[-] Like last year, here are 12 pictures to look back on the last 12 wonderful tea months. 2008 was the year of Cha Xi and new friendships. A big 'Thank you' to all of you who are sharing my tea experiences.

Merci pour vos visites et soutiens ces 12 derniers mois. Voici quelques photos pour dire adieu à 2008, l'année des Cha Xi et de nouvelles amitiés. (2009 s'annonce déjà passionnante...)












(From top: Winter Da Yu Ling, 1989 Jiang Cheng Puerh, Earth and Fire tea bowl, 8892 bing, Cha Xi competition, Yunnan wild puerh trees, Ming Dynasty style green tea at Taipei Story House, singing cup in Lin Family House and Garden, Taipei Bao An temple, Qing dynasty style tea, Sung dynasty style tea, Lishan Hung Shui Oolong.)

Special thanks: My mother, Michel François, Ginkgo, David Louveau, Philippe Coste, Teaparker, the Cha Ren Ya Xin association, Kim, Nico, Serge, Taiwan's tea farmers and pickers.

Goodbye 2008! - http://teamasters.blogspot.com/feeds/2025453818347505205/comments/default

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Tea and Sympathy

"Tea and Sympathy" by Janis Ian - http://uniquelytea.blogspot.com/feeds/7723421497885188686/comments/default

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An Aunt's Privilege - http://stephcupoftea.blogspot.com/feeds/6337295250266108199/comments/default

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more the engrish!

Uh...what?

Engrish Tea - http://queengata.blogspot.com/feeds/1433460473132353426/comments/default

[-] Hello! Hope everyone had a nice Christmas/Festivus/Hannakuh. I managed to make it through a week of festivities with the in-laws and then my family with only getting 2 headaches. That's pretty good considering all the wine I drank. I'm hoping to do a full recap tomorrow when I get my photos uploaded. Here is the condensed version.
*We went to the Bengals/Browns game where is was -15 below zero. We only made it until half time. I thought both teams were going to loose but apparently someone won. I don't have many pictures of this because my fingers don't function properly wearing 2 pairs of gloves with a hand warmer shoved inside. I do have a picture of my frozen beer. That sucked.
*We saw Four Christmases. It was good, I liked it.
*I enjoyed my first Russian peasant dinner on Christmas Eve. I had only heard horrible things about it but I found it rather tasty. I even managed to do all the shots of whiskey!
*Drew only got in one fight with his brother.
*I won 3/3 games of Last Word. I'm awesome.
*I'm really bad at Guitar Hero, I have rhythm and that game does not.
*I got some lovely gifts. Top of the list has to be Beverly Hills 90210 season 1 & 2!
*My 5 month old niece is so cute it makes me want one, really bad.
*My diet starts tomorrow.

Whew! - http://noteaforyou.blogspot.com/feeds/1094505497627888391/comments/default

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Last week, our friends over at U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP, for short) encountered a traveler in Washington DC who apparently really enjoys his tea.  Not for the antioxidants or caffeine rush, mind you, rather the mind-altering effects.

According to the CBP’s report, it seems that our witless traveler tried smuggling in some illegal substances, including marijuana, hashish, and other assorted illegalities, by stuffing them into teabags.  The problem, though, was threefold: first, he had a warrant out for his arrest, so officers were already suspicious.  Second, the teabags were conspicuously overstuffed and smelly.  Finally, he underestimated the super-diligence of the fine folks at the CBP.

So to all those out there with the idea to try something like this, I have two pieces of advice: One, don’t do it. Two, stick with loose tea.

And in anticipation to all the questions I’m sure I’ll get about this: no, I do not recommend smoking tea (I get this question far more than I’d like to mention).

Please just save it for your teacup.

Another reason to avoid teabags - http://tavalon.com/blog/?p=200

[-] Wing Hop Fung: "Together Forever Prosper," They also have a comprehensive selection of "quality" teas .. we left with about $80.00 worth of booty.

"Wing Hop Fung" --- "Together Forever Prosper" - http://chawu.blogspot.com/feeds/8524377491562427998/comments/default

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I think that I shall never see,
A poem as lovely as a Tea.
This brew immortalized in song,
Was "Tea for Two," unless I'm wrong.
And when you're sad as you can be,
There's always "Tea and Sympathy."
There's Peking, Grey, and Oolong too,
And Darjeeling's a tempting brew.
This favorite afternoon delight
can also please at noon or night.
And when you have your "downs and ups,"
There's refuge to be sought in cups.
True English, I am told will gag,
If told their drink was made by bag.
But with delight they're apt to scream,
If it is served with Devon cream.
Oh, poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make Tea.


I usually end my tea talks by reciting this poem. I cannot recall the source, but my copy says, "By T. Maven, In memory of Linda Wexler, author of "A Spot of Tea."

Tea ~ A Poem - http://uniquelytea.blogspot.com/feeds/2579974353892651311/comments/default

[-] Can tea help fight the flu? Dr. Weil investigates. He also addresses green tea's potential in fighting tooth disease when used to replace sodas and citrus drinks. (I just wish he weren't always so focused on green tea specifically, as most true teas provide similar benefits.)

Also, here's an interesting debate about tea, disease and urbanization. The initial proposal (the idea that tea-drinking lead to urbanization in England) is somewhat intriguing (though probably wrong), but the follow-up comments are what make this page really worth reading.

What do you think about these issues?

Tea as Disease-Fighter - http://veetea.blogspot.com/feeds/7364387335378219776/comments/default

[-] I just saw something on the Tea Guy Speaks blog that I couldn't ignore. (It was discussed on the World Tea News site also.) There was a press release about a product called Zenlet. Zenlet produces (among other things) bracelets that contain green tea. According to their release, your body will absorb all the green tea, giving you all of its health benefits. (I won't even get into my questions regarding the validity of this statement. I have not seen or properly researched this product; however, I think the statement is certainly worth of skepticism.) This was actually the statement that made me laugh:

"Much like a tea bag, it should be disposed after 8 to 12 days of wearing."

Do many of you wear your tea bags? Or are they suggesting that we usually use teabags for 8 - 12 days? In any event, it's a funny statement.

It's kind of like the line I just read in Sloane Crosley's debut novel "I Was Told There'd Be Cake." She asked a restaurant owner what they were doing for reservations. He said, "We're building a patio out back for people to eat during the summertime." She thought to herself, "Ah, the old edible patio."

Thanks for bearing with my amusement over grammar mistakes.

Just plain funny - http://teapages.blogspot.com/feeds/5756270677399155449/comments/default