer.

China Buys tea from Taiwan

2011-09-04T13:37:00.003-07:00

Taiwan highland tea breaks into Chinese market
2011/08/31 20:44:26

Taichung, Aug. 31 (CNA) An order for 2,326.8 kilograms of Taiwan highland tea was shipped to retailers in Jiangsu Province in China on Wednesday, marking the largest sale to China for Li Shan tea farmers.
The order was placed in mid-August when Taichung City officials visited Changzhou City in Jiangsu Province, one of the major tea consumption areas in China, according to the Taichung City Agriculture Bureau.
The bureau said Chinese people are quite taken with Taiwan's highland tea, especially the fragrant variety from Li Shan in central Taiwan that has a nice finish because of the high altitude.
After having tasting Taiwan's highland tea, Chinese retailers in Jiangsu placed an order for NT$11 million (US$379,250) worth of tea and requested that it be delivered as soon as possible, the bureau said.
Tea trees have better soil and water conservation attributes than fruit trees, therefore, if the sale to China is a success, the bureau will start assisting fruit farmers in the Li Shan area to switch to tea, said Tsai Ching-chiang, Chief of Agriculture Bureau for Taichung

COMEBUY teashops

2011-09-04T13:37:00.001-07:00

Comebuy teashops enter Europe

Taipei Times Story: Staff Writer, with CNA (pictures from web)

People in Germany are now able to have a sip of authentic Taiwanese tea and enjoy its famed bubble milk tea, a local teashop chain said yesterday.

With a stated goal of becoming “the Eastern Starbucks,” the Taipei-based Comebuy teashop chain has almost achieved its aim of extending its reach to six countries outside Taiwan, with outlets in China, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in addition to the imminent Berlin opening, and with plans for a Japanese presence approaching the final stages.

The grand opening of its first German store in Berlin on Sunday last week made it the first Taiwanese teashop chain to set up in Europe. “We’d like to introduce good Taiwanese tea to our foreign friends,” said Sam Lin, executive director of Comebuy International Co (長沅國際實業). http://comebuy2002.com/

Many similar local businesses have expressed interest in the European market, but so far only Comebuy has set up a store after meeting strict EU standards, he said.

Besides strengthening training and tightening quality control, Lin said his company had to rebuild its “tea espresso machine,” which cost NT$120,000 (US$4,134), to allow it to get the “Conformite Europende” mark. As is the case with other overseas shops, there will also be subtle changes to the flavors and packaging of many of its products to suit German consumers.

“For our Berlin store, we’ll have products specially flavored with yogurt,” Lin said.

Established in 2001, Comebuy opened its first teashop in Taiwan in 2002, but has since switched its business focus to overseas markets. Besides setting up in Germany’s largest city, the teashop chain is planning to gain footholds in the UK, France and the Czech Republic, Lin said. “In fact, India is also one of our extension options,” Lin added.

Comebuy currently has 92 stores in Taiwan and 59 outlets overseas.

Kids Pool Party

2011-08-28T15:21:00.001-07:00

With the thermometer about to burst .. Pool Party Time: Big kids .. little Kids

I Saw Yew

2011-08-26T11:37:00.001-07:00

Home projects update:

Apothecary Dispensary, in the Craftsman style

A portal to Harry Potter’s former residence:

Two down, two to-do.

“Incomplete” by “Weekend Warrior”Fast forward a few days:…

♫ “It’s your Birthday” ♫

2011-08-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Michele serves up Sean’s, Ice-Cream, B-Day cake. (surprise party at work)Dr. Guo and Khoa have fun with Sean.”Let them eat cake” 'Qu'ils mangent de la brioche', 讓他們吃蛋糕

Where in World is MacWaldo?

2011-08-07T17:19:00.001-07:00

Heather and Robbie, having a great time SCUBA diving off Kaua’i.. Typical paradise weather.

Andrew has relocated to; Texas, Fort Worth, only 107F in old money, 41.6C probably only 95% humidity.

Cameron is back from a couple yeas in Washington State, so along with Sean & Trevor we are puddling around in the low – mid 80’s today .. 28C in So. Cal.

Great weather, Camaraderie; Friday BBQ

2011-08-06T08:19:00.001-07:00

Bring out the toys and enjoy:Toys on Parade: Brian and Mike head the line-up The ever conservative Mr. Takanabe with one of his many toys:

Ghamnip, Persimmon Tea

2011-08-06T08:13:00.001-07:00

Robert returns (3 weeks in Vietnam, 1 week Korea) bearing gifts, Persimmon Tea from Korea. If the nature of the packaging is a testament to the treasures within ! As you can see it took some persuading to have this vault give up its booty..

The Korean name is: ghamnip cha (감잎차). As an Infused Beverage (as opposed to a Tea) “Persimmon Tea” unfortunately will not make my list, just too many alternatives. Looks like Robert will be able to enjoy this for a few additional days.

In the Land of Oz

2011-07-30T13:19:00.001-07:00

Matt’s on annual leave. How else would a bloke from the land down under celebrate a birthday .. Strap a hairy bloke to his back and Jump out of a plane: … Nice one Matt.

“Whitsundays in the Great Barrier Reef and I jumped from 14,000 ft – it began with a one minute, or 9,000 ft, free fall. Absolutely unreal!!”

Robbie Under the Pacific

2011-07-24T11:03:00.001-07:00

Robbie safe and sound in Kauai with Heather.

A few pictures form her first dive: between Kauai and Niihau

Sunday, just another day in paradise.

2011-07-24T10:48:00.001-07:00

Busy week .. this post was Last Sunday (17th) .. Oh well "C'est la vie",

Swells intensify, breaking for thrill seekers that wait .. cold and wet.Capitola’s old pier beckons all.The cat sits on its ocean mat.Those who fish for fish.

A game of; Paper-Scissors-Rock, Weather beats Tree..

Living on the edge, so to speak.

As peaceful as it gets, Half Moon Bay to the north.Half Moon Bay from atop the southern cliffs.

Same day different venue:

Lance Armstrong Leads ‘Tour de Dornach’ In Scotland

SEVERAL HUNDRED cyclists joined seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, 39, on a bike ride in the North of Scotland Sunday night.

He had issued an invitation on Twitter for people to join him on the 30-mile route.

His Twitter message read: “Alright Scotland – it’s on. Twitter ride! Meet 5pm tomorrow (Sunday) in Dornach at The Eagle Pub. 30 mile loop.”

PCH and a Shabby “City”

2011-07-16T15:12:00.001-07:00

Driving PCH north from Santa Cruz offers the constant of a changing Pacific and a mixed bag of adjacent land usages. Market Gardeners and Farmers ply their trades.

Flatter than Kansas, this “Big Wave” mecca sits undisturbed. Enjoy the trip up the coast

Oh and San Francisco; RUINED by a plague of politicians, a rather shabby shadow of its former self.

“It’s Déjà vu all over again..”

2011-07-16T14:52:00.001-07:00

"It's déjà vu all over again". Yogi Berra explained that this quote originated when he witnessed Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris repeatedly hit back-to-back home runs in the Yankees' seasons in the early 1960s

I find this quote quite poignant, another sojourn to the bay area and Robbie off for a month in Hawaii. After my Bay Area trip its back to China (mainland).

On to the time at hand, a weekend looms and coastal vistas beckon.

So far; a mild summer (euphemism for overcast skies). The “City” aka San Francisco is infamous for inclement summer weather.

Saturday plans include a circumnavigation of the SF peninsula:

Motoring along PCH, coast highway 1, from; Santa Cruz, via Half Moon Bay, into the City.

2007 Meng Ku; Sheng Pu

2011-07-09T11:17:00.001-07:00

Continuing life on the road, I dig through my acquired booty, looking to augment my domestic travel supplies and top off my office cache. That accomplished, I’m ready for the off, on Thursday next and I metaphorically trip over this Sheng-Pu

Not being a big fan of young Raw / Sheng Pu-erh, Mrs.Yang put this gift in amongst a purchase of my normal fair. Reporting to be a: 2007, Spring Tips, Raw Pu-erh Tea. A 400 grams Cake, comprising of; “Early Spring Leaves” This was picked up in early 2008, just before Chinese New Year, Link to relevant posting

Being stored in So. Cal, I foresee a long aging process ahead.

Wrapper Aesthetics: This outer label presents too much, methinks. The modern “Inner-Ticket”, printed on glossy paper that separates easily from the pressed leaves. I lean to the older / cheep paper that, in part, ends up in the soup.Over the years we see many variants of Inner Tickets: Nèi fēi (内飞): Small ticket or a Nèi piào (内票): Larger ticket .. many now include a full on Flyer as part of the inner propaganda.

Now its time for: 亮女，我饭票 liang nu, wu fan piao (short form of: Pretty Girl,a local euphemism for waitress, my lunch receipt / ticket)

Asia Bail Out: … Hello Monterey (nice trade)

2011-06-26T13:46:00.001-07:00

Having printed my boarding pass and about to board 883 to Hong Kong, when I had to abort, revamp / re-schedule basically rearrange the ripple effect.

Matt and Jenny Lee (Singapore based) are now in the US.

I made a return trip to Santa Clara via a long weekend in Monterey. Robbie made this trip with me. After 4 weeks diving in tropical waters she dove the COLD waters of No. Cal .. Extremely Beautiful but Cooooold water off Monterey and Carmel.. That’s why they invented Dry-Suits.

Sunday, Second day of diving. 7:30am the boat docks.Robbie, first to sign-in.Famous for its rugged coast line, Monterey Bay, Central Californian Coast Line The GREAT Coastal Rock Decorator:An old Lighthouse stands a lonely vigil, sending its piercing, but silent light.A fallen guardian, coastal life is hard.Modern adventurers, looking and hoping …Spending more time in SC, I managed to organize my temporary Howff Good thing about this area, no shortage of VERY good Chinese food …

Life on the Modern Tea Road

2011-05-29T10:02:00.001-07:00

Time on the road is a constant fact of life .. past couple of weeks have seen me setting up temporary digs (sequestering spare offices). This week I am with a sister division, next week it will be at a minimum of 3 locations in the far-east.

Typical of life on the; “ Modern Tea Road”

Also: Robbie is on a SCUBA Photo Safari to the Philippines Nice work if you can get it

Mundane Monday:… 平凡的星期一

2011-04-04T16:40:00.001-07:00

Much has transpired over the past few months at home and abroad (Singapore / mainland China) I was set to be in Northern China at this time .. but, “The best-laid schemes o’mice an’ men gang aft agley”

So, this fine Monday, I re-commission my office into a “temporary WAR room”, moving the tea-table to free up space .. a little less than optimal, but serviceable.This optical table (aka my conf. table) could well be an: “Industrial Chic” Tea Table (if I can find some spare time)

Oxford FAIL to repeat 2010’s 2nd place

2011-03-28T10:11:00.001-07:00

Cambridge, unchallenged pick off 2nd place with ease, at the 157th Boat Race.Wellingtons await Oxford and Cambridge.

Oxford, seem delighted to cross the finish line ahead of Cambridge. (web agency pictures)

Tea Table (Cha Ji) Prototype, Rev B

2011-02-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

I’ve made a couple changes to my prototype tea table. Here is the updated table, fully commissioned. All in all I’m pleased with: size design and function.Hardware: Main Drain Outlet .. I changed from the “External Barb” fitting to a “Plastic Push Clamp” design. Various reasons prompted this change. Size was the key factor along with volume of tea/water overflow. .. Based on building this prototype, lessons learned will be implemented on the next generation, using some well figured exotics.

Inspiration is all around

2011-01-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

The S’pore Grand Hyatt Executive club has an interesting set of architectural free standing wood sculptures. … A little out of scale for a home but they do stir the creative juices. All created from a single tree and cut from solid sections

Deep breathing in the Philippines

2011-01-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

The rest of the week is filled with meetings and interviews. Singapore; its never ending construction and re-construction projects, making, despite the changes, a never changing landscape of construction cranes (national bird-local joke) and road-works. Over the past 25 years that I’ve been doing business here. The place still generates fast a pace business excitement and maintains growth in almost every sector.

Robbie continues her adventures in the Philippines (in GREEN)

Tranquil scenes from Robbie's underwater oasis:

“Now is the winter of our discontent”

2011-01-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

“Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this sun of York” Shakespeare, Richard III

Discontent being “COLD in China” and Substitute “Singapore” for York and you have a start to January. On the 4th. Robbie setoff to the Philippines for a 3 week SCUBA safari. Jan 5th has me on a China / Singapore trip.

Landing in HK on Friday (7th) morning and bee-lining to Dongguan the energy sapping stick to your bones cold diluted any fun to be had shopping for tea. Saturday my Taiwanese friend Tim came over for dinner. This gave us a chance to catch up since his Oct. trip to the US was cancelled. Sitting in a restaurant where everyone is eating, still clad with their winter apparel, another winter joy in DaLang

Factories will start losing workers this coming weekend and will not restart until Feb 9th. From a 3 Day CNY shut-down to about a 3 week vacation … times have changed. The dynamic growth in consumer spending is mindboggling .. Prices for a typical winters coat in most retail shops are in the 500-700 RMB range unheard of a couple of years ago. (close to months wages for a factory worker)

In Wuxi we encountered a different cold ..An Icy, 5 below, cold that cuts through, coupled with the driest air .. No fun! I don’t have the ambition to take photos for this post .. the Great Fire-Wall of China persists and that takes the fun out of blogging.

Friday 1/14/11…. Singapore: equatorial equilibrium, much to be said for this .. arrived about 9:00pm finally thawed out by Saturday morning.

A few underwater shots from Robbie:

1-1-11 and Closing out the year

2011-01-01T13:52:00.001-08:00

Saturday 6:00 am and a moon sliver lights the trail, a perfect morning for a run. After a 50-50 mix of Pu-Erh and “Old TGY” time to “finish” a tea-tray. I had to set up a small heat tent, the ambient temp was just too low for applying finish.Working a treat, the heat tent helped finish this small, but rewarding project. All set for an inaugural brew.

Friday, 12/31/10, Sub-Zero last night gave us some windscreen frost .. Robbie & I head south to San Clemente for breakfast. The morning yielded a bright sunny day with no wind .. about mid 50”s (F) perfect to squeeze in a project that will straddle 2010 and 2011.

A new Tea Table (茶几 Cha Ji) for my office. This size will be better suited to cohabitation with various other office/desk sundries. I’m looking for; simplicity of design that is easy to make, without complex set-ups to produce a sloped surface that drains and directs water to the overflow well.

Christmas Eve and Boxing Day…. Stuff

2010-12-31T13:32:00.001-08:00

Finishing up projects and a Sunday run. Friday, our first nice dry day, in the midst of a spate of winter tropical storms. In final clamp up, the last project of 2010. Saturday, Xmas Day, two of the boys helped me fit the mirror and the final install. I’ll have to wait ‘till Monday to get the door glass, and Robert is your fathers brother.

Installed and in use ….

Boxing Day, Sunday morning, I dropped the truck off for a year-end service .. I ran back home via the Aliso Creek Trail, lo and behold “没有路” No Road !!! Flash Foods ripped out the culverts and took out the small bridge and part of the trail access road. This thin sliver managed to hold my weight, I crossed it in 3.75 milli sec. (Don’t look back, don’t look back !!!! )

A Commercial Enterprise

2010-12-26T13:55:00.001-08:00

This story from the China Daily: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/video/2010-12/21/content_11732309.htm

This video story is well worth a view .. below is the text and some related pictures:

Time-honored teahouse a master of jasmine heritage

By Wang Wen (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-09 08:01

A tea steward pours a cup of jasmine tea into a patterned porcelain cup, both of which are considered icons of Beijing's tea culture.

While regular green tea is preferred in springtime, often the jasmine scent is added in for summer. With a range of flavors produced by differing green tea bases and proportions of jasmine, only veteran tea drinkers can tell the finer subtleties of the popular beverage.

Wuyutai, famous for its jasmine tea, is a Beijing brand with a history dating back to 1887 that can do just that. More than just sell the stuff, Wuyutai is in the middle of an application to make jasmine tea part of the city's intangible cultural heritage. The history of the teahouse is encapsulated in its name. Wu Xiqing, its founder, came from Anhui province to open a tea store in Beijing in late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Wu named the shop Yutai, which was later updated to include his family name.

Wuyutai is most famous for its secret jasmine tea recipe - a sought-after proportion of green tea and jasmine that rings the right note for tea lovers. According to tradition, the recipe is passed down to the male members of the family - until now. The current descendent and manager is Sun Danwei, a woman with a nose for tea.

The growth of Wuyutai has been rapid. Despite the long history, its current brand name was only registered in 1997. Over the last 23 years it has blossomed, with 180 stores now functioning in Beijing. "We produce hundreds of kinds of jasmine tea," said Chen Xi, a representative for Wuyutai. "More than 45 percent of sales in our stores are from jasmine tea."

The company also released nine jasmine teas for the Shanghai Expo in 2010. Chen added that they are focusing on diversifying their products, with creations such as tea food, tea ice cream and tea candies. "Tea candy, with green tea and jasmine tea flavors, will be our main product next year," Chen said.

Wuyutai is a name known to almost every tea lover in Beijing. First established in 1887, Wuyutai enjoys fame as one of the Time-Honored Brands of China, and is well-known for its high-quality tea products and hospitable service.

The history of the teahouse is encapsulated in its name. Wu Xiqing, its founder, came from Anhui province to open a tea store in Beijing during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Wu named the shop Yutai, which was later updated to include his family name. Wuyutai is most famous for its secret jasmine tea recipe - a sought-after mixture of green tea and jasmine that rings the right note for tea lovers. And it is in the process of applying to make jasmine tea part of Beijing's intangible cultural heritage.

After over a century's development, Wuyutai Tea House, which was renamed Beijing Wuyutai Tea Co in 2005, has more than 190 chain stores, two tea houses and two stylish tea cuisine restaurants. For over 120 years, Wuyutai has been holding up its traditional tea producing methods and has won high reputation and credibility among generations of tea lovers. People in Beijing like to go to tea houses. In olden days, they used to be the center of social activity. Nowadays, tea houses are still considered an ideal venue for socializing. The preparation of tea is an important part of the Chinese tea culture. Different kinds of tea require different methods of preparation. Offering tea is considered a sign of respect, courtesy and gratitude.

Along with Wuyutai's renowned traditional tea products, the company has developed various new products to expand its market share; namely, tea-flavored moon cakes, ice cream, candy and cuisines. At the end of 2006, Wuyutai recovered an old tea cuisine recipe that belonged to Wu Xiqing, who was also a gourmet cook and was keen on introducing tea elements to traditional Chinese cuisines. At the Refreshments and Cuisine of Wuyutai Court (Wuyutai Nei Fu Dishes), you can not only enjoy tea beverages, but also taste tea-related cuisines. Wuyutai advocates a healthy and natural way of eating. The dishes on its menu are mouthwatering and creative.

For instance, Puer Tea with Natural Fried Chrysanthemum is cooked so delicately from fresh chrysanthemum flowers without losing the natural shape or color of the flower. And the Puer tea on the side neutralizes the flower's coolness with its warmth. Fresh Shrimps with Biluo Tea is quite fun to eat. The teapot alongside the shrimp is an automatic dark-red enamel pot, which pours tea automatically as soon as a cup is placed on the base.

And the "brushes" on this pallet are not made for Chinese calligraphy but for your stomach. This snack is made of wheat flour mixed with cubilose, shark's fin, snow clam and papaya. The ink-like stuff on the inkstone is actually blueberry sauce. You can also choose chili sauce if you prefer. And one appetizer is made from French goose liver and green tea pudding. There's a piece of Kuding tea leaf on each cube of pudding. The appetizer combines the bitterness of Kuding tea with the scent of green tea, as well as the creamy texture of goose liver.

Eating at the Wuyutai theme restaurant is more than just a tea banquet. While you are dinning here, you can also feel the traditional Chinese tea culture and see how it was rejuvenated under Wuyutai's business philosophy.

Sinking your teeth into a tea banquet

A table full of tea-related products, such as edible deep-fried chrysanthemums. [Photo/China Daily]

According to Chinese tea culture, different kinds of tea have different characteristics that complement different flavors.

For example, Puer Tea with Natural Fried Chrysanthemum, one of the signature dishes at The Refreshments and Cuisine of Wuyutai Court, which offers more than 100 dishes relating to tea. The dish is simply carefully fried chrysanthemum flowers, which while it may sound easy is actually not that simple - it is a difficult technique to keep the flower perfectly in shape.

"The cook needs to pour hot oil on the flowers very quickly and the flowers also need to be dipped into some egg white," said Tang Haiyan, deputy manager of Wuyutai Court. Because the hot oil is only poured onto the chrysanthemum flower and the stamen and pistil does not touch any oil, they remain tender and fresh and the fragrance of the chrysanthemum is retained along with the flower's refreshing coolness.

Above: The exterior of Wuyutai Court, in Dongzhimen, which is also the former residence of founder Wu Xiqing.

Below: The restaurant's dining rooms are extremely traditional in design.

The same principle applies to Fresh Shrimps with Biluo Tea, although the teapot for Biluo Tea is probably even more special than the dish itself. It is an automatic dark-red enamel pot, which can pour tea automatically as soon as a cup is put on the base of the teapot. However, the tea at Wuyutai Court is not only for drinking, it's also for eating. To make the appetizer French Goose Liver with Kuding Tea, the cook puts a piece of broadleaf holly leaf, which is known as Kuding Tea in China, on a piece of French goose liver with green tea pudding.

The appetizer combines the bitterness of Kuding Tea with the scent of green tea, as well as the creamy texture of goose liver. After the main course, the restaurant offers the day's dessert - a Chinese brush. No joke.

The four treasures of the Chinese calligraphy - brush, ink, paper and inkstone - are offered in a pallet, but the essence is the brush. The "brush" is made of wheat flour mixed with cubilose, shark's fin, snow clam and pawpaw. The wheat flour is arranged artistically into a real brush pot and a Chinese traditional cooking technique named paisu is used to give the material more layers and a crispy texture. The ink in the inkstone is actually blueberry sauce which gives the brush sweet and sour taste. You can choose chili sauce if you prefer.

Although tea is not in all the dishes, the restaurant, which advocates a healthy and natural way of life, only uses green tea seed oil in its kitchen. Most of the dishes cannot be found outside the court, simply because their techniques were kept secret by Wu Xiqing - who founded Wuyutai more than a century ago. In fact, Wu's compiled recipes were only discovered from a wall in the Wuyutai Beixinqiao head office, which used to be Wu's house, in late 2006.

Wuyutai Court, which used to be Wu's residence, are located in Dongzhimen. The compound is a three-floor building with three courtyards, which can accommodate 220 guests at one time. The first floor serves as the reception area and the first floor is the main hall of the restaurant. There is a platform named Mingxi Park on the first floor where folk artists perform between 7 pm and 9 pm every Monday to Saturday. The average cost in this area is on the high side, about 150 yuan a head.

Ten private dinning rooms are located on the second floor, featuring architectural elements from Anhui province, Wu's hometown. Each room is decorated with gray bricks, Chinese-style antiquated furniture and carved doors. The lotus pool and birdcage on the second floor add vitality. The third floor is the compound's back yard, where high-level cadres and celebrities used to dine in the past. Now, the third floor remains exclusive as there are only five private dining rooms, which are open to members only, who can enjoy tea banquet menus tailor-made for them. The average cost is around 500 yuan per person.

Wuyutai is one of Beijing's most respected time-honored businesses. It opened its first theme restaurant in Dongzhimen on Aug 8, 2008 to coincide with the opening with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Their second restaurant was launched on Sept 9, 2009 in the Jinbao Place on Jinbao Street. Although the second restaurant is in a shopping mall, it still follows the three-yard format and is divided into the same three areas with the Dongzhimen compound.

When friends visit from China

2010-12-26T13:50:00.001-08:00

When you have collogues from China in town .. what do you do on weekends .. It is Southern California after all. How about a nature walk ? Ok lets summit Mount Baldy:

Eagle (in RED), is from WuXi so this does not even register on his Cold-O-Meter Summit of Mt. BaldyFrank “Taiwan never gets this cold” Jeff checks the holding capacity of an Ice Axe, as Ice Pillars form on tress at the limit of the tree line.

Bigger can be “Better”

2010-12-19T13:43:00.001-08:00

Heather brought home the “Ideal Dad Gift” Disguised in its “Camouflage” bag what could this wondrous gift be?

I am partial to a spot of High Tea, albeit I’m a Scott I prefer the “Sassenach” rendition of said repast. And Heather is a Baker held in high esteem, Cookies: .. White Chocolate, Coconut flakes, Macadamia Nuts .. heaven. No. Plates laden with treats would not fit in this small bag .. What could it be:

It’s big, a Plus, It’s Yellow .. so far so good:…. But First .. another weekend project Done :.. small vanity and storage Looks like a 32.780mm shot gun shell … If they made such a beast

“and a cartridge in a bare tree” (with update)

2010-12-02T18:21:00.001-08:00

An apercu of this years fun projects:

A) build and install 29 now 31 cabinet doors

B) build and install 21 cabinet drawers

C) build and install 6 full size doors

D) 4 stools

E) 1 new tea table

F) 1 new drafting table

G) 1 mirror frame

H) 1 new cabinet

I) 2 new shelves

“¯and a cartridge in a bare tree¯”

Out of Singapore into Hong Kong, home is nearing

2010-11-12T16:59:00.001-08:00

This sojourn winds down .. Not Hong Kong’s best view of sunset .. but its mine for Friday night. Kowloon looking on to HK Island. A very hectic schedule is winding down. Multiple cities in Mainland, Hong Kong, a couple of times, Singapore, now from HK the last leg. Saturday its CX 884 to LAX and a short drive home. Sean had to extend his visit to Holland and Germany, returning home late Sunday evening. His visit was a resounding success and as a result I think this will be a first of many.

I hope be in the US thu the end of the year.

Stieg “The Girl who kicked the Hornet’s Nest”

2010-11-09T00:19:00.001-08:00

Development and Bright Lights

2010-11-09T00:12:00.001-08:00

Song Shan Lake continues to expand the developed infrastructure .. I’ll be interested to see what events are staged at this venue in the making. I’m sure this is an attempt to conserve energy. An eight story electronic billboard.

Selling RED as BLACK at 5 times the price

2010-11-09T00:00:00.001-08:00

Mrs. Yang sports a new top: and that’s not all .. “COPY TEA” with First rate connections in Yunnan and the family tea plantations in Fujian .. why carry this “Misrepresented tea: ……Packaged and sold as: “ Premium Black Ceylon Tea” The demand from western customers in this region of Dongguan ( a lot of Ex-Pats) have promoted carrying and selling these “High Priced” teas. Fortunately the tea its self is decent Chinese “RED” tea and tastes Ok. Packaged as such they sell for about 5 times that if sold as “Hong Cha” vs. “Yindi Hei Cha” 75-100gms sells for 250 - 350RMB !!! …… Again the “Copy merchants” propensity to misspelling is our first clue.

This one is just crazy ..Ceylon Mango Tea in Tea Bags !!!!

Two for Two Done ! ……. With Update and scope creep

2010-09-18T11:53:00.001-07:00

Number 3 managed to get hung .. so 3 done and as plans change the qty of doors on the list grew ….. along with a complete bathroom retro-fit …

Doors or no Doors .. Back on the Bus to: China and points east / UPDATE

2010-09-16T18:16:00.001-07:00

UPDATE .. plans are made to be changed .. Now Singapore is back on the agenda … so its mid-November before I get back.

Business demands care not a jot for ones personal desires .. I’m on a mission to close the door on my door making project.

I’ve barely unpacked from my last trip .. and now have another in the hopper. … I’ll be going deeper into the “hinterland” of China on this trip, so much of interest awaits. Singapore had to be dropped off this itinerary, but will plan an early December trip.

Leaving the well trodden paths of the coastal metropolises, we search along the least traveled path. Long story short: much of China’s growth is fueled by the formidable prowess of: Guangdong province, Shanghai with its sprawling conurbation and their ilk. Seeking differentiation one must explore or wallow and stagnate in the over played “Shopping Basket” of how much of the west sees China. Not that I’m abandoning these high yield regions .. but one must lead or the view never changes.

During a prior trip into Hunan, if you; grow it, catch it, raise it or trade for it .. then you get to eat it.This family grows vegetables for sale in a local market, returning home with bags of rice.

Tea Business story: Taipei Times

2010-09-13T18:29:00.001-07:00

Tea farmers dismiss tariff cuts

TEA TEASE: Although tea farmers are not interested in the tariff cuts, they are worried about poor quality tea from overseas being marketed as Alishan tea
STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
Monday, Sep 13, 2010, Page 12

Workers pick tea leaves in Mingjian Township, Nantou County on Tuesday. A cross-strait trade pact that took effect yesterday and will bring tariff cuts next year has not cheered Taiwanese tea farmers, who are more concerned about the rising imports from China of pesticide-contaminated tea.
PHOTO: HSIEH CHIEH-YU, TAIPEI TIMES

A Taiwan-China trade pact that took effect yesterday and will pave the way for tariff cuts from next year has not cheered Taiwanese tea farmers, who are more concerned about rising imports of pesticide-contaminated tea from China into Taiwan.
Although China is Taiwan’s largest tea export market, Lin Yu-ping, one of Taiwan’s many small tea farmers, believes it is unlikely that local farmers will be able to sell their premium products in China.
“Taiwan does not produce quality tea in large amounts and cannot even meet local demand,” she told the Central News Agency in a telephone interview on Saturday.
Yeh Hsin-zhong, a tea farmer on Alishan (阿里山), one of the country’s noted tea production areas, also made similar remarks.
“There is limited production of Alishan tea due to a lack of available land. How can we export to China when we can barely satisfy local demand?” he asked.
Their remarks came just before the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed between Taiwan and China in late June formally came into force.
The landmark trade pact between Taipei and Beijing will kick off a first round of tariff reductions or eliminations on hundreds of items between the two countries from Jan. 1 next year.
Under the trade agreement, a 15 percent tariff on Taiwanese tea exports to China will be reduced to zero step-by-step in the next three years.
The Taiwan Tea Exporters Association (臺灣區茶輸出業同業公會) has predicted a 30 percent growth in the volume of Taiwanese tea exports to China due to the ECFA.
Taiwan exported 2,375 tonnes of tea last year, which accounted for only 14 percent of total production.
The association’s president, Yvonne Kao (高毅芳), attributed Taiwanese people’s strong demand for local tea to the low export volume.
China is Taiwan’s largest tea export market, with 791 tonnes recorded last year — 33.3 percent of the total exports — followed by the US and Japan, official figures show.
The upcoming tariff cuts, however, do not appeal much to tea farmers like Yeh, who said that local tea is already in hot demand in China.
Yeh expressed concern over the growing amount of lower quality tea from China and Vietnam being fraudulently marketed in China as Alishan tea.
“This problem is becoming serious. Sometimes, there are even complaints from Chinese tourists about buying fake Alishan tea,” he said.
The fake tea problem prompted sales in Mingjian Township (名間) in Nantou County to plunge late last year when tea products from the township sold by the National Palace Museum were reported to contain pesticide residue.
To counter the problem, Wang Chao-kun (王招坤), chairman of the Alishan Tea Production Cooperative (阿里山茶葉生產合作社), urged the government to impose clear labeling on the origin of foreign tea imports.
Another problem facing Taiwanese tea farmers is their peers, who exported high-end tea-cultivation expertise to China years ago.
“These Taiwanese businessmen took tea seedlings, technology, machinery and experienced specialists from Taiwan to China,” Lin said.
Lin blames the government for its past failure to prevent Taiwan’s tea production expertise from going to China.

Making the most of: Labour Day (3 days)

2010-09-09T19:10:00.001-07:00

Sep 2nd. Thursday afternoon: Hong Kong to LAX; Home by 5:30pm. great flight no jet-lag .. a few odds & ends to square away Friday.

Saturday .. New Door Projects: Just the ticket to unwind from a few weeks in Singapore/China … I’ve outlined 5 new full size doors to build. . Custom building and fitting a door is a bit of a chore, especially if your shop is not set-up for full size Door Making. Such are the joys of life Sunday Door #1 in final glue-up Monday morning .. Initial fit is complete. Fine finishing, glass installed (update pic) , re-hang and Robert is your fathers brother. .. new trim … after the doors are done.

Winding down in Dongguan

2010-09-03T11:50:00.001-07:00

Last full day in Dongguan, Time to visit Li Hong:…and other friends in the area ….

Team Dinner

2010-09-03T11:48:00.001-07:00

James arranged our first Team Dinner: Our WuXi based team, we have just enough for a soccer team. James !!!! NO Crazy Fingers la

Waterways are pervasive in this area

2010-09-03T11:46:00.001-07:00

Here in SuZhou, much revolves around the lakes and interconnecting water canals, Adjacent to the commercial barges, residential waterways service private homes and the temple grounds., People + Water equal Tour Boats!

Moving up in latitude, Central East China

2010-09-01T22:33:00.001-07:00

Saturday Morning, along with a few thousand friends, I practiced Full Body Contact Temple Visiting. Bus loads made the most of the last weekend before children go back to school.

Reading from Right to Left: Mountain Village Gate On to a less congested area …I can't see the little girl hiding behind the plant .. can you? Nice to see some traditional building skills being used. Not up to standards seen in Japan, but enjoyable to see. Most of the fascination with these calligraphy panels is in enjoying the hand carving with character variations .. This one is machine generated, and lacks impact, the price of proliferation in the name of progress.

Marina District

2010-08-25T18:44:00.001-07:00

A very short 6 days in Singapore are winding down, a full day today, Thursday, complicated by the YOG, Youth Olympic Games, closing events. Then the first flight out on Friday heading to MLC.

All built on earth barged in over many years, the original Seafront has expanded, new development continues to provide Singapore its own unique skyline. On the left, the temporary stadium for the Youth Olympics closing ceremonies.

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel ..

World Wide Update: Thailand and So. Cal

2010-08-25T18:32:00.001-07:00

From my friend in Thailand:

Hi John,

Yes, all is well here in Thailand despite some heavy rains that are causing flooding in some areas but nothing directly at where I live (a little in a few streets nearby) or where the wife and daughter are. Just last night it rained very hard here in Lamphun which is about 30km from where I live but Lamphun is where the Industrial park is located for the CM I work at. Anyway I guess the dorm area was flooded from the heavy rain last night. Attached are a few pics of many I have.

Singapore huh, too bad I'm not heading that way any time soon or we could hook up. Have safe travels my friend.

Funny you should ask about Dan, great timing as I just received an email from him last night. I'm sure he would enjoy hearing from you and the supplier as well.. I have attached his email address in the CC area so the two of you can connect..... but let me warn you, don't listen to any of his shit of how good the CU Buffs football team is as that's just a past dream he's living.....LOL

Take care and keep in touch,

Rick

A some news on a happier front ..Ben and Ashley spend the day at our home with Auntie Robin:..

Hi John, Robin, and Heather, wanted to share the cute pix from today. I had sooooo much fun with the kids, they were great. Ashley helped sew her scrunchy after watching me top-stitch the suit. Ben also helped cut threads and asked great questions.

Love to all… Robbie

Singapore day 2 & 3: Sunday - Monday

2010-08-23T02:26:00.001-07:00

The Youth Olympics are in full-swing here .. The bicycle road was held here in the Marina Square area .. an early morning stroll I managed to avoid the congestion.A wall of water: One of the many new exotic buildings. Sunday evening was filled with past memories when we joined; Peter and Tina for dinner, Japanese style, then later in the evening HB Chan stopped by for drinks. HB, now retired, is a legend in Singapore for his ability to start up company operations from Zero to full production in short order, during the glory days of High-Tech Mfg. in S’pore. Talk about a small world, HB’s son, now married, and living in USA-Colorado, only a few miles from our Colorado home. (now sold)

Monday brought on a full day, a heavy rain shower in the late afternoon forced us into a shopping center .. a serendipitous occurrence. In Marina Square the First Day opening for: Long Run Tea .. a lone TEA voice in the Singaporean addiction / love affair with coffee.Not quite ready prim e time, I’ll find time to stop by later in the week. First impressions .. Favorable in that they carried more Pu-Erh than any other tea .. the prices: Truly Singaporean. At first, only used to seeing Pu-Erh priced in RMB, then Matt reminded me this was Sing-Dollars… Ouch.

A perennial favorite: The MERLION draws a group of onlookers:…

Singapore .. Day 1

2010-08-21T20:02:00.001-07:00

After a few hours (days) at 30+k feet I arrived in Singapore on Saturday Noon. Staying in the Marina Square. Near the Old Raffles'. Much has changed over the years. Singapore looks and feels like a modernized Hong Kong.

On Saturday evening, Matt and I met up with my very good Friends; Simon Choo and Peter Kwang (wedding day 1987 !!!) how time flies.Peters wife, Tina, went to the Casino, while us boys got caught up on old times. The heavy influence of Mainland China is to be see all-around. Much more “mandarin is spoken, restaurants styles and much of the staffing in the service industry is Mainland Chinese.

… Here is my handle .. but! where is my Spout?

2010-08-11T17:10:00.001-07:00

Not one, but TWO Handles .. Ok! but where is that spout?
The calligraphy is to: Attract Big Fortune A clue revealed .. a Beveled and Lapped surface exposed when the lid is removed. The lid has a Matting Beveled Lip .. when mated, an air tight seal is formed.
The Base also has a Lapped sealing surface
All is exposed .. the bottom of the Pot has a mating surface that seals on the base .. in the center: ....
"THE SPOUT" Flow is controlled via the Air Hole in the Lid, as with a drinking straw etc.

New stuff makes a début

2010-08-10T20:14:00.001-07:00

Only a few short weeks at home and its time to head back to China. This time a couple of side trips to Singapore, but that's a few days off.
I barely had time to unpack my treasures, but I did mange to get a few things squared away in the tea-room
On a 2nd; Tea-Table (茶几 Cha Ji) a new tea set takes center stage. (Teapot, Serving Jug & 4 Cups)
On close examination you may notice that the Teapot has No visable spout! (more later)

Tribute Tea, three years on

2010-08-01T16:40:00.001-07:00

A small chest of": “Tribute Tea, Fit for the Palace of the Emperor” Lucky for me I picked up this chest before it went north. Link 2007 post
I tasted this tea back in May 2007, as an eight year old. I’ve opened this a few times to allow air to interact with the tea. Now as an eleven year old, loose sheng pu, it makes the “First 15”

Time to replenish my Caddies with loose Pu-Erh. Four out of the five all but empty. Now filled, the chest has approx 2/3 of its treasure left, I’ll let the tea air for a few days before an infusion.

July 27th. some stuff to bring home

2010-07-31T10:28:00.001-07:00

A quiet spot, overcast skies, a remnant of a recent typhoon.

Outside, all things green love the high humidity: ……. Inside….

Inside, I have; Tea and a few “Bits and bobs” to bring home: …….

Part 4, the Staff and Tea Pots

2010-07-28T19:42:00.001-07:00

On the 2nd floor, a training session is in progress:…..

In this session one of the 34 staff serves tea and receives feedback from his peers and staff supervisors (the two girls in light shirts)

Li wraps the six cups I just purchased. A perfect match to a tea pot I bought some 4 years back.

Li and No. 39 prepare to serve tea. Always with the “crazy fingers” :) :)

A small selection of the teapots along the back wall. All pots are labeled and priced.

Six natural bamboo form cups at 40 RMB each are a good buy.

An extremely well organized collection of pots for sale

Part III, The Tables

2010-07-28T19:37:00.001-07:00

One of two large Slab tables, a single slab of wood, approx 12’ x 3 1/2’ x 7” thick. Both sides of this table show the inner bark layer.

This one is a my favorite of the two, 11’ x 4’ x 8” thick …. just a thing of beauty

I’d build a special room if I could only get this bad boy home: ……

The third of the large tables on the ground floor is a true stunner … exotic in every sense. Made from a single tree base. the outer bark removed and the natural surface polished. Each of the 5 stools are made from the same tree and retain much of their natural form.

We later enjoyed tea sampling around this work of art: …….

Part B: Pu-Erh packaging

2010-07-28T19:34:00.001-07:00

The vast variety and diversity of the packaging of Pu-Erh tea is mind boggling. Everything custom: from the inner ticket and wrapper to the outer box and carrier. As I peruse just one of the section, this small sampling is available at reasonable prices .. but just to difficult to carry back, and if I did, I’d have to extend my tea room 10 fold just to display tea packaging……………………………………

The collection of: 5 small cakes and one large cake sells for: 672 RMB:…….

This “Elabration is Collected” package sells for 359 RMB, not sure of the tea weigh.

I like this Box Set set of two cakes: ……………………………

Another Box Set of two cakes. This Box opens up to reveal a small dramatic stage setting, as seen in Chinese Operas. A pair of 400g cakes sells for 252 RMB

A box set of Left and Right hand cakes, a pair of 400g cake sells for: 329 RMB

Here we have a 250g block for just 31.5 RMB:………………………

Part I the Store, July 25th, Sunday afternoon in Dongguan.

2010-07-28T19:11:00.001-07:00

Last week I visited Li Hong at her new place of business. Still located in the Dong Cheng area of Dongguan city. Near the intersection of: XueYuan Road and Dong Cheng Zhong Road. As ref: the Pink #2 is the location of Mrs. Yang's store.

Map source: heredg.com.

As a collection of 40+ “sections/shops” under one roof, a unique set-up for this area. The consortium of 7 owners are rightly proud of this immaculate set of shops. The staff are enthusiastic, and are here to learn about the tea trade as a business.
I plan on 4 separate postings to cover this visit. In all we spent about 1 1/2 hrs here, after spending 2+ hrs at Mr’s Yangs “Getting drunk on tea” to quote Palao. Part 1 The Sore, Part B Pu-Erh detail, Part III: The Tables, Part 4: The staff and Tea Pots
At the entrance, you are greeted by a host, who will escort and help you navigate through sensory input overload. I would need to shop here for about a month to imprint what is on offer and get to know the place. Fortunately Li Hong has known Palao and myself for about 6 years, so in that regard we have a friend to help us.
Ground / Street level entrance .. Pu-Erh by the: pallet (栈板 zhànbǎn) load.

On the lower level we see pallet sized storage, all Pu-erh

Paolo eyes some new cakes of Pu-Erh:…………………

On to the upper level, we see a mixture of: Tea and Accessories.

Everywhere is clean and free of clutter .. amazingly very “Un-Chinese”

Every thing in these stores has a marked price .. clearly defined in Chinese with sell prices in both Chinese and “Western” numbers. Prices are, in my experience very fair. A small amount of bargaining is possible depending on the size of purchase made.

One of the girls is writing up a recent sale .. you take your sales receipt to a central pay station.

One of the large “Plank” tables, the girls give a sense of scale.

Friday, July 23rd. .. WuXi – SuZhou

2010-07-28T17:21:00.001-07:00

Matt, JiuLou and James enjoy Fujian Oolong tea as we Tele-Conf. with collogues in Taiwan and the US.

Later in the day I went to SuZhou. This is a familiar sight to family and friends: Mr. Yen brought in his engineering director to assist in trouble-shooting a problem I need to resolve by Monday …………………………..

Eight of us enjoy the evening; lobster tails and giant shrimp make an appearance amid a gastronomic event.

WuXi, (July 21st.) Wednesday evening .. tea with friends

2010-07-28T17:13:00.001-07:00

A family rendezvous: Recently married, Da Sha and her husband, joined her: younger sister, younger brother and his girlfriend, Matt, Robin and myself, at one of their tea shops. The family now has two shops, one in WuXi and their new shop in Chang Zhou, about 60 min drive from WuXi.

The newlyweds:………………………………………….

Chang Zhou, NW of WuXi:……………………………………

My old Lake friend sits forgotten.

2010-07-28T17:02:00.001-07:00

I watched as this once young work boat moved into: Song Shan Hu, with its strange assortment of pumps and derricks. It toiled to; dredge, drill and generally help shape the lakes new features.

Now she sits all but forgotten in a quickly overgrowing inlet, accessed only by a disappearing and seldom traveled trail.

An eerie place as dusk approaches:……………………..

Saturday, (July 17th.) Tea Time

2010-07-28T16:59:00.001-07:00

First stop: see Mrs. Yang and her crew (down one; Li Hong) more on that later. A “crazy fingers” Hi to Da Sha in WuXi, recently married.

A quiet moment as the shop empties … a lot of regular customers stop by on Saturday afternoon.

Stocks of Pu Erh old and new line the shelves: ………………….

A couple of new items that I’m not too crazy about. Modern 2010 year of the Tiger packaging .. to each their own

This one is probably an extension of the “Tea Bag” the “Tea in a Cup” Su Pao Cha.

A filter at the bottom holds a charge of Su Pao Tea (Pu Erh) I joke with some “Apple” friends and dub this the: “ iCup”

Here is our friend Li Hong, she now works at a large tea consortium of 7 partners that have an: extremely uncharacteristic spotless tea emporium, only 10 min from Mrs. Yang shop. ……………………………………..

This table is extraordinary, a single of Slab, of beautiful wood, from HuNan

More on this next weekend when I’ll return with more than just a cell phone camera.

Friday (July 16th.) morning on the lake side

2010-07-28T16:50:00.001-07:00

I reach the north end of the lake, just as the longest shadows of the day are cast. Before a small rain shower, a perfect rainbow is within reach. If only I had my spade to dig for that pot of elusive Gold.

Even in China they have Leprechauns; Xiang Tong 仙童

My lucky morning, the Rainbow’s end is right outside my hotel room …..

After the rain shower clouds move in and diffuse the light. This marble statue of a rather Rubenesgue, young Chinese girl, stands much viewed and untouched.

The lithe figure of a western muse, is much viewed and much molested by the local youth

Looks like the lake fishermen have upgraded the fleet: ……………..…

……….. As one of the old stalwarts sinks to a watery rest:….

An early, silent patrol of the traps, attracts only the eyes of the “GuiLao”

Thursday July 15th. in Song Shan Hu

2010-07-28T16:44:00.001-07:00

Paolo and Matt, order lunch in the Song Shan Hu Teahouse

The hottest (Spicy hot) dish on the menu, ordered “Da La”

Palao, enjoys the very spicy soup (大辣, Da La):……………………………..

Projects continue: Summer is here (with updates)

2010-06-20T09:43:00.001-07:00

I’m getting lazy, no new entries just updating an existing post .. some new pics of finished home projects ……………Next week its back to China for a few:……………. Heather is back in Hawaii now, Robbie is Diving regularly.………

Time has evaporate like the virga. Heather is home two weeks into a four week vacation. Sean graduated collage last weekend, started working on Tuesday .. has worked 10-12hr days since .. now its Sunday 6/20/10 and we are having a family BBQ this afternoon .. picture perfect So. Cal weather. Time for summer relaxing.

I’ve managed to catch up and finish a few more home projects: The small vanity and dressing area get a much needed face-lift. The vanity in the master bath area will get matching doors and drawers. Six doors and 8 drawers.

Phase I, small vanity lower section over-hall.. couple of Work In Process pics:

The remaining door frames under construction: …………..

The dressing area was simple, a couple of matching drawers, Done!

The challenges with custom built-ins are just that, they are custom, each door, drawer etc is just a little different.

Small Vanity, lower section:.. Done! ………………………….

Bathroom, Lower vanity:… Done! ……………………….

Here we are: July 10th. Last of the upstairs bathroom vanities; Door – Drawer projects finished!!!

The last of the reclaimed / repurposed wood takes shape as a writing slope base.

Small Oak wedges drive a secure fit and show construction detail.

The desk now finished finds a new home and is a match to the Tea Table

The spacious work surface is a magnate for all manor of items.

Finally got the matching stool finished:….. June 30th.

Yi Xing – expanded marketing

2010-05-25T19:59:00.001-07:00

Mrs. Yang’s tea shop:…… is now carrying a new line of Yi Xing products, mostly mugs.

As with Tea-Pots, one requires a specific mug for different teas .. That's my logic to buy more…. The Tea Sets / Tea-Pots remain undistinguished. When I visited the store, she only had two different types in stock, Models 001 and 009 .. so they made the trip home. Workmanship, finish and overall quality rates good, as does ergonomics. Aesthetics: to each their own, I like them.

At home; 1 of 15 and 9 of 15, are safely assimilated into the Yi Xing collective.

Interesting internal design detail .. a “tea leaf trap”

I scanned the catalogue and you will note numbers 004 and 014 are omitted. (not by accident, unlucky numbers)

The catalog extols all the virtues of Yi Xing wares and the wonders of Zi Sha (Purple Sand)

A few weekends at home

2010-05-10T19:15:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I left the cold and very wet WuXi behind. The weather in So. Cal has been fantastic of late .. With back to back weekends, I finished up a couple of fun projects. ………… A few months back Andrew came by with some “acquired” furniture that we converted / “Re-Purposed”. From the remainder of the wood, I managed to build a new tea table, echoing in design the small seats, made some months back: ( Nov 2009)

The new tea table made is debut on Sunday afternoon:

Having started on: Feb 9th 2010, the last of the kitchen doors and drawers, were hung and mounted last weekend.

Now its time to re-model the; Kitchen Island and Dinning room areas. I suppose in the grand scheme of things I should have completed the re-model before the finish carpentry .. but that’s just how it played out …..…. However, this Thursday ( 5/13/10) I’m back on the bus to: Hong Kong – Dongguan – Singapore and WuXi.

lóng fèng tāi 龍鳳胎 (Boy Girl Twins)

2010-04-18T09:35:00.001-07:00

April 18th. the twins birthday ..Happy Birthday 生日快樂 shēng rì kuài lè

Heather is living in Hawaii is off to a remote area with friends for a long weekend.

Andrew is in Japan with his girlfriend for a well earned vacation: …

NAAFI tea goes on sale to civilians for first time

2010-04-17T10:16:00.001-07:00

This news headline sparked a few memories .. my first up close and in person encounter with NAAFI tea was when stationed at RAF West Raynham, Bomber Command and home to the Bloodhound Guided Missile. (long since closed) A desolate location if ever there was one .. a very long walk to the nearest Pub .. there in lies many stories .. but I digress

For nearly 90 years it has been the exclusive brew of Britain’s armed forces.

But from today civilians will be able to enjoy a cup of NAAFI tea as it goes on sale in stores across Britain. NAAFI, the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, has agreed to allow the coveted beverage to be sold in branches of Spar, the convenience store.

The move is the first time in NAAFI’s history that one of its brands has been extended to a high street retailer.

Its NAAFI Break tea, which has been served to British service personnel since 1921, is said to differ from the average cuppa due to its “premium quality blend that gives a rich, strong taste and a real military flavour”.

It will be available from 80 branches of the supermarket chain and 50p from every box will be donated to the charity Help for Heroes, which helps injured service personnel.

The tea will feature retro-style packaging and will be followed later in the year by a range of memorabilia to mark the 90th anniversary of NAAFI.

NAAFI chief executive Reg Curtis said: "Our famous NAAFI tea has been the beverage of choice for the British Armed Forces since 1921 and we are delighted to work with Spar to ensure it is widely available for everyone to enjoy for the first time in our history."

Family anecdote #578 … NAAFI Tea link

2010-04-13T18:02:00.001-07:00

At the onset of WWII, my Dad and a few friends went to “Sign Up” as an alternate to waiting for the inevitable “Call Up Papers”. As voluntary registrants one had the opportunity to choose between: the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

My Dad and his friend Chalky had a “cunning plan” they would select the NAAFI. Great plan, get into the supply chain, life is good! Chalky (nickname, last name of “White”) was hopeless at spelling .. ended up putting down: “Navy” as his elective. Dad a bright scholar got it in one: NAAFI, Bob’s your uncle.

Chalky, ended up with a “Home Posting” as a sentry at Greenock shipyards only a few miles from home in Hamilton, spending WWII sleeping in his own bed, eating Mum’s home Cooking.

My Dad: sand, bloody sand and more sand, slogged all through the North African campaign. (he never had a good word for: Monty) He spent a few months in Cairo, where the Slade Club was commandeered as an NCO’s mess. An ideal place for a young entrepreneurial lad. Bartering Whisky for all forms of trade items. Let’s just leave it at that.

Dad on the Left:……………………………………….:

Formal dinner in the Slade Club: …………………..

An evening of entertainment with all the girls signatures:

From there he went all though India and the Burma / Malaysian jungle campaigns. As he says: “His reward for being able to spell.” Dad on the far Right:

I’m lucky to have been able to listen to my Dad, and various family members, recount endless tails from their WWII exploits. Interesting that the “Bad Stuff” was seldom or ever discussed. My Dad’s stories from this time as; Staff Sergeant and manager of the Slade Club / NCO’s mess were particularly colourfull, much to the annoyance of my Mum.

Return to Dongguan. 返回 (fan hui) 東莞

2010-04-10T09:37:00.001-07:00

My favorite old work boat continues to move around Song Shan Lake, it now rests, a silent voyeur in Lovers Bay.

Chapeau d'à Cambridge

2010-04-04T09:33:00.001-07:00

Cambridge place 1st., Oxford 2nd., in the 156th university boat race. Photo: GETTY IMAGES Photo: PA

A Cold, Wet day with hot tea, WuXi tea shop

2010-03-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

We made a trip to Da Sha’s tea shop at lunch time .. after 1 & 1/2 hrs it was time to actually go to lunch.
Da Sha is home in Fujian province with family and friends, her little brother and little sister made sure we had a good time.
L to R around the table: Hu Qiang, Kevin, James Xu & Dai Tuong
Dìdi makes a brew of: TGY, to get the party started. ……………..
Mèi mei makes some High Quality Oolong… 3,000RMB for 500gms. Dai likes this tea and makes a significant purchase. Also he has ordered a tea table (same as the one they have in the shop) ……………………...
Now mèimei makes some: Pu-Erh: ………………………………

Barging around WuXi, part iii

2010-03-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

WuXi is basically an uninspiring industrial town/city with a population of approx 6-8 million.
The Jing Hang Yun River at night. As seen from the 21st. floor.
Relentlessly, barges ply their trade, when loaded who needs a: “Plimsoll line” just load it to the gunwales.
Riding high, an empty barge motors up river, only to return…
Family living quarters: common on all these family enterprises.

Sunday in the Nan Chang district, part 1

2010-03-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

Go fly a kite: Kids play in the open square: ………..

A pleasant man-made park just outside the Kempinski hotel. That will soon see a change.
Lady gardeners discuss the sate of world economics as they work side by side on common toil

WuXi Life; much the same around the world, part B

2010-03-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

Zero degree weather .. the laundry still goes out to dry.
A couple of ladies make a fashion statement: …………….
Approaching one of the fast disappearing “local areas” : ………….
A slow start to a busy day of haggling price and providing life's necessities:

Florida to Scotland, without leaving China.

2010-03-03T01:37:00.001-08:00

Well not quite .. Dongguan is at 30C with relative humidity at 75% .. aka Florida. On Wed. am, I’m off to Wuxi, predicting a sizzling: 5C with rain … aka Scotland!

Dongguan is about 90 min drive north from HK, Wuxi, about 2 hr drive from Shanghai.

Blogging in China .. yes it’s a royal pain

2010-03-03T01:34:00.001-08:00

The Golden Shield : 金盾工程; jīndùn gōngchéng, aka The GREAT FIRE-WALL of China .. what to do?

A few folks have asked so here is my current approach:

I gave up on using “Proxy Servers” too quirky. I now use a Global Edge Card. This provides independence from local server / connectivity foibles. Expense? Yes, but worth it when you are on the road a lot. Verizon wireless is my provider and so far no problems in China and Europe.

For the Geek squad:

Novatel, Merlin XU870 ExpressCard, GPRS/GSM Data, SMS

I use an external model as I switch from National (USA) to Global and find them more flexible than a built-in option.

Dive (SCUBA) ShenZhen???

2010-03-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

Most airlines provide a newspaper(s) .. Shenzhen Air, domestic flights: “Sorry no English newspaper” Not to worry, pictures bestow polyglot powers. A new dive resort to be established near ShenZhen (S. China near HK) to explore the 39 islands that dot the region. (local ShenZhen newspaper)
I’d be rather cautious before I ventured into the sea in this area .. shipping and pollution are my immediate concerns .. I’ll have to try and contact some local adventurists and get first hand info…

In China:.. Girl driver alert, first 5 days

2010-02-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

Arrived HK , Thursday 25th. through immigration and customs by 6:00am. Arrived at the Dongguan Hyatt; Song Shan Lake about 7:30am .. virtually no /very light traffic all the way from HK airport. A lot of folks still not returned from CYN .. also very hot and humid …..
A special note: our long time friend Julia has a China Drivers license. While this is No Big Deal in most counties .. Here it is a big deal. So she is ready for her next visit to the USA
Julia behind the wheel this morning as she drove from the hotel to Chang Ping town for lunch .. Mr. Wong, the company driver (Julia’s coach), alongside.
Saturday morning, Paulo and I arrived at Mrs. Yang’s tea shop as some family and friends had just arrived.
Paulo keeps an eye on the newest tea drinker, 10 month old “Ting Ting” ……. Too cute:
Song Shan Lake: How about a solid Granite Table and Stool set for casual outside dining?
I think its safe to say these appellations owe much to poetic license :
Further down the lake ,the last of the fishing fleet is moored in readiness:
The Lake (man-made reservoir) feeds the local faming area:
A typical 3 story, farm house of the Dongguan area, the outside is unfinished showing the brick structure

Three day weekend

2010-02-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

Today, Monday, is a holiday .. I’m off to China next week, on the 23rd. So I put time in on the kitchens cabinets.
That’s the next batch of fames jointed (13) .. it will be a struggle to get much more done before the 23rd.

What’s a boy to do?

2010-02-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

Weather outside is frightful, Wife's diving in the Philippines, there is only so much tea you can drink, busy at work, getting ready to head-off to China … I know !rebuild the kitchen .. Great idea .. start with cabinet doors, drawers, demolish a couple of walls, rebuild the island ..
Got a little ahead of myself … 一步, 一步利 .. one step by one step
First; cabinet carcasses are sound, layout is fine .. new cabinet doors, that’s the ticket. Here are the first 6 new doors .. 15 more + 16 drawer fronts to go.
I have revamped my workshop to focus on doors and drawer fronts … not sure how long this project will take once I hit the China trail in earnest after CYN.
It’s not the cabinet making per se .. it’s buying new toys .. 6 1/2” Jointer!

Robbie in the Philippines with Update

2010-01-21T19:18:00.001-08:00

All is well, Robbie is now diving in the Philippines, near Manila. That’s only about an inch from Hong Kong .. perchance we can convene later in February :)

Here is her first email out .. something tells me she is just a tad excited :)

I am here and all is well. I even did the first dive which was a night dive, my first in the PI and My first night dive in 35 years!~!! HOW about that. I am awesome LOL
Saw at least three types of nudibranch and I found not one but two Lion fish then the guide Alexis found me a small one or two inch one.
I slept well and am enjoying my Jasmine tea overlooking the ocean with all of the group eating pre breakfast, toast and Papaya.
Glad they helped me figure out how to get on the internet.
My love to you all

Day Two:

Hi to you all, I have had a great day, I am mainly worried that I have seen soo many creatures that they all seem to just run together. Not complaining, just very thankful for the camera. What my brain can't remember the camera hopefully has captured.
We did two dives this morning starting out in the boat at 8 am and then two this afternoon and night starting out at 4 pm. I just finished eating dinner, I was very hungry, now I am running out the battery on the camera and then will go to sleep. I am very tired. No skin bends so that is good.
I had three 80 min dives and a 67 or something, I did head into shallow water after the 40 min marker or so.
We saw so many great things but a highlight was a frog fish, and then I saw a Whale shark and did get short video as proof only lol the quality is not great but I got it.
Hope all is well for you and you are not drowning under toooo much rain.

Update (with some pictures)

Hi all, I have forced myself to take the evening off today, Thursday, 1-28-10. I officially hit the wall last night and so the old brain said HEY YOU!!! You need a rest.
So the boats are just pulling out and here I am relaxing on the veranda over looking the ocean.

2010 up up and away….

2010-01-10T09:25:00.001-08:00

As time and tide wait for no man, the 2009-2010 transition was a blur, business meetings on 12/31 and 1/1.

On top of this Robbie and I both got hit with a tenacious flu bug (still hanging on). Relentless customer demands (a good thing ) and the fast approaching Chinese New Year have melted any thoughts of a traditional new year, with a focus on “cramming” in as much as possible before; 2/13 … CNY starts 2/14.

Robbie is getting ready for her diving sabbatical to the Philippines.

Blogging will have to take a back seat for a wee while. …..

Early morning Sun, long shadows

2009-12-30T17:00:00.001-08:00

Xmas morning, the sun was an early riser, a beautiful start to an enjoyable holiday.

Two of the boys get silly before lunch: Cameron arrived just as we started to eat.
Andrew came by about 2:00 .. Heather in Hawaii joined via phone …

Old Friend .. recent find

2009-12-25T08:46:00.001-08:00

Rummaging through kitchen cabinets in search of the tea travel buddy I brought home over a year ago …. for Robbie to take on the dive boats.

From the back corner this cup emerged. A gift from a colleague at Printronix. In 1986, I had just returned from Singapore (the first of a 5 year assignment) .. Long story short, I was talking about my trip with one of our software engineers, next day she brought in this cup-with built in strainer. It has remained unused all this time. So Xmas day will be its debut, thinking of friends around this small world of ours.

喝茶 hē chá Drink Tea

Days gone by, The British Raj

2009-12-24T09:06:00.001-08:00

From the mid 1850’s to 1947 … The time of the British Raj in India. A great many words and expressions have found their way from Indian culture into the every day lexicon of modern Britain.

What brought this about is one of the cups I have in my office: Good old Camp Coffee, A Truly unique product of Scotland.

I’ve had this small mug for almost 40 yrs. How time fly's when your having fun, the sole survivor of a set of four.

Ho Ho Ho

2009-12-24T09:00:00.003-08:00

Thx to Manjit for the e-card.

New Record

2009-12-24T09:00:00.001-08:00

A bike built for Nine .. Note: this is a Bike TAXIEvery day its not unusual to see Scooters and Motor Bikes put to Herculean tasks. Nine is a first for me, not the strangest but a definite eye popper.

A bicycle loaded with more than its share:… Dongguan City– Da Lang town

Early present

2009-12-20T09:51:00.001-08:00

Andrew came over Saturday afternoon bearing gifts. He and his girlfriend had a new spaniel puppy .. (sound asleep)I got an enlightening gift : Yixing teapot, A hand-carved tree with four depictions of the Buddha. One hopes this will promote meditation and enlightenment.

Just Tea .. more tea

2009-12-15T07:04:00.001-08:00

More presents for Robbie. A banner year for Robbie in terms of: Diving, Computing Horsepower and Tea.
I’m guessing this batch of goodies from Da Xia will round out this year (in tea terms) Kevin, my US-China mule, returned with multiple pounds of Jasmine (Robbie’s favorite)
And this note from; Da Xia, thanking Robin and I for sending her a gift.

Cha Bei -- 茶 杯