Art Of Tea Global Network- Enriching Life

TEA C SPECIAL

2011-11-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

Very warm welcome to this life enriching blog.

Recently I came across the photo of "Tea C Special", which was so appealing when it was displayed on the table. I do not know why they named it such, despite it being more appropriately called as three layers tea. Dark tea at the bottom of the glass, milk in the middle, whereas the mixture of this two is at the top of the glass.

I tried and drank this tea several times in last couple of weeks whenever I have my lunch there. To me, it tasted well with rice, fried Koay Teow and Koay Teow soup. This may be due to the sweetness of the tea, which they had added sugar in it.

No wonder the poster of the tea comes with the slogan in mandarin as "Tea in mouth and Joy in heart." It describes well the significant joy this tea bring to human beings when you sip in this tea. I am not sure whether it is of western origin, as the way it prepares is more inclined to western style where milk and sugar are added in. Moreover, it was also added with ice cubes after it forms the three layers. To have clearer picture of it, I append a copy of its' photo for your viewing pleasure.

Only one size of the tea is sold and each glass costs RM 2.30. It appears to be reasonably priced. This is may be because the shop is from the outskirt of a Big town and is not very commonly found. If you come to this restaurant Maxis, opposite the Continental Workshop at Pekan Subang Perdana, please try it. If you have tasted, please don't forget to revert to us of your findings. Thanks for your feedback in advance.

If you find this article interesting, kindly direct your circle of friends to this blog.

Have a fruitful weekend.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

WONDERFUL LUNCH AT TEA HOUSE IN PENANG

2011-10-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

WARMLY WELCOME TO THIS GLOBAL TEA GLOBAL NETWORK BLOG

In my preceding article, you may be aware of my recent fruitful trip back to my home town in Penang. As a result, several articles were written especially on Dr Sun Yet Sen's museum. I had to run up and down taking photos of those interesting places I visited and to blog out at the end of the day. At the same time, I also collected some reading materials on those tourist areas which I have visited to promote my hometown, which was left far behind for the last couple of decades. Now, it is the time for me to pay back to the state I belong to.

With so much activities, yet I did not feel tired. From my face, you may feel that I have lots of energy to carry out other activities I planned much earlier. I even wrote till 4.00 am at several places, like McDonald (Hamilton road) and Papa Rich (EGate) in Penang and follow up with several of my former classmates and some new friends while I was surfing the net at that place.

With such a hectic time, I still managed to steal some time out from my busy schedule for my lunch at my usual Chinese tea house at QingHuan Chinese Tea House. See the photos below and find out what I had for my lunch. The photos taken after I have taken one Tea Egg and one of the little buns out of three in a set that I had ordered. Then only I became aware that I can take the photos for my tea blog.

That's the reason you don't have a chance to see the entire food range I had for my lunch. Before I forget, I must let you know that one thing you should not miss at this tea house is its signature dish of lotus rice, rich in content with mushroom, pork, sausage and etc. Really delicious and this is one of the best lotus rice I have tried. Here, can someone tells me where to get the best lotus rice in PJ, KL or Penang?

Hope you like the above photos. Please record down in your diary and pay the tea house a visit whenever you have opportunity to do so. You can be rest assured that you won't regret it.

You may see that the environment is so pleasant and I can even work through out my lunch because I can't resist with so many inspirations flooding my mind that I do not have enough hands to write down all of them. In fact, all those articles you have read the last few days are the products from there and this one as well.

This is totally unexpected from my initial thought when I began my venture in the blogging sphere. At that time, I must confess that I was so worried that I ran out of ideas to write articles continuously. But today, what you see is totally different.

That's all for this time and seeing you again,

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

LIFE IS LIKE TEA QUOTATION

2011-09-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

WARM WELCOME TO THIS BLOG,
Firstly let me express my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Parang Desai, one of my Face Book (FB) contacts, for allowing me to use his beautiful quotation, below, on his FB wall, to write the article to its effect:-

"Life is Like Making Tea - Boil Your Ego, Evaporate Your Worries, Dilute Your Sorrows, Filter Your Mistakes and Get a Taste of Happiness."

Before I proceed to give my view on it, may I hear some of your views. Do you think that this statement is true? or is it myth? Let us know your views and your arguments to support your views for both answers. Thanks for your feedback. If you disagree with both the answers, then do let us know your views too. Do not have to worry because there is no right answer to it. You have the liberty to voice out your view here.

To kick start the ball rolling, I write to tell you how it really caught my immediate attention. This is because, the author have expressed its value so precisely, which I can't find anything not to agree with him. As you are well aware, TEA has impacted me so much. It enriches my live so much that it drives me to share with you its value through this blog. The name of this blog was chosen after my long and serious thought so as to suggest its KEY message.

As such, I must say that TEA, in nutshell, removed all my negative feelings and bring out its ultimate goal, Happiness, to me. I believe it can do the same to you, as it did to me. Happiness is all about your choice as life is a choice. It solely depends on its beholder. Here, may I obtain your permission to elaborate the 5 feelings stated above.

1 FEELINGS

1.1 EGO

I rather classify ego as negative feeling because it blocks us from listening and learning from others no matter what. History has well demonstrated this crucial point that caused many MIGHTY persons to fall by their own destructive actions. By drinking tea, it boils your ego which removes all the barriers that enable you to think and listen relatively much better.

1.2 WORRIES

As we used to say worry will not add value to any issue. As such, why worry? If not check properly, your energy will be drained out unnecessarily. Alternatively, you should save this energy to search for its solution. Isn't it more logical for you to look for solutions and not worry about the issues? By drinking tea, it will evaporate your worries - So good as it says. Hope you too have this resultant feeling when you savour tea.

1.3 SORROWS

It is difficult to not feel sorrowful especially when something unfortunates happened. However, let us be mindful that we can't change history. For those, especially who know me long, are aware that I have suffered numerous bad incidents in the past and I made serious mistakes of feeling sorry for substantial long periods. It is very natural to have this feeling.

Let me share with you that it brought some bad experience for me. Not only bad for me, but the people surrounding me were also affected by this adverse impact as well. Now, these have moulded me to be forward looking and I keep moving forward. Therefore, I choose not to dwell with my past sorrows. So, by drinking tea it will dilute your sorrow. Have you experienced such feeling?

1.4 MISTAKES

Let TEA be your mentor to filter your mistakes. It is true that you can learn from your OWN mistakes. But, the question is why not learnt from others and moreover it is always better to realise it before you commit it. By drinking tea, it could keep you cool and calm. As such, you are likely to make better and wiser decisions on the issues because you would have better thoughts.

1.5 GOOD FEELING- HAPPINESS

For those who can get a taste of happiness from tea, please share with us how you achieve it. For me, the pure taste of tea coupled with its right ambience will give me the inner sensation - Happiness, which is far beyond words. Imagine when you have tea with like minded people, you will enjoy the beauty of nature and it will definitely give you the happiness you sought after.

Thanks and trust the above article is helpful to you. Please spread it to your contacts of friends so that they also enjoy its valuable benefits as described in the above quotation.

Look forward to seeing you again and your support is greatly appreciated.

James Oh

TEA IN MANDARIN CHARACTER

2011-09-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

Very warm welcome to this LIFE ENRICHING BLOG,

I hope you too like the lovely photo, which I obtained it from one of persons, Jenny Yong of China, I engaged with through Facebook. I must thank her so much for her kindness of allowing me to display it in my blog for your viewing pleasure.

Tell me what you could see from the above photo. You may compare the wording from other images at the side bars of my blog. I am sure that the above photo conveys many meanings to you. For those who understand Mandarin, most likely recognise its meaning as it form the word, TEA, in Mandarin character. Now, you know the reason behind why I displayed the lovely photo of 'TEA" in this blog. Some of you may well aware that the conventional Chinese characters are in the form of pictorial form.

In this connection, may someone help me to explain how and why this word was first created in this manner? Then it may help you as to why the creator of the piece of art used two little white flowers at the top of the word? Why the roof, just below the two flowers, is in green? What pink and brown colours mean here?

By now, what I can say for sure that we need some imagination to figure out its true meaning. Please share with us what you see there. Do not worry because there is no right answer to it. Who dare to say you are wrong to interpret it in the way you see it. Just a clue for someone who has not see anything from it, what you need to do is stare at it for long and slowly and surely, the picture will then appear by itself.

To truly enjoy a good brew tea, you must be very patient for it. Just like seeing the above picture. At the end of the day, the tea must give you a pure, bitter and sweet taste. Its pureness must be preserved and you need the skill to brew it. If you have not, don't worry. Practice, practice and proactive will make you perfect. It is just like any trade.

With this lovely piece of art, I am pretty sure it will enrich our lives. Furthermore, how would you feel if you are being served with good quality of tea right now. And you have the time to savour it. If it is really your taste, then may I invite you to join us in this tea blogsphere. Let us work together to bring happiness and enriching life through tea to the people at large, so as to make our lives more meaningful. This is the basic function of having tea together. Only through sharing it, we can make it prospers.

Thanks and seeing you again.

James Oh

DARJEELING TEA

2011-09-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

DARJEELING TEA

The Darjeeling tea, seen as photo below, is my wife's gift. Its original pack of three, Twinning pack with Classics English Breakfast Tea and Origins Darjeeling Tea, is very suitable to be used as a lovely gift. She received it from her friend who must had came out with such a gift after deep thought, I believed. It was displayed in one of the cabinets and only caught my attention recently, after looking for something to write for my tea blog.

This tea reminded me of my online tea group of friends and I decided to blog it out to kick start of Darjeeling tea and English tea. I believe some of them will take this opportunity to share this tea or experience before I give them a try.

I urge all parties to make use of this platform to have a meaningful dialog. Perhaps we can also have deeper knowledge of Eastern and Western Tea, their differences in term of taste, aroma, their respective preparation and etc..in respect of these two teas.

I was made to understand that this tea is also known as Black tea among tea connoisseurs and it is increasingly gaining popularity. Raised and cultivated in the healthiest environment of the Himalayas, the young leaves are thought to have excellent health benefits from its rich source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. I will share with you its taste once I have tried out. For those who have tasted this tea, please share with us some of your experience. We definitely love to hear from you.

From my understanding this tea is naturally processed. The fresh leaves are carefully handpicked and immediately left to dry; this gives its taste much like of freshly picked leaves. It contains only a small amount of caffeine making it suitable for people with high blood pressure and heart ailments.

The tea is cultivated in the cold mountains of India; they are basically handpicked, air dried, steamed and rolled tightly almost immediately. Once these leaves are completely air dried, it will then be steamed or fired at around 80 degree Celcuis for 2-3 minutes. The leaves can be steeped 3 times, but each steeping thereafter needs a longer period of time. Be mindful not to let the concoction to boil or overheat because it will cause the taste to turn bitter.

Hope you find this article useful and please do not hesitate to put forward your view in this regard. Thanks and have a fulfilling weekend.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

GREEN TEA, JAPENESE

2011-08-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

VERY WARM WELCOME TO THIS LIFE ENRICHING BLOG,

Recently I have just tried out the Japanese Green Tea, in Tea bag form, from the hotel I stayed during my boot-camp. I took 2 of the Tea bags for One-Cup; Net weight of 0.2g; New family teabag as shown in the photo below.

I found the OSK Japanese Green Tea which is slightly less than RM15.00 for 50 bags is fairly good in taste and value for the money spent. I was made to understand that you could get it from the major market chains such as Jusco, Carrefour and Cold Storage.

I then recalled my very first experience of the Japanese Green tea, given as a gift from a the late local Professor Yap Han Heng after his return from Japan. I had worked for him under several renowned institutions such as WHO and Sumitomo Chemical Ltd., though less than a year. I felt indebted to him as he is the person, apart from my sister who encouraged me to pursue my study in Form Six. We kept in touch for a number of years after I graduated with my first professional degree locally in 1987, until he passed away last few years ago. It turned out to be a horribly bitter experience for me at that time. I instantly vomited out immediately after my very first sip. I thereafter poured away the remaining tea, which was nearly almost a full glass of green tea. Such a waste, yet it gave me an unforgettable experience.

Below please find a copy of the testimony he had given to me after I met him at the University during my studying when he was there to give a talk on his area of expertise.

However, this powder teabag form of Japanese green tea today gives me a very pleasant taste and I truly enjoyed it. The smell is just like a sort of 'greenish-fishy'. Tell us more how you find its aroma and taste? What is the best quality of Japanese Green Tea that you had tasted? I must admit I know very little about it? Can someone tell me the difference between Chinese, Korean and Japanese green tea.Thanks and look forward to hearing from you soon,

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

TEA BLEND WELL WITH COMIC

2011-08-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

Hi, folks,

Hope you guys were not get shock when I blogged on a political cartoonist, Mr. Zunar. You may click at the title of this article to make access to it. I never intend to offend anyone, but if there is any offence taken, I apologise for it.

Today, I like to share with you my purpose of doing so. First, I believe it blends well with tea. It can be used as our conversation topic, just like what is commonly happening in Malaysia's tea and coffee outlets. It is also another way of enhancing lives especially for those who have that passion.

Secondly, it adds humour to our conversation as this artist is great and is able to turn the current issues into a laughing stock and crafting a fortune for him, while defending the country he loves. He is not only brave, but also dare to voice out for the public interest. This is a very healthy attitude and need to be encouraged.

At times, it is a noble act and we need to give him due respect to express his views freely as provided in the constitution in this country, especially those matters that are of great interest to the public.

Another interesting point to note in regard to enjoying this comic while we savor our team is that this book is handy and we can just flick through it. It is so rich in content and you can be assured to grasp its key message without much thinking. I have read through more than one time and find it so lively and entertaining. At least, I can laugh it out, from the portion of taxes I have to bear, if it is really true.

And last but not least I urge the government to reconsider their decision and lift the ban on this comic. To me, it may not be deem as a threat to the nation. In fact, the government should encourage this free flow of expression so as to act a check and balance to the executive arm in any democratic country, so to speak. I strongly believe we are not going to go Myanmar's way of administration of their affairs, which we also joined other nations to condemn their acts.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

CARTOONIST,MALAYSIA’S BEST POLITICAL- ZUNAR

2011-08-08T23:07:00.000-07:00

Very happy day to you,

Last night, I read the comic, 'EVEN MY PEN HAS A STAND' - a collection by Zunar, which I rarely did so. I found this comic very much different and it gave me lots of kick and I truly enjoy reading every page of it. In short, it really gives me lots of excitement and enjoyment. Every piece is so cleverly crafted to convey its heavy message, with his own view as a cartoonist and not as an illustrator. The cartoon is so lively and sensible - really can shake a Mighty one, without asserting any physical force. This is a real master piece and I read it over and over again. It is worth more than RM 25, I spent for the book with his personal autography. See the photo below:-

I can sense that he has a great passion for his work and decided to check his background. After reading through his profile, I realised that he is a man who truly knows what he wants, and brave enough to pay for whatsoever costs to achieve his mission. A man with great leadership quality that I really salute, Mr Zunar, you made us very proud of you. Thereafter, I realise that the philosophy he strongly uphold that made him outshine from the rest, so outstanding. I found him so fascinating that "his cartoons are not drawn by brush, but by brain". I said so because he has done his research well and able to portray the true message which is consistent to his conscious mind and soul. He is a man of principle that earns his readers' hearts.

Every piece is from his heart, so lively and touching every heart of his readers. He truly deserves the praise that is the driving force for me to write this post, to show my appreciation to his significant contribution to this art. While writing this article, my heart is gaining momentum and had convinced me to promote this healthy art to enrich our lives, the same I have done for my tea art blog at http://teaartblogspot.com.

Another interesting point about him is that his clear responsible conscience and his desire to be a patriot to his country makes him - A Real National Hero in my eyes, much more than a cartoonist. He may look as one-sided criticising the existing ruling party, but one thing I do agree with him is that in a country that is facing a moral crisis like Malaysia, criticising is not an agenda but a responsibility in line with the saying " The higher level of patriotism is to tell the truth in front of an unjust ruler."

In May 2011, the Cartoonist Rights Network International, announced him as the recipient for the award of 'Courage in Editiorial Cartooning' for the year. Big congratulation and well done. Zunar, we are proud of you for being a true Fighter.

Here, we at this blog also like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the American cartoonists who organised a charity dinner "The 23rd Cartoons and Cocktails" on October 2010 at the National Press Club in Washington for my fellow Malaysian who was lock-up under the Sedition Act 1948. Special thanks to Mr. Mark Fiore, the 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner for editorial cartoons, who promoted Zunar's cartoon books in the event.

As such, we urge more people to step forward to extend your support to promote and cultivate this art. Let this art to be created freely and without much interference from the ruling party of any government. We should not be afraid and bow to any force should we stand right with our conscience. We can't conceal any wrong especially in the today's technological world.

Therefore, we at this blog, urge all artists to forge a united force to create a higher level of success for this industry. Let us be honest to ourselves, who will care if we don't. Let this industry prospers and let us not bow to any unhealthy pressures.

To our greater success,

James Oh

TONGKAT ALI TEA - A BOOSTER WITH LOTS OF BENEFITS

2011-07-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hi! Folks,

Tongkat Ali, Eurycoma Longifolia Radix, is found in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. This plant has been used for centuries throughout these countries and is believed to strengthen the immune system, and has powerful anti-oxidative properties. It also has anti-viral and even anti-cancer properties.

This herb has been shown to have some effects against fighting both breast and lung cancer. As a result, it becomes popular and well received from all walks of life. And today it is not surprising that you can find Tongkat Ali Tea easily at normal “teh tarik” outlets.

I was made to understand that the bodybuilding community has taken a very serious interest in this herb, as it is believed to contribute to the building of muscle mass. The result of this study, carried in 2003, was published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine. This study showed that it can truly be a strong testosterone booster. This powerful enhancing herb has attracted lots of bodybuilders, who are looking for a safe, effective and legal edge for increasing muscle size and strength.

Historically, it has been believed that it has a significant effect on overall sexual performance apart from the benefits mentioned above. Its ability to increase sexual performance is directly tied to the herb’s stimulation of the production of testosterone. Recent animals studies also suggested it does indeed increase sexual performance. Animals given this herb did have an overall increased sexual response and performance. It is a powerful testosterone booster, sexual performance is boosted in a variety of ways, as follows:-

-More intense orgasms

-Stronger erections

-Dramatic boost in libido

-Increased semen volume

Another good news of this herb is that it is a safe herb for human consumption and has been substantiated by animal testing with rats. These wide-array of benefits, when combined with the herb’s safety record, make it an excellent choice if you’re looking to boost your testosterone levels naturally.

Because of its properties, today it is very common to find Malaysian drink Tongkat Ali tea. How about your country? Do tell us more if this tea is also available in your country or your experience.

Thanks and look forward to hearing from you,

James Oh

ROCK TEA - DA HONG PAO

2011-07-05T02:34:00.000-07:00

DA HONG PAO

Dear Readers,

I have tried "Da Hong Pao" teas several times, but I can't recall which type they belong to. I ONLY begin to realise lately that there are two main types, that is either from Upton or TeaSource. However, there are other couples Wuyi Rock teas from Jing [drums fingers impatiently]. To have a better understanding of the potential of these teas, I'd really like to hear from some of you how you feel in terms of quintessential example of a Big Red Robe or other Wuyi rock tea.

Any other recommendations? I must admit that price is a consideration factor, but I willing to try even fairly pricey teas like the "Exquisite" or "Tribute" DHPs. Thanks in advance!

I have tried one of the rock tea, tasting like wine. I can feel the heat all over my body and my faces too turn into red as well. That was my first experience which my contact had told me that it is a rare tea, which found only in a very old trees at one of moutains in China. May some of you share out your experience on rock tea.

I also made to understand lately that there are 4 famous wuyi teas, namely Si Da Ming Cong, Da Hong Pao, Tie Luo Han, Shui Jin Gui and Bei Ji Guan. Especially Bai Ji Guan, rarest of them and very unique flavor. Whereas Rou Gui and Shui Xian which are reminiscent of Da Hong Pao somehow. Can anyone tells us more.

For your easy reading, append below, please find a short briefing from Wikipedia

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Dà Hóng Páo (大红袍) is an important Wuyi Oolong tea. Legend has it that the mother of a Ming Dynasty emperor was cured of an illness by a certain tea, and that emperor sent great red robes to clothe the four bushes from which that tea originated. Three of these original bushes, growing on a rock on Mount Wuyi and reportedly dates back to the Song Dynasty, still survive today and are highly venerated. At one point, less than one kilogram of tea was harvested from these plants each year, of which a portion was retained by the Chinese government. In 2005, the remainder of this original and real Da Hong Pao was auctioned, with an initial asking price of 4000 RMB/100 g, but often reaching tens of thousands to millions of dollars per kilogram^[1]^[2]

In recent years, a number of companies have invested in preserving the interest in this tea and other so-called "artisan" teas, which typically are of very high quality and have rich histories as is true with Da Hong Pao. These have an initially high cost of production (and typically are only considered authentic when grown in their place of origin), but, as they have quickly become popular in Western countries, prized selections of the tea are available each year, with quality being consistent due to the increased popularity of tea.

Cuttings taken from the original plants have been used to produce similar grades of tea from genetically identical plants. Taste variations produced by processing, differences in the soil, and location of these later generation plants is used to grade the quality of various Da Hong Pao teas. Some online tea shops have marketed Da Hong Pao as an oolong—it is unclear whether their varieties are not fully fermented as traditional Da Hong Pao tea is or they have errors on their sites.

Xiao Hong Pao, or Small Red Robe refers to Da Hong Pao grown from plants of fourth or greater generation, but the term is rarely used. In some cases Xiao Hong Pao is simply sold as Hong Pao, presumably for marketing purposes.

Due to its high quality, Da Hong Pao tea is usually reserved for honored guests in China.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

TEA - SEVEN LAYERS IN A GLASS

2011-06-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

DEAR FRIEND,

I read about the article, One Glass, Seven Layers of Tea, in Wall Street Wall Journal, dated June 7, 2011 with so much delight and excitement. Thereafter I decided to blog it with the hope that you will like it.

No surprise to me that many Bangladeshis travel hours to the sleepy town of Srimongol, in Bangladesh’s northeast, just for a cup of Romesh Ram Gour’s famous tea. I have occassionally done so especially for famous food.

In a country of avid tea drinkers, Mr. Gour is the inventor behind the seven-layer tea which, he claims that no one else has been able to replicate. Copycats in the region have succeeded in creating at the most the five-layer teas, but none have been able to discover Mr. Gour’s rainbow brew secret.

It was reported that Mr. Gour invented his colorful layered teas 10 years ago, when he was selling tea from a bamboo shack. By the time he realized that teas from different leaves have different densities, he then begun to embark on his experiment. After a year of experimenting, he could sell teas with more than two layers. Over the years, he learned to expand to seven.

As such, the kind of layer tea Mr. Gour makes is unique to the Srimongol area. An iced three-layer tea has become popular in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, but those drinks include one type of tea and are typically layered with palm sugar on the bottom, evaporated milk in the middle and tea on the top. What makes Srimongol’s special are the discrete layers of tea blends.

Here, I must admit that this is the first time I heard about it and I have not tried it before. For those who have tried it, Please tell us more about it, its taste and so on. I will definitely give it a try if I have a chance to be there.

Append below please find its inventor and the seven layers tea for your viewing pleasure.

Christopher Shay for The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Gour and his layered tea

ROCK TEA

2011-06-22T01:27:00.000-07:00

Hi! Folks,

ROCK TEA may be for some of you, your favorite tea. As far as I am concern, I still recall my experience in one of those times, that nearly made me feel like tasting wine. However, I cannot recall this rock tea that make me believe that the effect exactly like wine, not only turned my face red, but also warmed my body. Thus enhanced the blood circulation around my body.

Lately, I read about Wuyi Yan Cha (Wuyi Rock Tea) that claimed to have a distinctive taste of sunburned mountain rocks, it was also reported that numerous types of tea are produced around Mount Wuyi, which is the origin of the real Da Hong Pao tea (most expensive tea in China) and Lapsang souchong, further described in Wuyi tea.

Wu Yi Tea also claimed to be the most powerful natural weight loss solution. For those who have used this weight reduction program please come forward to share your experiences. I was told that it is a unique combination of ingredients working synergistically for efficient weight reduction when combined with healthy diet.

This famous tea, also known as a type of "oolong tea" from Fujian province is found in the gaps of rocks on Wuyi Mountain, making its cultivation difficult. As a result, it is also very pricey due to its rarity. The leaves are usually hand-rolled and pan-fired at their aromatic peak. Thereafter they are charcoal-fired in small batches to produce deep green color and rich flavors. When brewed this tea tend to produce a smooth aroma with a deliciously sweet, roasted taste. This tea will continue to taste great even after many infusions.

For those who have not tried it before, I suggest that you give it a try and share with us your experience. Who knows you will love it after your discovery.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

TEA IS EVERYTHING

2011-06-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Folks,

I intend to do it differently and I plan to play a funny game with you on TEA, which I need your kind participation so as to generate the vibration to this blog. I named this game as TEA game, which well reflect the nature of this game. It is simple, just think what tea can do for you and add it to the list, to form a poem of it.

TITLE OF THIS POEM - TEA is everything.

Tea not only quenchs your thirst,

Tea also keeps you warm,

Tea nourishes your bodies,

Tea keeps you awake,

Tea gives you energy,

Tea keeps you healthy and fit,

In short, Tea is more than a drink.

Tea gives you a good companion,
Tea glues you with others,
Tea helps you to build bridges,
Tea helps you to tear down walls,
Tea keeps you calm and courageous,
Tea fulfills every need of yours,
In short, Tea is a relationship.

Tea creates lots of economical activities,
Tea is used as hedging tools against inflation,
Tea was used as currency,
Tea fulfills your financial needs,
Tea creates business opportunities,
Tea is gold,
In short, Tea is wealth,

Thank you Tea,
Tea fulfills every parts of our lives,
Tea is health, wealth and relationship,
In short, tea is everything

Please keep adding to the above and make the list going and create a vibration TEA truly deserved.

Thanks and look forward to receiving your feedback.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

HOW TO MAKE TEA EGG - VIDEO

2011-06-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

WE LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU

2011-05-26T01:45:00.000-07:00

WE LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU

A very warm welcome to you here.

Lately, I am wondering how I can take my blog further. It struck my mind to revert to you for your honest answers.
As such, I believe that it is appropriate for me to request you to review my blog in these three areas namely its content, quality and frequency. I fully acknowledged and accepted the fact that content is the highlight of the blog. It’s the reason why you visit my blog and why you keep coming back. As such it’s important for me to have consistency in both the quality of my content and the frequency in which I have been posting all this while. In this connection, your honest feedback is solicited on whether some of tips I know and share is attractive enough.

First thing first, please put a rating from 1 to 10 for the following :-

• Did my content create value. Please give the rating 1( very poor) to 10 (excellent)

Perhaps you may just use another fancy way of asking whether my content is amazingly interesting. All of my posts,which have intention to give readers a worthwhile reason for reading. In short, are you getting something back and at the end of day, are you being lifted up as the name suggested. If not, how?

• Frequently posted.

I update my blog on a regular basis to give you reason to come back to my site. The plan is to update my blog at least once or twice a week, having in mind that quality is more important than quantity. This is because I believe that taking a couple of days off between posts can help me write a better post in the long run.

• My content is readable.

I am mindful that writing a blog is much different than writing a book or paper. This is because you, as online readers, have relatively shorter attention spans and more specific needs are preferred. Here, what I am trying to say is that I never pick colors fonts that will strain the visitor’s eyes. If I do, I like to apologise for it.

I also always ensure that my writing is easy to read. I prefer short paragraphs, using lists or bullet points, bolding or underlining important text when it is appropriate for me to do so. Do you agree?

Keeping enough white space in between lines and words is my style. Most of the times, I try to avoid typing up huge walls of text. At times, images and videos are included, where appropriate, to give readers something to look at. Here, I believe prosperity through diversity and always looking at new avenues to improve it further.

At last, but not least, I never felt discouraged when I work hard on a post even though no one pays attention to it. I am aware that growing a blog takes time. No one appreciate it now, does not mean that it will not be appreciated in the future. This is because once I grow, more people will look through my older posts and will see my hard work! Alternatively it will give me a chance to improve it further.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

TEA JOKES

2011-05-15T00:12:00.000-07:00

Once while visiting a very rich friend, the maid approached me with a simple question.

Question : What drink would you like to have...?

Answer : Tea please

Then.....

Question : Ceylon tea, Indian tea, Herbal tea, Bush tea, Honey bush tea, iced tea or green tea?

Answer : Ceylon tea

Question : How would you like it? Black or white?

Answer : white

Question : Milk, or fresh cream?

Answer : With milk

Question : Goat's milk, or cow's milk?

Answer : With cow's milk please.

Question : Friezeland cow or Afrikaner cow?

Answer : Uhm, I'll just take it black.

Question : Would you like it with sweetener, sugar or honey?

Answer : With sugar

Question : Beet sugar or cane sugar?

Answer : Cane sugar

Question : White, brown or yellow sugar?

Answer : Forget about the tea, just give me a glass of water instead.

Question : Mineral water, tap water or distilled water?

Answer : Mineral water

Question : Flavored or non-flavored, sparkling or non?

Answer : I think I'll just die of thirst

World's Most Powerful Fat-Burning Tea!

2011-04-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

Dear friend,

Please click at the title to watch the video on the world's most powerful fat-burning Tea.

YIXING TEAPOT DEMONSTRATION PART 1

2011-04-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

BAK KUT TEH ( NON HALA FOOD)

2011-03-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

BAK KUT TEH ( NON HALA FOOD)

Hi! folks,

The weather of this morning is cold and wet, it triggers me to have Bak Kut Teh to keep me warm,however, I enjoy this delicious food. Bak Kut Teh, which is basically pork cooked in herbal soup has Klang as its birthplace. It began with cooking meat in herbal soup so as to give strength to the hard working labourers who worked at the port. Later on it evolved into so many varieties, thicker, thin soup and dry type as well.

Now, it is so famous that you can find Bak Kut Teh stalls in most parts of Malaysia and Singapore, with their signboard of “Klang Bak Kut Teh” to attract customers.

Kedai Makanan Seng Huat, popularly known as the Restaurant “Under the Bridge”, is located along the same row of shophouses next to the Port Klang KTM station. The other landmark you can look for would be the Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Klang.

One obvious thing you will notice, when you walk into this restaurant, is that many kettles are placed strategically around the tables. These kettles are used to boil water for customers to brew their Chinese tea, which customer bring along or select from the basketful of tea leaves in bags by its waiters.

Then you will be given a number of small Chinese tea cups, depending on the number of your group, with one equally small tea pot for you to brew your tea. Here, can someone tell me why tea is chosen as companion of Bak Kut herbal soup?

There are variety of pork, from different parts of pig's body, you can choose from: fatty, lean, half-fat / half-lean, ribs, leg, spare parts such as intestines, stomach. You may eat with either white plain rice or mixed rice with fried shallots for a fragrant taste.

The soup is flavourful, with a reasonably strong hint of herbs though not overwhelming and the meat is really tender, which sort of melts in the mouth as a result of long hours of cooking. To add more excitement, you may add Yau Char Kuey (deep fried rolls). If you prefer it to be slightly crispier, then I suggest that you don't expose it in the herbal soup for too long. Nothing beats eating Yau Char Kuey shortly after it is fried.

The shop is open everyday from 7.00am till about 1.00pm and reopen from 5.00pm till about 11.00pm.

Here, I like to stress that tea is so highly appreciated everywhere and even the herbal soup best goes with Chinese tea, as its name suggested. Tea again is regarded as a good companion, as good contributor, in the Chinese community as it sets good example to its people.

So, next time if you go to Klang, make sure you try this. Otherwise, your trip will not be complete without it.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

10 WAYS TO REALLY FIND TEH PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA

2011-03-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

Hi! Folks,

Recently I also received an email from a blogger called Jessica Hulett who is so kind to share with me the article that they had just posted on their own blog.

Her kind thoughts and proposal for posting of her article in my blog is well accepted by me to mark a good kick start our co-operation to enrich my blog readers further. Thank her so much for her concerns and action.

As such, I am without any hesitation agree to it and append below is her article. Hope you enjoy it.

10 Ways to Really Find the Price of Tea in China

Posted on March 17, 2011 by admin

If you grew up like I did you may have heard your parents say a few times “What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” Well, I must confess that I have started using that same saying on my children and guess what? They are now old enough to call me on it and throw it back in my face. So now we have banter back and forth around variations of the “price of tea in China” saying. Before I knew it, the whole thing got a bit out of control and I simply had to find out how I could know the price of tea in China daily. And thus, this list of 10 places to find the price of tea in China online was born:

Chinese Tea Store: This site offers a wide variety of authentic Chinese teas for a reasonable price. You can order as little as 25 grams or as much as 200 grams of tea.
Tea Trader: This tea trader site lists its Chinese teas in Canadian dollars and sell as much as 500 grams per premium tea.
Yixing Teapot Sale: This tea seller has a wide assortment of aged teas and special grade teas for a reasonable price.
Golden Teahouse: Check out Golden Teahouse’s collection of fine Chinese teas and monthly specials you don’t want to miss!
Chinese Tea Wholesales Center: If you’re looking to buy your tea at a good price, you need to check out this wholesale center that offers premium Chinese teas in bulk.
China Tea Mall: China Tea Mall gives you a thorough price guide and detailed tea description to make purchasing even easier.
Grand Tea Company: This Hong Kong-based company offers a wide variety of traditional and specialty teas in several different weights.
The Whole Leaf: The Whole Leaf sells just that – whole leaf tea, not tea bags. This purer form of tea is sold by the ounce or quarter pound.
Chinese Tea: This site offers a wide variety of traditional and aged teas and a dose of tea history for you to enjoy.
Chinese Culture: Check out what this online market has to offer and shop around for their special tea deals.

If you aren’t familiar with the origins of the saying, it’s not particularly complicated and dates back to the 19th century when the price of tea in England was particularly high. It was actually highest when the first ship arrived back from China after their harvest. The ship owners would pay for the crop in China and then race back to England to try to get there first (since the first ship back got the highest payment and each subsequent ship got less).

This became known as the tea clipper races. So basically the saying evolved from those last ships that made it back complaining of the price they were getting in England and the response being what does that (the current price of tea in England) have to do with the price of tea in China?

Please share with us your view/experience. Thanks and stay tuned.

LOW FAT GREEN TEA LATTE

2011-03-09T05:25:00.000-08:00

LOW FAT GREEN TEA LATTE

Hi! Tea Folks,

The two all-time-favourite beverages from Starbucks, Green Tea Latte and Caramel Macchiato, caught me by surprise as it never strike my mind to have tea and its stuff at the Starbucks.

After further investigation, I found that the above two beverages have a lighter option -- Low Fat Green Tea Latte and Low Fat Caramel Macchiato,

The Low Fat Green Tea Latte is a lightly sweetened blend of high quality green tea powder from Japan with steamed low-fat milk and topped with foam, making it appears smooth and creamy. Please share with us your experience with both, if you have tried them out.

I was also made to understand that its’ Low Fat Caramel Macchiato which is sweet and buttery, is made with freshly steamed low-fat milk too. It is also layered with rich espresso and drizzled with Starbucks's signature caramel sauce.

This healthy and popular espresso beverage takes on a lighter dimension with low-fat milk as its formula, rather than the standard whole milk, specially caters for customers who prefer a less creamy beverage.

In addition to the above two low-fat milk beverages, Starbucks's new full-leaf teas are available in five different flavours -- Mint Blend, Chamomile Blend, Spearmint Green, English Breakfast and Earl Grey. It really pampers its customer with choices, so as to deliver their commitment of the highest quality beverages to support their lifestyle.

With the above introduction, I do hope you don't make the same mistake as I did. Just drop at its nearest outlets and try these new menus. Hope you enjoy it.

Thanks and seeing you again

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

TEA SHAMPOO

2011-03-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hi ! Everyone.

Big congratulation to you for coming to the blog talk about tea, which is second most HIGHLY consumed after water.

This article I decided to illustrate further how tea has been closely associated with our daily life. It has been widely recognized and accepted as one of the important beverage. Its dried tea also can be used as pillow, fertilizer and etc.

Today, my article is going to touch on tea essence shampoo. No doubt, tea has also been widely accepted as a nutritious product in my country, today it is also used to produce tea essence shampoo and is easily available in Malaysia. Perhaps you may find such products in your country. Please update us in the comment column provided below. Thanks.

This uniquely formulated shampoo, with the antioxidant properties of tea, especially Green and White tea essence is able to revitalize hair. Here, anyone would like to share your thoughts or experiences in this aspect. You are always more than welcome here. No doubts, there have been lots of scientific proofs of such properties found in tea leave. Not surprising that some of you may have read or be aware of it..

Append below please find such a product which are available in my country for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks and look forward to seeing you again.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

WATER

2011-03-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

WATER

Hi ! Tea folks,

As some of you may be aware that water is the main component of brewing the best possible tea, apart from having good quality tea. As such, we cannot afford to ignore the significant importance of water. It has two great impacts on tea in term of type of water used and at what level the water is boiled.

In today's article, I am going to focus on the latter to ease the understanding. So, the question arises here is to what level the water should boil at. To answer this question, we need to know what type of tea you are brewing. Append below I have listed down some useful guide for the respective type of teas:-

a) about 70-80 degree C for green tea;
b) 85 degree C are good for white or lightly oxidated Oolong teas;

It is interesting to know that the ancient tea masters, prior to invention of thermometer, used visuals or hearing to determine the correct water temperature, for steeping tea, as appended below:-

a) when you see the bubbles like small fish's eyes or crab's eyes, that translate to about 70-80 degree, suitable for green tea.

b) When the bubbles grow bigger and like the size of crystal beads or pearls, indicates to 85 degree C, suitable for white and lightly oxidated Oolong teas.

c) As the billows surge wildly in the kettle, with the size of longans, the water is nearly reaching the boiling point and perfect for for steeping black or Pu'er teas.

That's the main reason for my preference of glass kettle, which I have blogged much earlier. You may read it again at the link below.

Before I pen off, I like to take this opportunity to share a useful Chinese poem in this connection which closely associates the sound of water gurgling in the kettle with other natural sounds from the wind or water flow as belows:-

a) "wind blowing through pine leave" which translates to water boiling at 75 degree C. b) Whereas sounds resembling "spring water spurting out of the stone ' which would be 85 degree C
c) "waves crashing on the shore", translate to 91 degree C.
d) When the water reach the boiling point, there is No sound at all.

Lastly, can you guess which step makes the most noise. Scroll down for the answer.

e) However, half-boiled water makes the most noise. This phrase I believe is the most well known phrase in life and still applicable in today's world. Here, I write to congratulate those who answered it correctly.

Trust you find the above article not only entertaining, but also enriching as the name of this blog suggests. Please feel free to let us know as how to make this more entertaining and enriching should you have any idea/suggestion. Your valuable feedback is greatly appreciated.

Hope to seeing you again,

To your success in enriching life,

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

TREASURE OF AGED TEA

2011-03-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

VERY WARM WELCOME HERE,

I had always been approached and asked "What are the differences between aged and new tea?"

In this article, I decided to address this question below in the hope that you have a better understanding.

New tea as opposed to aged tea, is usually harvested, produced and sold in the same season. As for aged tea, it is usually kept for a few years or even decades.

Naturally, the characteristics of new tea are fresh, sweet and astringent with aroma. As a consequence, the new tea is more exciting to your stomach and much easier to refresh your brain. Due to these similar reasons, new tea is not recommended for the elderly to drink.

The next question arises as how to take good care of the aged tea?

You may know that the aged tea is stored for long periods, so the taste is not fresh, and other tastes may be lost as well. Although the aged tea comes with the light flavor, its' taste mellows slowly and consistently. It is worthy to note that high quality aged tea does not taste unpleasantly old or musty.

Append below please find the most common ways to age tea.

a) Sealing tea in the pot and then put in the cellar or
b) Bury into the ground.

In the above manners, tea will change favor slowly and naturally.

Lately, you may find some people prefer roasting out the tea every few years after starting the aged process in order to prevent bad odour. Please inform us more about this newly invented way, which I am sure it is of great assistance to the readers of this blog.

However, no matter which way tea is aged, if you don’t use the high quality tea, do not expect the poor taste tea to change to better ones. Hence, the high quality tea base is the most crucial for aged tea.

Interestingly to note that aged tea will tend to appreciate, similar to wine. Not surprisingly that it has been used as one of the hedging tools against inflation, which has become the current phenomena worldwide. These aged teas have increased in value many folds recently and big congratulations to those who have made a windfall. For those who have not, please spare some time to learn this hobby and you too can make such similar fortune.

Here, I must confess that I am very fortunate that my investment in the aged tea and apparatus had been successful and I can be well rewarded if I were to realize them. However, I still prefer to keep them and continue to learn more of this hobby.

Thank God and those who had assisted me in such a rewarding investment and hobby.

Stay tuned and look forward to hearing from you,

James Oh

GAIWAN IS NOT REINVENTED TEA BREWING METHOD

2011-02-23T22:20:00.000-08:00

Gaiwan is not a reinvented tea brewing method

In my preceding article, I have discussed quite indepth on how this method reinvented tea brewing. To make it more fun, I decided to write an opposing view on today's article so as to enhance the readers' perspective.

In my preceding article, my argument that gaiwan reinvents tea brewing method because it makes the process much simpler and faster. However you should be mindful that this method only applies to tender tea such as green tea. Hence, it has limited scope and application.

Due to the above limited scope and application, it is more appropriate/ accurate that to say that it offers another brewing method to tea drinkers. Hence, it should be viewed as a compliment to other brewing methods rather than replacing them. In short, it adds more color to life, so to speak.

As such, it makes other brewing method relevant and applicable till date. With technological advancement, more varieties and methods are made available. Simply put, you are more pampered with plenty of choices as it evolves through time. Greater challenges and excitement awaits you if you choose to explore further.

By its simplicity and ease of use in nature, one may argue that it lacks kick; glory or fun in term of the activities involved. Be mindful that it has a great adverse impact on the economy as well. Today's world, everyone is more concerned on the sustainable economy rather than anything else.

Alternatively, you may also choose to stay the way you are in. Grab whatever opportunity that comes along. You may turn every situation to your favour so long as you are contented with. To do so, you need to be creative and innovative.

Once, you see the benefits, you should then act upon it, without any delay. Never wait until a right time for you to do so and I can assure you that the right time will not come.

To share with you my initial experience when I begun my blog. I know, for sure that there is so much imperfectness and incompleteness. However, I chose to embark it first and tidy it whenever I have the time to do so.

Hope you enjoy reading it and have a fulfilling day,

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

HOW TO BREW CHINESE GREEN TEA (VIDEO)

2011-02-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

GAIWAN

2011-02-13T18:00:00.001-08:00

Gaiwan Method

The Gaiwan is a traditional teacup from China, with a lid and saucer. By placing the lid at an angle, the lid functions as a strainer and makes drinking pure leaf teas easy. The saucer helps in lifting the cup, especially when the tea is at a high temperature. Originally the Gaiwans were made of clay. Over time many designs have evolved. These days porcelain, stoneware and glass Gaiwans are used to enjoy pure leaf teas.

If you prefer, you may also use the gaiwan method, the oldest method for brewing tea, instead of the gongfu method of making tea. You may click at the link below to refresh your memory of the latter method.

http://teaartblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/gongfu-tea-ceremony.html

In this article, I am very proud to share with you of the latter method. This method involves tea cup, cup lid and saucer. Please allow me to give you a short history of this method.

A porcelain cup with a lid that fits inside the lips was created during the Ming dynasty. You may drink from it directly or serve the tea in individual testing cups. Later, a third element was introduced, the saucer, also called in China "Tea boat". This piece was added to insulate the bottom and enable people to hold the cup more safely. By placing the lid at an angle, the lid functions as a strainer to keep the leaves away from the drinking or pouring edge. As such, it makes drinking pure leaf teas easy. This method is suitable for drinking tea alone as well as sharing with a group of people using a pitcher and small cups.

Due to its functionality and practicability, the Gaiwan has long been recognized as one of the most common tool in China to prepare tea. It is the favorite way of preparing and drinking tea in the Sichuan province. Teahouses there mostly serve tea in gaiwan cups. The gaiwan is used more appropriatly especially when brewing tender tea such as green tea, white tea, and tisanes. Otherwise, it would be easily over brewed when clay teapot is being used. Another great advantage of using this cup is that you could drink it directly. Thus, you are just enjoying tea exactly the way they used to during the Ming dynasty. It evolved over time. These days porcelain, stoneware and glass Gaiwans are used to enjoy pure leaf teas.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

AIR TALK ON TEA

2011-02-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Everyone,

Greetings from Malaysia! Here I have good news for you.

Lately, I received a mail from our local radio station, BFM 89.9- The Business Station I www.bfm.my I 5.01 Wisma BU8, 11 Lebuh Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor 47800, Malaysia I Map tinyurl.com/bfmmap I Join Facebook Group tinyurl.com/bfmradio I Follow on Twitter www.twitter.com/bfmradio where you can log in their website if you want to know more about this station.

They came across my blog while looking for someone to do a scoop on tea appreciation for the upcoming Chinese New Year season. In this connection, they wrote to me to inquire whether I could assist them in doing so. Of course, my answer to them is a BIG YES and that I am more than happy to assist in any way I can to promote this healthy art and culture. What is more important is to bring more cheers to their listeners so that they can have more fun and look forward to a more exciting program.

We then proceeded to fix a day to do recording and I do hope you could continue to extend your support by tuning to this channel, as scheduled on Time and Date ........................................

Trust you will enjoy it and hope that it will give you a good kick off for this coming Rabbit Year, we all are awaiting for.

Before I end here, I write to wish you "Gong Xi Fatt Choi" and let Tea be the bridge to help you to cross over your challenges and achieve your goals.

Thanks and have a fulfilling day everyday!

Best regards

James

TEA - THE NATURAL WAY OF LIFE

2011-01-31T04:59:00.000-08:00

Dear readers and visitors,

Today, I write to share with you some great benefits, I have learnt from Tea art. I never regret taking it up, despite making some mistakes here and there. In short, it has taught me some significant life values.

After an in-dept thought lately, I must admit that it offered me far more exceeding benefits, than I expected initially. As I pursued the journey, I realized that it not only offered me some medicinal value, but also touches me in other parts of my life, which I like to share with you in this article.

As some of you may already know, that it is very closely associated to human daily activities as some claimed that it as "a way of life" or more inclined to a "relationship" than beverage. Its important role cannot be denied and disregarded. No wonder it was widely recognized in Ancient Chinese as one of seven daily necessities, other than firewood, rice, salt, vinegar, soya sauce and oil.

Through tea drinking, we are taught to be very grateful and are constantly reminded to give "thank to others" who serve us. No wonder that the gesture of bending his fingers to tap on the table, is still practiced since its discovery, couple of centuries ago. This gesture was first invented by the servant, who was being served tea by his master, so called Emperor Qianlong, in a restaurant when the emperor was traveling as an ordinary person in his empire with this servant. In order not to disclose the true identity of his master, the servant express this gesture as bending down his knee and bow down to express his highest honor of thank to The Emperor.

This gesture of thank you is still widely practiced amongst its drinkers today, in line with the proverb "action speaks louder than words". Moreover, it also reminded us, occasionally if not daily, to be graceful in whatever condition you are in. Alternatively the wedding tea ceremony is also being widely practiced amongst the Chinese communities to recognize this significant value, where the newly wedded couple kneels down and serve tea to in front of their parents, as a gesture of expressing their gratefulness to their parents for bringing them up.

It also symbolized as a mark of respect to elder persons. In the past, tea was always served by the younger to the older generation as a sign of respect. Through tea drinking, they are usually sit in a circle, as a way to reflect equal status and each and everyone is a contributor regardless of their knowledge or educational background. They gather to enjoy the companions and to share their thoughts, views, skill and experience of each brew of tea and other aspects of life. This good value which, expressed our thanks is still practiced amongst its drinkers.

It also reminded us to respect other persons' views, rather than ours, so as to preserve the peace, flow or order -the centre of drinking atmosphere. The fundamental rule is not to exert one views against others without respect of others. If we do that, the question arises as how we learn from others and constantly strike to make progress. As such, the key to this is to stay open minded. Here, again it stressed the importance of having good relationship between its peers, so to speak.

By knowing each participant's preference and liking, through the feedback gathered through their gathering, it will enhance the understanding and relationship. This can be easy achieved through constantly sharing of their experience, through their collections, drinking preference, views and opinions throughout their conversation during their tea drinking. One may noticed their personal characteristics, well reflected through, the way they carry out themselves, if they really wanted to. Trust can be built from there. That's why it is not surprising to see a huge amount of business transactions done through the tea table, in the past to the present.

Through tea drinking, we were also being constantly reminded of humility. That's why it is always wise to adopt good practice. Serving others first and our selves last, has been entrenched in this healthy practice as a good gesture of humility and give honor to your guests. As such, serving from the left to the right is still preserved as a good practice of ensuring the smooth flow and good habit. You are constantly reminded that what you give will finally come back to you. Now, you can see the logic of the saying of giving is receiving in this sense. So, watch out for what you do as it will eventually come back to you.

Pouring tea to others as gesture of asking forgiveness for serious mistakes is still widely practiced in certain regions till today. Through drinking, it always remind us to ask for forgiveness if you had in some way offended others or aggrieved their rights in the modern contexts. Its' wisdom is well reflected in itself, regardless of whether you say it out or not. You cannot fool the people, for even a fool have eyes to see himself.

Always look forward and be a solution provider. This is always welcome in tea drinking session so as to seek the enjoyment of each other companions and perceived as a contributor to enhance and improve its progression and improvements so as to preserve the harmony, flow, order in this context. As such, we are always reminded to assist another to solve the issues at hand.

You would also agree with me that tea drinkers always believe that prosperity is through diversification. That's the reason you find so many variety of utensils, of various sizes, materials and shapes being used. Method of practicing and school of thoughts are also varied. It evolves in every aspect, from its initial processes to end product. Its sustainability is tested and proven through its long history and significant values in human's lives. Today, you can even find it also evolved and used as one of the ingredients in shampoo as well. No wonder that the ancient scholars, artists and officials placed so much value in it.

To preserve its historical role as currency at once time, you still can find people use it as a hedging tool against inflation as an alternative to gold. I also strongly believe of its appreciation in value will be sustained in view of the prosperity achieved by China. As a result, more people have purchasing power to go after luxury items such as tea because of its medical and other values.

Other good attributes such as patience, perseverance, cooperation and paying attention to details are also cultivated through this culture as a way to sustain its continuous growth and progression. In this context, these good values are acknowledged and recognized as universal ingredients of ensuring and keeping peace throughout the world. Moreover, we have enough suffering from the past expensive world wars.

Order (flow) is the main emphasis in this healthy culture. The law of nature has been entrenched into this culture, directly and indirectly, expressly and impliedly or whatsoever one may think appropriate. Broader view is always preferred and practiced here. Problems seekers/ arm chair critics are always discouraged / curtailed so as not to create any disharmony, so that each participant can make progress and betterment.

James Oh

Green papaya cubes with green tea - Effective

2010-06-25T01:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Append below is the article I received from my contacts and I cannot find it more useful than blog it out. For those who have tried this out, please share with your experience. Thank you in advance for your participation.

This is a really effective, just mix green papaya cubes to the ordinary green tea, my cousin brother tried and found it very effective. I have also shared with a friend with gout to try this (his "toe joints" started to deform), after a week of drinking this formula there is significant improvement, after two weeks the toe joints heal and revert to normal state. It is almost three years now, the joint pain is gone, but he maintain the intake between 1-3 times monthly to avoid relapse.

其他的朋友喝了都有解決多年痛風的困擾，沒事也可喝，還不錯。

Other friends suffering from years of gout problem have also recovered. It is good for all, even those without gout.

好方法喔~~趕快告訴需要的人吧!!!!

Good formula! Do share with the people in need!

中國藥學院--- 賴教授改良新方式:

An improved sequence by Professor Lai from the China School of Pharmacy :

將青木瓜切成丁放入水中煮沸後才放入茶葉，泡茶過程和一般茶葉相同。
據實際臨床經驗效果更佳，而且治療尿酸效果更佳(須常期喝)

Cut green papaya into small cubes, place into the water, bring to boil, then add green tea leaves, similar to the tea-making process. Clinical tests show that this brings better effects for treatment of gout, subject to frequent drinking of this formula.

青木瓜泡茶
台南縣仁德鄉後壁村長劉結慶患胃痛多年，把青木瓜當做茶壺泡茶喝，一個月後竟治癒宿疾，家人尿酸過多喝木瓜泡茶也不藥而癒，劉村長因而種了許多木瓜，送給有病的親友鄉親。

Mr Liu Qing, Chief of the Rende Town in Tainan, was suffering for years from severe stomach pain around the posterior wall of stomach. He used green papaya as a tea pot to prepare the family tea daily, after a month his chronic disease condition was much improved. His family members with high uric acid were also healed by the same papaya tea. For this Mr Liu planted a lot of papaya to share with relatives and friends with similar sickness.

劉村長說，青木瓜最好選擇果實肥短，容量比較大，將木瓜頂部切開，挖出木瓜內的種籽，再開一個小缺口方便倒茶水，8 F一邊開個小洞透氣，放入茶葉、倒進沸水後蓋回木瓜頂部，並以牙籤固定，泡茶過程和一般茶葉相同。

According to Mr Liu, in selection of the Green Papaya as tea pot, pick those whose shape are fat and short, with larger capacity. Cut off the top part of the papaya, clear away the seeds, open a small hole at the upper side wall to facilitate pouring of tea. Create a small ventilation hole at top cover, put in the tea leaves, pour in boiling water, place the top cover back to papaya, you may use the toothpicks to secure the top cover. Similar to normal process of preparing tea.

Liu like to use Oolong tea as the taste is good. He was pleasantly surprised that the stomach pains he suffered for many years was healed after a month of drinking tea from the green papaya pot, without taking any other medication. He passed some green papaya leaves to a friend who worked at a Medical Center to test and analyse the content. The tests confirmed that healthy the enzyme present in papaya is beneficial to human health. Now as papaya in Mr Liu's orchard is yeilding suitable size fruit, he would share the fruits with family and friends.

Xu Fuchang, an experienced papaya farmers, the green papaya refers to papaya that is not ripe, where the skin is still green in colour. Generally, the papaya takes about four months to fully mature and ripe, but there healing effect would be lost after it is fully ripe. Green Papaya should be harvested when the papaya is approximately three months old, when the fruit is still firm, and the "papaya milk" contains high papaya enzyme and other healthy ingredients. Not only the green papaya can be used in tea drinking, you may also cut them into cubes, and boil with the ribs, or even slicing the green papaya into fine long pieces and fried with garlic, very tasty, and no adverse effects on the human body.

Thanks for your time reading this article and we look forward to hearing from you,

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

HISTORY OF TEA ART ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA

2010-06-18T01:03:00.000-07:00

My Dearest Friends,

Today,we are going to touch on the history of how the tea shops/house begin in Malaysia. These tea shops/house in Malaysia began in the early seventies. Just about a dozen people from all walks of life, dedicated to the tea culture, began to promote tea culture in Malaysia. They allowed people of all ethnic groups from all over the country to enjoy quality tea by complying to the tea culture, which cultivates good values such as patience, concentration, harmony and a peaceful environment.

The Kuala Lumpur Tea Art Society, Malaysia was finally established and approved by the Registrar of Societies Malaysia in early December 1998. This is the result of more than a year of planning and preparation and since then it started to grow.

Southern Chinese Tea Ceremony 3

The Mission of the Association is to promote the tea culture amongst Malaysians. They also constantly organise activities and programmes such as, tea pot art lectures and tea exchange programs both domestically and in foreign countries especially China to explore the concept of tea culture, tea art training and curriculum.

For those who have the passion to acquire this skills and knowledge are always encouraged to join this association.

For other parts of the world, you may join such association in your own country. They are more than happy to train any foreigners to acquire this skill and knowledge.

Here, we always believe that we can only progress through sharing.

Hope you find this article useful and meaningful.

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

CHINESE TEA EGGS

2010-06-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

Dear friend,

In Malaysia, snacks such as Chinese Tea Eggs are very commonly available in most tea shops or some Chinese conventional medical shops especially in major cities. Now, they are also available in shopping mall especially with high number of Chinese shoppers. The aroma is so strong that you can smell it from far as the seller may keep heating them up.

For lunch, in addition to other light meals such as noodle apart from tea.

Tea eggs, stewed in a black tea/soy sauce/spice blend, are ubiquitous and cheap snacks sold in major cities around Malaysia. They're also easy to make at home. Getting the marbling effect is as simple as cracking the egg once it's partially or well cooked. You can use any black tea, or Pu'er for an earthier taste. (Green tea is too astringent to use for tea eggs.) The eggs can be simmered for 1 to 3 hours; longer simmering means a more intense flavor and color.

Once the eggs are cooked, you can eat them hot or cold as a snack. Alternatively you may serve them as appetizers at a party, cut in half with caviar on top. Or even take them on your next hiking trip.

Simple yet delicious and you may add this item into your meal whenever you like it. Rich in nutrition and yet delicious in taste, try it out and share with us your experience.

Thanks for your precious time to read this article and look forward to hearing from you,

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

TEA POT OF YELLOW CLAY

2010-06-08T01:10:00.001-07:00

Hi! My dearest readers,

This article we are going to share with on the above two little lovely yellow clay tea pots. One of these as shown above is of the bigger round shape lid with 4 Mandarin characters as " Round Moon surrounded with Good and lovely Flower" indicates a relaxed life in peaceful and harmonious environment.

Whereas its pot is also with a larger flat bottom compared to the other yellow clay pot which matches well with its lid. The lid sit well at the ledge of the pot which attracted my younger brother's attention, and he brought this good news to me. At that time, I instantly requested him to take me to see the mainland Chinese merchant, who came to my mother's usual market place to sell his handcraft.

Thank God. When I reached there, these two items still available. After serious inspection and scrutiny of these two items, I bargained with him and at last he told these two pieces to me at a good price since he was leaving my country very soon.

The photo above shown these two pieces, with the lid being removed and placed at their sides, which I bought from the mainland Chinese merchant. You can see clearly the differences between these two pieces despite both look alike, but their sprouts are so much different from each other. The left sprout is of italics whereas the right one is of straight and sharper sprout.

As mentioned earlier, the lid of the left pot with a smaller lid compare with the one on the right. Both are of round shape.

No doubt both had been engraved with lotus flowers; one is a big lotus flower whereas the other is smaller with three lotus flowers. One is with a bird, represent peaceful, joyful and harmonious environment. Whereas the other one is a gold fish and lotus flower which well reflect a fish flowing freely in an environment of peace, joy and surrounded by lotus flower.

The Chinese characters on its pots and lids are also different. The meaning of its Chinese characters on the smaller lid well reflects the pots wide spread to every part of the world, without any boundary and limitation.

Look closely at "Mark Chop" at the bottom of both the pots closely. You will realise that both pots are made by different potters, which I initially thought was the same potter. However, I have no regret in buying both of them. I have kept them easily for more than five years and I will keep them in the near future.

We hope by now you will appreciate each and every pot which I have displayed with short description. We find each one has its own meaning and its unique crafting is very pleasing to our eyes and soul.

No wonder, every participant can enjoy every moment of the sip of the tea of his preferences. Together surrounded by the beauty of the pots, cups, bowls, trays and all types of accessories which we have shown you in our preceding articles. Perhaps, you should close your eyes and imagine all these items displayed in front of you and you are surrounded by your loved ones. Each one of you is sipping the tea slowly and you can see through their expression, the real full satisfaction of the tea that you have brewed for them. How wonderful and meaningful you will feel, especially from the snap shot of that particular moment.

Folks, what are you waiting for? Begin with some of these accessories and start to brew the tea. Take, the snap shot of that particular sweet moment become your goal/ end. Keep moving and let us know your experience.

Thank you and look forward to hear your experience both new or existing ones.

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

TEA SHOP IS EVOLVING OVER TIME IN MALAYSIA

2010-06-07T02:02:00.001-07:00

Hi! everyone,

Franchising concept is becoming popular amongst the Chinese teashops worldwide. They not only sell a variety of tea-leaf products, but also provide places for customers to experience fine tea brewing and the art of Chinese tea-drinking.

These shops are run not just by retirees in the Chinese community but many younger persons and students have participated in this popular Chinese cultural art form.

The Kung Fu tea ceremony literally means brewing tea with great skill. In brewing Kung Fu tea, a person needs to focus on symbolic hand gestures as practised in the Japanese tea ceremony. Some of these teashops are not only cultural brands, but also cultural business as well. They are more inclined to an enterprise which integrates body, mind and soul.

No surprise that there is a Chinese saying that tea is one of the seven basic daily necessities of life – besides fuel, rice, salt, oil, soya sauce and vinegar.

But in the early eighties, Chinese tea-drinking seemed to only interest the elderly people in Malaysia. Many of these people have a strong desire to introduce the art to the younger generation as they feared that the art, which has been around for over 5,000 years, might face extinction.

Thanks to all these group of people for their wise move and action.

Instead of shrinking, these teashops in Malaysia eventually expanded to serve more variety of tea-flavoured dishes such as Oolong tea rice, Oolong tea-fried vegetables and Jasmine tea-steamed fish.As the time go by, more items were also added, such as tea mooncakes to widen its product range.

Today, you can even find tea bags or powder form. This is to cater for convenience of urban folks who have hectic lifestyles. We can also find tea cafe chains which runs like the Starbucks cafe concept in Malaysia.

Their wise move makes life more interesting with these additional activities. It turn out to be a real true blessings instead.

James Oh

TEA POT

2010-06-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hi! Friends,

In our preceding article, we have written about the tea pot and its history.

Today, we are going to brief you about the differences you can find in these tea pots shown in the above photo.

They are made from different types of clay. The clay colours are also different caused by how they have been fired in the kiln in term of heat temperature. Each type of clay has its different porosity and serves well for the different types of tea.

You can see clearly that each pot has its own identity and personality, suits individual preference and liking. Each individual teapot has also its own unique shape and meanings.

If you examine further, you will notice that the thickness of the clay is also different from one tea pot to the other. BY rule of thumb, the thickness should be at least 1/4 inch in thickness, otherwise it could easily crack.

Their spouts are of different lengths and designs. Each one serves its own function. By looking closely, you will also notice the hole in the spout is of different width. Some have bigger holes and they were designed for bigger tea leaves. Otherwise, the spout will easily be blocked by the tea leaves and cause inconvenience to the drinkers. No wonder, each artist is so detailed in his works and constantly use his talent, skills and creativity to fit its spout at the position best fitted for each pot, depending on its size and design. Some are at the very top of the pot and some at the middle.

Similarly, the position of its handle would also not be taken lightly by its creator. You may find some with a couple of inches down from the top and bottom. Some of them of have thin handles, some with much thicker handles despite having different designs.

If you take a closer look at my green clay tea pot, you will notice that its handle have some crafting - distinct from the rest. You can see its handle is also much bigger compare to the rest. By having some crafting, it makes it more appealing.

The shape of the tea pot also varies, and the drawing or words written on it are also different. Thus, you will not find this hobby boring and the tendency of adding new teapots into your collection is very high. I am not an exception to this rule. I can assure you that I will add more into my collection if not for the spaces constraint at my display cabinet. I have another brother who has a much bigger collection than me. He has expressed his interest to me to blog his collections. However, according to him, he just could not find time to do so. Once his blog is ready, we will add his to ours so as you have more variety and reading materials on tea and related stuff. In this connection, we also like to take this opportunity to extend our invitation to other bloggers as well.

Another interesting point to note is its lid. One obvious point is that each has its own size of lid. The shape also varies from pot to pot. The most challenging task to the tea pot manufacturer is how well they can make the lid sit on the inner edge of the hole so that the lid rests on the formed ledge yet fits snugly. As a general guide it is no more than half the size of its top. Here, may anyone tells us why there is a small hole in the lid?

That's all for this time and we look forward to hearing from you; be it an answer or a question.

Hope you are enjoy reading our article. Please stay tuned and we have more exciting article for you, as Valued Readers.

For those who have not tried our elephant pu'er, please contact us so that we could send it to you.

Thank and have a fruitful day.

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

THE GREEN TEA POT - LOTUS AND FROG ON TOP

2010-06-02T01:50:00.000-07:00

Dear my friends,

The above teapot is a product of the maker's applied art. It was made after much thoughts,
modifications and hard work before we see it as it is today. We would say that the
design is more inclined to practical know how and its design serves more than for
its intended purpose - it pours well to tea cups or tea bowls. You can also see
everything in it - the tea must pour out smoothly from the pot if it is well designed
and crafted. To make it collectible, it must look good and feel good with its
ownership. To achieve these effects, everything counts - be it the shape, style,
type of clay, the skill and experience of the maker.

This tea pot is of pumpkin shape. Its lid comprise of lotus flowers with a frog
resting on top - indicates peace and harmony; surrounded by the lotus flowers.
Each flower consists of one tiny stone, which is freely moving around as you
shake the lid. Thus producing such a chilling natural sound which may add
colour to your environment of having tea with your loved ones.

Its clay is so much different from the normal ones - mixed with red, yellow clay
and others and after firing in the kilns that produce different colors. Now, you
are able to appreciate how creative is the artist's work, who is so skillful in
engraving the clay till it is so adorable.

Look at its handle, it is not only bigger than the normal ones with a few rings
along its handle so as to give the user a better grip, at the same time, it supports
well the pot with its weight and content together with hot water - the art of
balance is equally important here. Hence, you can see that it must be functionable,
as it may be used frequently if not daily.

It comes with a big spout and hole - suitable for Puer tea which is of bigger tea
leaves. The pot is of bigger capacity and the pu'er tea leaves will expand much
more in hot water when compare with other tea leaves. Its spout at the very
bottom of the pot makes it much easier to pour out the tea.

No wonder in recent years there has been an increase in admiration of these
unique teapots. Consequently, its price has increased tremendously from a few
dollars to thousands of dollars for a single pot. And with this increase in value,
more talented artists are attracted to this trade and quality and the craftmanship
are also enhanced. Hence, more scrutiny and quality control is imposed on
every pot.
Those rejected will then be smashed once they are out from the kiln. The
makers, especially famous ones are very proud of their products and you can see
their maker's mark ("Chop Mark") at the bottom of each pot of their
production. This seal authenticates the work.The seal is chosen by the maker
with great care - sort of self image for them. Most of the famous potters have
their seal from a well known engraver and the chosen characters of the seal are
cut in stone.

You may agree with us that the pot can reveal most of the maker's preference
and liking. Some potters prefer a little spout, some go for a heavy handle. Some reproduce
trunks and knotty branches. Others have exquisite engravings of ratan
or leaves. Each artist usually produces what he or she likes best. Each pot is
represented by their individual thoughts and represented the best of what he or
she thinks at the time of making.

Similarly, each pot has its own beauty and characteristics depending on its
beholders. Here, you may say that its beauty in green clay is good for the mind
and eyes. It will mould the sentiments, foster temperament, and improve health
of its beholders.

In other words, to be happy and successful you should drink tea brewed in
such a great product such as the above green clay of teapot.

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

TEA POTS AND ITS HISTORY

2010-06-01T18:18:00.001-07:00

Hi! Folks,

Today, we are going to show you some of my tea pots collection, as below. You may notice that they are of different colour of clay, yellow, green, purple and brown. Majority of them have not been used. Guess which ones are suitable for pu’er tea.

We are going to go through with you more details of each of the tea pots and its attributes so that you are able to appreciate each of them and their individual function.

In this article, append below is extracted from http://www.teapots.net/ on teapots history for your reading pleasure.

A History of Teapots

The Need for Teapots

The story of teapots begins with their necessity -- the development of tea and its regular consumption required an efficient, and later an aesthetically pleasing, vessel for brewing and drinking.

There are two legends about the invention of tea. Some attribute the discovery of tea to Shen Nung, a Chinese Emperor in the 3rd century BCE, who sat under a tree while boiling his drinking water. When the leaves of Camellia sinensis fell into his bowl, the agreeable taste prompted the genesis of tea drinking. An alternative account gives credit to a Dharuma Buddhist monk who travelled to China from India in the 5th century CE. During his fifth year of a seven year meditiation undertaken to prove his faith, he became sleepy. In an effort to remain focussed he cut off his offending eyelids and threw them onto the ground, whence sprang the tea plant. He decided to make a drink from the leaves and discovered it kept him awake, allowing him to pursue his spiritual studies.

Camellia sinensis, the common tea plant, was first cultivated in the 4th century CE, after wild specimens were brought to China from India. Actually an evergreen tree which may grow up to 50 feet, the domesticated plant is pruned to a bush-like state and kept at a height of five feet. After three to five years of growth, its leaves may be harvested to make tea. Today, women constitute the majority of pickers, and there is no machine that can exceed the 60 to 70 pounds of leaves per day that an experienced worker can collect. These 60 to 70 pounds of fresh leaves produce approximately 20 pounds of dry tea, or 2800 cups of tea. (To find out more about the process of making tea, go to our pageFrom Tree to Teapot.)

Teapots were not used immediately upon the discovery of tea. From the 8th century CE, tea leaves were rolled by hand, dried and then grounded into a powder. At first, this powder was mixed with salt and formed into cakes that would be dropped into bowls of hot water to form a thick mixture. Eventually the powder was left in its loose form, to be mixed in a bowl with boiling water and whipped into a froth. This method of tea-making was introduced into Japan in the early 9th century CE. Tea was considered medicinal in both China and Japan for the next 500 years.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in China, leaf infusion as we know it now became popular. The earliest examples of teapots come from this period, made from the zisha, or "purple" clay, of the YiXing region of China. Pottery in the YiXing tradition has been strong since the Sung Dynasty (960-1279); wares are valued for their fine texture, thin walls, and naturally beautiful coloration ranging from light buff to deep maroon tones. The transition from drinking bowls to teapots was a smooth one. YiXing teapots were, and still are, used to brew tea as well as act as the drinking vessel -- one sips directly from the spout of a single-serving pot. YiXing teapots gradually season, the unglazed clay absorbing the flavor of brewed tea, making them a favorite choice for tea lovers. The dissemination of YiXing teapots greatly influenced not only the forms of teapots found throughout the world, but also prompted the invention of hard-paste porcelain in the western world. (Modern YiXing teapots can be found atwww.YiXing.com, along with information about the manufacture and use of these legendary pieces.)

Japanese demand for teapots created a growth in the industry of this new form of pottery. By the 15th century CE, both the Chinese and Japanese were drinking tea for ceremonial purposes, and the beverage was no longer regarded solely for its medicinal properties. Chinese scholars and intellectuals involved themselves in the design of teapots. The "cult of tea" in Japan, led by the artist Sen Rikyu (1522-1591), became an impetus for stylistic and artistic evolution in YiXing teapot designs. Cha-no-yu, the tea ceremony which forms the basis for Japanese Buddhist "Teaism," serves as a natural expression and discipline of zazen meditation and is viewed as an art. (The Japanese tea ceremony is described in detail on our page Chado: Adoration of the Everyday.) Teapots detailed with themes from nature or sutras were desirable adjuncts to this art, and YiXing pots themselves became prized as creative works. The Japanese began making red clay or shudei teapots; they imported Chinese artists to teach them potting methods, and developed new techniques for creating these delicate wares. The old province of Bizen became an increasingly important center for Japanese ceramics. Raku, rough and dark earthenware, emerged.

The emergence and early evolution of teapots spanned several hundred years. Tea drinking had spread South through Asia, and was noticeable in Formosa (Taiwan), Siam (Thailand), Burma/Myanmar and the islands of Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. The next 300 years would see the global spread of tea -- and, of course, the teapot.

By now, we hope you have an indepth understanding of tea pots and its history.

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

SQUARE ROSEWOOD TISSUE BOX

2010-05-31T11:07:00.001-07:00

Hi! Friends,

Almost everything evolves over time, similarly this rosewood tissue box. This contemporary item was created as a result of convenience. Prior to the invention of tissue papers, people use handkerchiefs instead. As the tissue papers came into the picture, the furniture producer also added this decorative item apart from serving its intended function.

The photos below are taken from 4 different sides of this decorative tissue box. All painting displayed at each side represents one season of the year, i.e .spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Can anyone tells us specifically what season o the year each painting represent ? (see the photos below)

Here, we hope you too are inspired by its craftsmanship, i.e. painting of the colourful Mother of Pearl. This craftsmanship is fine and of high quality, suitable for collection. This box is with me for a couple of years which I bought together with my rosewood display cabinet. It is of approximately of 8 inches of length, width and height.

There is a hole; of approximately 4 inches; at its top, which enable the user to pull out the tissue from the tissue box. The tissues are placed inside this tissue box by pulling out the tray from its bottom and place on top of its tray before pushing the tray back to its original position.(See photo)

I find this tissue box unique and it blends well with conventional and contemporary items which offers its user a new life. Imagine how meaningful your time will be when you display it at the centre of the table while having tea and some snacks with your loved ones. The tissue box plays a role of serving its intended purpose.

At the same time, it also add colours to the tea ceremony especially together with other tea accessories, unique tea cups and tea pots. These items may also become conversation topics amongst its participants.

Before we end our discussion, may I be allowed to throw a question to the readers. What do the balls at the four corners represent or symbolise?

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you,

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

PU'ER BLEND WELL WITH BONSAI

2010-05-21T23:25:00.000-07:00

Dear valued visitors,

After a long talk on Pu'er tea, perhaps it is time for me to detour to see some green. You may just click on the title of this post. Sit back and enjoy.

You may wonder why I show you some of Bongsai trees, which I photographed from the Singapore Chinese Garden. It is because Bongsai trees blend well with art of tea drinking.

This will not only add color to the environment, but also achieve tranquility. Just imagine having tea, and facing this garden full of Bangsai trees. Lots of Bongsai tree lovers display them at their tea corner of their house. This may give you some idea for preparing your tea corner, if you desire to have one.

Look at the photos of greenery, you will feel really relaxed after taring long at your desktop.

I will take some photos in my forthcoming posts so as to give you a view of my little tea corner, with some of decorating items to enhance the atmosphere.

See you again,

James Oh

BOH Cameronian Gold Blend Tea

2010-05-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

Hi! Everyone,

Some of you may know that Boh tea is the most famous tea in Malaysia. One of its ranges of product is the BOH Cameronian Gold Blend. Some claimed that BOH sells one of the best black tea worldwide, but for some reason it is somewhat neglected other than its home land.

To refresh your memory, you may click at the title to access to my previous article on Boh Tea Plantation in Malaysia.

For those who require "oomph (kick) in their lives", you are strongly recommended to try this tea. Needless to say, it is far much better than junk drinks such as Coca Cola. Junk drinks appear to keep you alert under the oddest circumstances and have a rather short interval during which they provide stimulation.

I must confess that I drink coffees almost daily so as to maintain my energy level. I do not recall when I began to drink coffee, but I know it is at very young age i.e. during my childhood.

Green tea and black tea are different though; and a good cup of black tea can get you through almost 2 hours of work without interruption.

Give it a try and let us know how you find it. You may find this product at any major supermarket.

Have a sip of tea so as to enjoy your life.

James Oh

YOU CAN FIND EVEN TEH TARIK AT OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE OUTLET

2010-05-14T03:19:00.001-07:00

Hi! friend,

Thanks for your continuous support and I am so happy to see you again and again.

For those who have followed my other blog, they may know that I have embarked on my new venture recently, that is to discover new and unique things outside my house, so that you will be entertained. I have officially become a Technopreneur, whose intention is solely to create more new business opportunities. We would train more people to join our team to take the world to greater heights.

In this connection, I decided to put on record my discoveries during my journey so as to make this journey not only enriching, but also more exciting. At the same time to keep you all entertain as well. So stay tuned to this blog, you are rest assured to live a more meaningful and enriching live, as I do.

I journalize this event while I am waiting for my Teh Tarik (Pulled Tea) at the Old Town White Coffee. This serves as good news especially for those who want to have tea and at the same time accessing the internet. Alternatively, you may choose to have other drinks. However, this outlet seems to choose non-conventional way to include Tea Tarik.

Here, I decided to have Curry Egg Noodles (costs RM 7.90), which consists of Egg Noodles, Fried Dumplings, BBQ Chicken, Bean Curd Puffs and Long Beans.

What really caught my attention is their new menu of Teh Tarik, it costs RM 2.80, and only made available between 3-6pm and 9 pm onwards ( It's Teh Tarik time). So, remember to check the time before you embark your journey there. So, take your time-out and reward yourself with such a delicious Teh Tarik, which will give you the kick at the end of the day. Then you will know why its a pull factor. See the photo and make your own conclusion. ( IN THE PROCESS)

For those who have tried, please let us know how you find the Teh Tarik, as your comment? Thank you for your kind participation.

For those who want to know as how the Teh Tarik was brewed. You may click at the title of article to make access to my preceding article on this particular issue.

What really astonishes me is that this outlet is so versatile and always enhance new products so as to fulfill their customer needs. Syabas to Old Town White Coffee. For those who have not heard about this white coffee and curious to find out whether its color is really white as its name suggested.

Happy reading and see you again,

James Oh

COME AND TASTE "CHAM" AT OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE OUTLETS

2010-05-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hi! Folks,

This is my first week on road show to reach out to my local community. As usual, I stationed myself at Old Town White Coffee, just opposite the Kolej Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.

Whilst deciding on what drink I am going to have, I spotted something New from this outlet, i.e. different from my routine. At last, I decided to go for "cham" or literally in Hokkein (Chinese Dialect) coffee mix with tea.

For the benefits of some of my readers, please allow me to brief you on this issue. In fact, this is not something new to me. It has been a popular drink during my teenage years. Sounds weird to some of you. I recalled when I gave my answer of "MIX" to those air stewards when they approached me for my drink. They were stunned and usually repeated their initial question. When I answered with "Mixture of coffee and tea." Guess what their next question, via comment? I will tell you then if you are keen to know.

It is a well known fact that both coffee and tea have their individual characteristics. Both these commodities are traded internationally. May anyone of you tell me how much the trade per day involves?

Initially I thought these products are competing with each other and I also cut down my coffee intake and substitute it with either tea or sky juice (plain water). However, after serious thought, I now changed my view and accept them as supplementing each other. No wonder this outlet introduce "Cham" and tea tarik (Pulled) to its regular customers. Well done, OldTown White Coffee outlets.

They brought new ideas, i.e non conventional way, to new beverage outlets so as to bring more benefits to its customers especially those who do not like routine drinks (like me). It also adds colours and variety to their lifestyle. This not only opens their mindsets, but also cultivates their creativity. Their evolvement over time well indicates this case in point. No wonder they are progressing and staying ahead.

Another interesting point to note is they are tied up with our local bank (CIMB), as their anchor bank to pool their expertise together to serve their customers even better. They seem to know that their customers have daily busy schedules and do not have time to enjoy good white coffee. As such, they sneak in and stationed at the bank branch to provide both the banker's customers and their own loyal customers this wonderful and tasteful drink so as to refresh themselves. This shows that they not only care for their customers, but also share their drink expertise with the people so as to make the world more enjoyable.

In this connection, we, at tea art blog, also come in to promote all their services to the population at large. We also look forward to collaborate with these two parties to bring more benefits to our readers.

So, stay tuned with us for more exciting stories to come...

See you then.

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

PU'ER GIVEAWAY

2010-05-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

Hi! Valued Readers,

We are very excited to host our very first give away raw "Pu'er Tea" memorial event out of my own collection. This stock is with us for a couple of years.

So, please forward me your particulars, via comment, so that we can forward you with such a gift and hope you enjoy this 2004 Raw Pu'er. This is a token of our appreciation for the support you have shown us as our loyal readers.

You can see the above Pu'er is about 6 years old.

You may read its description at the link below:-

http://teaartblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/some-basic-information-on-puer-tea.html

For your information, we have recovered all my investment costs with some profit, plus some stocks. Therefore, we are fortunate to have chance to enjoy our hobby yet get paid. Today, we offer for sale some of our stocks so as to raise more funds to acquire more resources to upgrade and improve our blog facilities so as to serve you better.

As you may be aware that we are also offering USD 30.00 for the winner who can come out with the logo and theme for our main blog at http://liftyouup.blogspot.com.

WE are pleased to inform you that there are lots of initiatives in the pipeline for your reading and get paid scheme. So, stay tuned and happy reading.

If you wish, you may also click at the title of this article so as to guide you how to brew your Pu'er tea . We do it because we want you to get the best value of the tea from your own preparation. At the same time, we do hope you may acquire the skill and have lots of fun of doing it.

Kindly let us know your taste and whether is it to your liking or not. You may email to us at jamesoh2003@yahoo.co.uk or via comment.

I hope this will help you get your feet wet and enjoy the taste and aroma of it. Have a pleasant tea session and look forward to hearing from you.

If you wish to order from us, please email us. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need any further clarification.

Happy reading and get the rewards accordingly,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

BOH Cameronian Gold Blend Tea

2010-05-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

LOGO DESIGN AND THEME CONTEST FOR "LIFT YOU UP"

USD 30 WILL BE GIVEN TO THE WINNER OF THE ABOVE CONTEST

(Please forward via comment AND the Winner will be broadcasted here )

Hi! Everyone,

To refresh your memory, you may click at the title to access to my previous article on Boh Tea Plantation in Malaysia.

I must confess that I drink coffees almost daily so as to maintain my energy level. I do not recall when I began to drink coffee, but I know it is at very young age i.e. during my childhood.

Green tea and black tea are different though; and a good cup of black tea can get you through almost 2 hours of work without interruption.

Give it a try and let us know how you find it. You may find this product at any major supermarket.

Have a sip of tea so as to enjoy your life.

James Oh

TEA SHOP IS EVOLVING OVER TIME IN MALAYSIA

2010-04-20T03:03:00.001-07:00

Hi! everyone,

These shops are run not just by retirees in the Chinese community but many younger persons and students have participated in this popular Chinese cultural art form.

No surprise that there is a Chinese saying that tea is one of the seven basic daily necessities of life – besides fuel, rice, salt, oil, soya sauce and vinegar.

Thanks to all these group of people for their wise move and action.

Their wise move makes life more interesting with these additional activities. It turn out to be a real true blessings instead.

James Oh

POWER ROOT TEH TARIK TONGKAT ALI (GINSENG)

2010-04-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hi! everyone,

In this article, I am very pleased to present you the latest product of teh tarik from Malaysia. This is none other than Power Root Teh Tarik Tongkat Ali (Ginseng). It is a well known herbal medicine "booster" for the system, to give extra energy especially for men. Tongkat Ali has a latin name Eurycoma longifolia, is a root that grows wild in the natural rain forest of Malaysia - Southeast Asia. A root that was highly cultivated thousand years ago. Tongkat ali similar to Tribulus, the extract works by effecting and lutenizing hormones in the major organs and body, in which signals testosterone and libido production.

Teh Tarik Tongkat Ali also come in Instant package, with various sizes. For instance 4 In 1 come with Nett weight 20g X 18 sticks. Some brands claimed that they consist of Quality Red Tea with imported skimmed milk and creamer from Europe country, with its ultimate objective to present a bright flavour with freshness and aroma. Ingredient Percentage % are as follows:-

Sucrose 46.8; Non Dairy Creamer 31.5 ; Skimmed Milk Powder 2.0; Instant Tea Powder 7.0; Instant Tongkat Ali Extract 1.2; Food Conditioner 1.5.

For those who have not try this product, I encourage you to do so. Please share with us your experience via comments. Thank you for your kind participation.

Thank you and please stay tuned for other interesting article.

James Oh

HOW TO BREW GREEN TEA

2010-04-09T04:12:00.001-07:00

Hi! everyone,

In this article, I am going to detail the points you need to take so that you have good hot green tea daily.

1. Green tea "when properly packaged", has a shelf life of about 6 months. Once opened, it is advisable to consume it within 2-3 months. Here, properly packaged means that it is vacuum packed or nitrogen packaged. However, if your green tea was not packaged properly and exposed to air, its quality will be adversely affected.

2. The best green tea comes from the first harvest usually either in late April or early May. However, you can get this throughout the year.

3. It depends very much on the variety, for instance normal Sencha, about one teaspoon to 8-10 ounces of water. Right amount of tea leaves is important to give a good taste of tea.

4. Depending on the variety of green tea again, generally it should be brewed around 175 degrees F within 5 degrees range.

5. Generally speaking, do not steep green tea for more than 2 minutes. The tea will taste bitter if you steep it for too long.

6. Use high quality water such as mineral water so that the tea can be resolved into water.

7. Green tea is compact. It will expand and hence needs room to open up. You are encouraged to use transparent glass to brew it.

8. You may add hot water up to 6-8 times. You may eat the tea leaves after that.

It is really simple to brew. Please give it a try and share with us your experience, via comments.

Look forward to hearing from you,

James Oh

JAPANESE GREEN TEA

2010-03-06T02:33:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,

Green tea makes life easy. There are Green Tea teabags that comes with powder form, very suitable for the city folks who have hectic daily lifestyle. You may purchase it at any supermarket, Japanese Tea Shops and virtual tea shops.

For the best brew, Japanese Green Tea should be steep in water that is boiling around 150-180° F for 1-4 minutes depending on the grade of the tea. You just take out one teabag and place it at a transparent glass cup before adding the appropriate boiling water into the cup and steep it for appropriate time frame. Thereafter, you will enjoy best brew quality green tea at your pleasure at your selected place.

For those who love high quality green tea, you may opt for Premium Green Tea teabags which are made of spring-to-early-summer selected young leaves. The use of early spring leaves together with the gentle processing give rise to an outstanding taste without a trace of bitterness. The young leaves, after its harvest, are then steamed before being dried. This process is said to keep the abundant polyphenols from being destroyed, as opposed to the fermentation process used for black tea.

Generally, the Japanese Green Tea is a light and smooth tea. They are often used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. The initial steaming step distinguish Japanese green tea from Chinese tea.

James Oh

2010-02-12T05:24:00.001-08:00

“GONG XI FA CAI”

LONGJING GREEN TEA

2010-01-10T01:13:00.001-08:00

Hi! everyone,

In this article, I am going to share with you the green tea I love most. This green tea is none other than Longjing. Longjing tea leaves are unfermented.
I have visited its farm and was first introduced to this great tea. I found it very gentle and sweet and these teas are expensive, its prices depend on grades. It is best consumed in six months times. However, its live span can prolong if you store it in the refrigerator.

At that time, I bought several tins of two main grades, AA and AAA. The AA is packed in green hard paper canister whereas AAA is packed in gold colour hard paper canister. I found it quite easy to brew. Place a few spoons full of tea leaves into a white transparent glass cup, preferably so that you can see clearly its rich flavour. Then pour boiled water with about 80 degrees celsius into the glass with the tea leaves. Steep tea leaves for about 5 minutes before you begin to drink. You can infuse it for 5-8 times by just adding boiled water into it. When steeped, the tea produces a yellow-green colour, a gentle, pure aroma, and a rich flavor. The tea contains Vitamin C, amino acids, and has one of the highest concentration of catechins among teas, second only to white teas. Some even bring the glass with hot green tea near to thier eyes and let its stream rinse their eyes before they drink it. They believe it can cure and improve their vision. I had tried and can vouch for it. Congratulation to those who have practised it. But, for those who have not, please try it out and share with us your experience. Please drink this tea when it is still hot. The tea leaves can be eaten after infusion.

Hi folks! I stopped drinking it because I found it enhances my appetite. As a consequence, I decided to change to Pu'er.

For further reading, please read below:-

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Longjing tea (simplified Chinese: 龙井茶; traditional Chinese: 龍井茶; pinyin: lóngjǐngchá) or Dragonwell is a famous variety of green tea from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China where it is produced mostly by hand and has been renowned for its high quality, earning the China Famous Tea title. Longjing is divided into seven grades: Superior, Special, and then 1 down to 5.

Long Jing is often called the national drink of China and is frequently given to visiting heads of state. It is also a favorite tea of today's top leaders, with a portion of production reserved for government customers.

Like most other Chinese green tea, Longjing tea leaves are pan fired (not fried) to stop the fermentation process. In the world of tea, the term "fermentation" refers to the drying of the freshly picked leaves, resulting in enzymatic oxidation. This oxidation is stopped by frying or steaming the leaves before they completely dry out. As is the case with other green teas, Longjing tea leaves are unfermented. When steeped, the tea produces a yellow-green color, a gentle, pure aroma, and a rich flavor. The tea contains Vitamin C, amino acids, and has one of the highest concentration of catechins among teas, second only to white teas.

The name of this tea literally means "dragon well", a well that contains relatively dense water, and after rain the lighter rainwater floating on its surface sometimes exhibits a sinuous and twisting boundary with the well water, which is supposed to resemble the movement of a traditional Chinese dragon.

It was widely known that to achieve the best taste from Longjing, spring water from the "Hu Pao Quan" was to be used. Water is boiled then cooled to about 80 degrees celsius before being used to brew the tea leaves. Tea experts at Xi Hu insist on using fine china or glasses to brew Longjing (minerals in porous earthenware such as Zhi Sha may disrupt the taste of the tea).

James Oh

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010 !!!

2009-12-31T15:27:00.001-08:00

Dear All

Wishing you a wonderful new month and a happy new year in advance.

Don't too hard but work smart. May your boss appreciate you and say .

Take care of yourself. Pamper yourself and buy some beautiful .

Don't worry coz will come from above. May you also purchase or change a and a .

May the days ahead be busy but easy , and go around the world. It's important to have good health, therefore, eat more and , but not too much .
Do remember to at least once a week. Don't with your sweetheart, and be generous to say .

Here's wishing you and all your a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2010 and may you all be well and happy ALWAYS!

From : James Oh

A GUIDE TO BREW PU'ER TEA

2009-12-29T02:32:00.001-08:00

Hi! Everyone,

Below please find:-

A GUIDE TO BREW PU'ER TEA

1 Prepare the necessary teaware and lay out the proper setting . If we have two guests, then tea tray, clay teapot for two, clay tea pitcher, filter, tea towel, tea utensils, two large clay cups, two coasters, kettle, tea receptacle and presentation vessel are required.

Teaware preparation

2. Take a chunk of compressed pu'er tea.
Peel off a small piece of pu'er cake

3 Break off the small piece of the compressed pu'er tea into loose leaves at the presentation vessel. If the compressed tea does not break off easily, use a knife to loosen up the tea. If the pu'er tea already comes in loose form, then scoop the loose pu'er tea from the canister and simply place the tea on the presentation vessel.

4 Take a moment to observe the appearance and to smell the aroma of the tea. Then pass the tea presentation vessel to your guests for their turn to admire the dried tea.

5 Make sure water has just reached the boiling point. Then remove the kettle and pour hot water into the teapot at least 1/3 full of tea leaves.

6. Pouring hot water from kettle
Drain hot water into pitcher completely. Alternatively you may pour boiled water from teapot into pitcher

7. By this time, the presentation vessel may probably returned from the guests back to the host. The host will opens the teapot's lid and ready to put dried tea from the tea presentation vessel into the teapot.

8. Tea presentation vessel
Left hand holds the presentation vessel and gently push the dried tea into the teapot.

9, Transfer of the tea
Top up boiled water into teapot before closing its lid. Gently shake the teapot.

10. Shaking the teapot:
Pass the teapot to guests. At this time, the teapot is warm with tea inside. The guests should know that they are to open the lid and smell the dry tea's aroma, which is very different from its previous state when it is sitting on tea presentation vessel.

11. Guest opens the lid and smells the tea's aroma
Close lid and pass to the next guest.

12: While the teapot is being passed around, the host pours water from the pitcher into the cups. If there is any water remaining inside the pitcher, then discard it into the tea receptacle. This should not happen if the host has gauged the size of the teapot and the cup correctly beforehand. But it is alright if this happens. No big deal. The rinsing of the teapot, tea pitcher and cups are meant to warm up the teaware.

13. Pour water into the cups. Discard water at tea receptacle
Fill up the teapot with boiled water. Closed lid. Wait about 5-10 seconds. Then pour out. This is known as the warm-up brew. Set aside this brew on the side. This will be discarded as shown in Step 15.

14. Pouring of the warm-up brew
Again pour water into the teapot. Close lid. Wait for 20-40 seconds.

15. Pouring hot water
Keep on pouring warm-up tea on the outside of the teapot, especially those made of unglazed Yixing clay.

16. Teapot seasoning
Pour tea into the pitcher before transfer to the cups. The purpose of the pitcher is to balance the tea evenly amongst all the guests. Remember that each infusion of tea will give you different taste. Some pitchers, depending on the sizes, may have bigger capacity than the small tea pot. To ensure even effect, it is more appropriate that everyone has tea from the pitcher, even if it is filled by different infusions from the tea pot.

17. Pour tea into the cups
Place the cup on the coaster and pass it to the guest. Tea is placed in front of the guest for his enjoyment.

Continue to infuse tea until the taste of tea has disappeared completely. The tea can usually last up to at least 8 infusions.

James Oh

THE TAO OF TEA

2009-12-20T21:44:00.001-08:00

Hi, Everyone,

Today I am going to talk about The Tao of Tea.

The Tao of Tea is basically covers :-

Brewing Tea Correctly to produce excellent tea. The rule specify what are the rules and procedures involving from the past till todate. It evolves with time and lots of creative works are added in and it was treated as art, rather associate to the Chinese culture.

Discover the art of brewing correctly.
Types of tea, water quality, temperature, quantity of leaves, and steeping time are all important and relevant factors in determining the quality of tea. Tea should be brewed to match your personal preference and taste.

Water Quality
Water plays one of the most significant ingredient, apart from tea leave in brewing good quality of tea. Non-chlorinated water is highly recommended to use so as to produce good quality of tea especially green teas. Chlorinated tap water may affect the taste of tea making it less appealing. Therefore, water filter system which gives water a pH level of slightly over 7 is preferable.

Water Temperature
It is very much depend on type of tea you brew. For green tea, water should kept below reaching boiling point. This is because boiling water tends to over cook the tea leaves. In addition, when water is boiled, oxygen not only evaporates, but the crisp mineral texture in the brew is also lost. Whereas Pu'er can be steeped with boiling water.

Quantity of Leaves and Steeping time
If unsure, always start with lesser amount of leaves and steep them longer. This will gives you more control to the tea. Good quality tea leaves with appropriate amount of tea leaves will not go bitter, unless they are steep for a longer than the time it required. In short, you can see that brewing pure leaf teas is to be as simple as "hot water and tea".

You may use the following suggestions for steeping different types of teas as a guide:-

Green teas: It can provide multiple infusions. As a general rule of thumb, the darker the tea leaf, the faster the infusion.

Pu'er teas: For most pu'ers, the longer you steep, the smoother they become. For the compressed pu'ers, the recommended steep time required is twice the loose leaf pu'ers which takes at about 3-4 minutes

Appropriate teawares
Apart from the above, appropriate teawares are also important so as to preserve the heat, taste and flavor of the tea. The setting of the teawares will add color to the atmosphere and conversation.

Technique of pouring tea from the tea pot
To add to the excitement, various tea masters using various 'kung - fu' style of pouring tea out from the teapot to each of the tea cup, bowl at various position precisely and speedily. The speed and accuracy demonstrate the skill of their skills.

In this Tao of Tea, it tells us the importance of patience, persistence and meticulousness are important ingredient to cultivate this healthy hobbies. Great observation and passion is also needed so as to master the skill.

Hope you are well entertained. Stay tuned again for more..

James Oh

TEA : AN ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY PRODUCT

2009-12-03T18:10:00.001-08:00

Hi, everyone,

There is undeniable truth that tea is not only a healthy drink, but it is also equally useful and beneficial as follows:-

a) Fertilizer

Tea leaves can be used as fertilizer after use. I used to throw the after used tea leaves into my flower pot as fertilizer and I found that the plant is not only growing more healthily, but it blossoms more than before.

You may try it out and see whether you will have the same result. Thank you in advance for your kind participation.

b) i) Tea Pillow

The dried and used tea leaves can be inserted into pure cotton fabric(or Quality silk) and made into kid's tea pillow. Some find that it is not only helpful for Children to sleep well, but also help keep their bodies grow in good condition.

ii) Travel tea Pillow

Alternatively, you can also used the same process and turn it into travel tea pillow such as the lovely pure cotton fabric travel tea pillow shown above. It can assist you to have a good sleep while traveling.

Please recycle the used tea leaves into something useful and beneficial. Recycling is the key to greening the environment. Do not underestimate this small act, because the impact can be very great. Don't forget that we have more than 6 billions people on earth.

Let us stand together and green the environment we live in. Who else will care if we don't? Let our one voice, one spirit and one action speaks. Your support toward this direction is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your precious time and trust you are well entertained,

James Oh

TEA CANISTER

2009-11-30T02:18:00.001-08:00

Hi, everyone,

Tea culture refers to the methods of preparation of tea, the tools and accessories used to brew tea and the occasions in which tea is consumed. Naturally, this tea culture is very much different from one region to another. Even now, tea is consumed regularly, and not like the past where tea is used as traditional Chinese medicine and in Chinese cuisine.

In this article, we are going to have a quick tour about types of tea canisters and their usage.

Tea canister, designed in various shapes, materials and sizes, is used for store loose tea leaves. For all intents and purposes, it is meant to cater for multi-functions and roles. Its variety is to serve you better depending on your usage and preference.

There are basically several types made of different materials as follows:-

1. Yixing

Unglazed Yixing canister, made of undyed Yixing clay, is perfect for storing pu'er tea. It is made of natural clay, which is found only in the Yixing region of China, northwest of Shanghai. It reflects the natural color of the clay. Its porous nature allows the tea to breathe and develop to yield a great aroma and flavor. It is the optimal way to store loose tea, toucha, or tea bricks and tea cakes which have been loosened prior to drinking.

It is also very easy to wash by rinsing it with warm or hot water. Its history has about 1,000 years.

2. STAINLESS AND ACRYLIC

The stainless steel and acrylic tea canisters are equipped with an air-tight seal. The seal serves as a way to keep our tea freshness for months! These canisters feature acrylic windows, airtight acrylic clamp lids and silicone gaskets to ensure a tight seal.

3. CERAMIC

To make that tea last for months, you may even store it in an air-tight ceramic tea canister! This canister comes with air-tight seal and a convenient easy-grip handle and scoop feature. It is also equipped with a metal clamp and silicone gasket, to ensure the freshness stays in.

4. ACRYLIC

This acrylic tea canister with a silicone gasket ensures an air-tight seal. It can be a very attractive container to store your tea!

Store your tea appropriately to preserve its freshness. Treat your friends and family to a relaxing, delicious afternoon tea party regularly! Life is fun.

So stay tuned and have fun together.

James Oh

GONGFU TEA CEREMONY

2009-11-27T02:33:00.001-08:00

To my dearest visitors and readers,

In this article, we are going to have a quick walk over this century old gongfu tea ceremony.

Gongfu tea ceremony
- mainly for infusion of Oolong tea, Puer tea and black tea.

This ceremony basically involve 6 simple steps as follows:-

1.to warm the tea vessel, including Gaiwan or Purple clay teapot, taste cups, smell cups by rinsing boiled water over them. Tea tray is usually being used to drain this water into the bucket, which is placed underneath the tray.

2. fill the tea pot to approximately 1/3 full with tea leaves.

3.completely infuse the tea with boiled water but not with over boiled water.

4. smell the fragrance of tea. Usually, we can smell the aroma from lid of Gaiwan for good fragrance collects on lid during infusion.

5. enjoy the tea with your friends and guests.

6. share out the different taste, aroma from each subsequent infusion of the tea.

Folks,it is not as complicated as we usually think, right ? Why are you waiting? Try it out soonest possible and share with us your experience.

Have fun so as to brighten your lives.

James Oh

TEA KETTLE - SOME BASIC FACTS

2009-11-22T01:13:00.001-08:00

My dear loving readers and visitors,

In this article, I am going to give some basic facts on the tea kettle.

Hope you find it useful.

How to buy a tea kettle? Electric versus stovetop. What are the pros and cons of aluminum, stainless steel, glass, copper, silver and cast iron kettles?

To get the most out of your favorite tea, you need the right tools. Needless to say tea kettle is of no exception. Tea kettle, unlike tea pot is generally placed on the stove when boiling water.

Today there are many types of kettles available in the market. But how do you know which one to pick? Is it really worth to spend more to get an expensive model, or will a cheaper model meet your needs equally well?

In this article, I am going to give you some useful tips that can help you get the right tools. Read on to learn more about how to choose a tea kettle.

Stovetop Versus Electric Kettles

Ask yourself, Which type you prefer?

Advantages of Stovetop Kettles

They are more classical and you may find the old-fashioned stove-top models.

It is more attractive, easy to use, and you do not need a power point. Hence, it is more convenient and suitable to be used outdoors such as gardens.

For those who want to keep tea-making ritual intact, then boiling water on the stove is a better choice.

Advantages of Electric Kettles

The advantages of using electric kettles are that they boil water much faster and are more convenient.

Moreover, some electric kettles have built in water filters which help to remove hard deposits from the water. Electric kettles are also a better choice for those living in dormitories, where there are no stoves available to boil a late-night cup of tea.

Some electric kettles are equipped with temperature-control features where you can stop heating the water before reaching the boiling point. This is great for those green and white tea drinkers.

For those who have a busy lifestyle, then electric tea kettle is a much better choice.

In my forthcoming article, I will provide more details of this topic.

Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you,

James Oh

TEA POT HAS SO MUCH TO TELL

2009-11-15T01:49:00.000-08:00

Very happy day to my loving readers and visitors,

The photos above are taken, at different angles, with the intention to enable you to scrutinize it if you wish to. You may click at the respective photo to enlarge it. Each and every of them reflects the different type of zisha ("purple" clay) , shape, color and its craftsmanship. Proper scrutiny of each of them will reveal the maker's competency skills, talent and creativity - that will give you a real sensation and adoration. No surprise to me that some collectors willingly to offer high prices for the pieces they desired.

One noticeable fact of zisha is its' unique characteristics. Its' porous nature enables the teapot to absorb the essence of tea well. As the teapot becomes seasoned, especially when nurtured over time, the essence of tea captured by the teapot will accentuate the character of subsequent brews. Drinkers will enjoy having different taste from each brew - that's the natural beauty of it - which you may find similar effects in other materials.

Apart from the above, Zisha has all other characteristics as follow:

It remains highly porous even after being fired at temperatures of exceeding 1000˚C. However, if it were fired at compromised lower temperatures, it will then produce lower quality teapots that emit the taste and smell of clay into the brew.
It is also able to hold water without seepage.
It is structurally strong for its function and glazing is not needed ( I will tell you at a later stage).
It is able to sustain sudden and big temperature change.
It offers an excellent balance between flexibility and firmness (due to its high iron content). After dying, it will shrink nominally.
The flexibility of the clay allows the tea pot be easily crafted into attractive shapes and designs.

Now, you know why the zisha teapots play a central role in the art of Chinese tea. This is so important that lots of makers spend times to produce variety of distinctive shape with different themes and crafted beautifully.

Most of the tea lovers prefer the unglazed clay ones, not only because it has a wonderful effect on the Chinese tea, but they will nurture the tea pot to naturally glaze by pouring hot tea on its surface during their tea sessions. This glazing effect will gradually take effect over a certain period of times. By then, the pot will fetch a much higher price compared with its original position especially among collectors.

However, most of these tea pot makers seldom neglect its primary functional role. The bottom line of these tea pots makers is to deliver good quality tea in term of aroma and taste of the respective tea leaves. Well designed tea pots will not only enable you to pour out the tea smoothly well from the pot, but also enable you to do so even at varying speeds and angles of your pour. That's mean no tea should drip down from other parts than its spout. As such, it is also not wrong to say that the teapot is a product of the applied art.

Lately, there has been an huge increase in demand of such zisha teapots. As a result, the prices have increased tremendously from a few dollars to thousands for a single pot. It goes without saying, its quality has also improved to match its price. Better quality control have been put in place at every level of processes and those do meet the quality will then be rejected and smashed immediately after they were taken out from the kiln.

Thanks for taking your precious time to read this article and trust it is worth more than your time spent.

Please feel free to pass off this blog to your circle of friends who are pursuing of brewing a good tea. Do share with me your experience either through email or comment, I am more than happy to learn from you.

Stay tuned and look forward to hearing from you,

James Oh

TEA POT : USE AND CARE

2009-11-03T18:26:00.000-08:00

Very happy day to my loving readers and visitors,

In my preceding article, I wrote about the tea pot and its characteristics. Since it is still fresh in your memory, I am going to give you some pointers as how to properly use and care for tea pot in this article:-

- have several teapots, for different occasions or to serve different types of tea, so as to reflect its class and characteristics

- always wash the teapot by rinsing with either warm or hot water. Do not use soap. After a period of use, the unglazed teapot will become shiny/glaring when it is rubbed with a soft and clean cloth.

- avoid using aluminum or enamel; aluminum may discolor the tea; chipped enamel may effect the flavor of the tea

- ceramic or bone china teapots retain the heat best

- check the glaze inside the pot for cracks and crazes

- check the handle for finger and knuckle room to avoid burns

- look for a hole in the lid to allow air to ensure the smooth flow of the tea from the pot

- a lug should be part of the lid to hold it in place so the lid doesn’t crash into the cups as the tea is pouring out from the pot.

- avoid using detergent inside a teapot as this will affect the taste of the tea

- remove tannin stains inside the teapot by filling and soaking the pot over several hours with a solution of hot water and four tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda – rinse thoroughly.

Please share with me some of your experience as how you take care of your tea pot. I believe that it is always worth to share our experience so as to enrich our experience.

Stay tuned and look forward to hearing from you,

James Oh

TEA : Serving the people

2009-10-26T02:11:00.003-07:00

Dear my loving visitors,

The above bamboo slip, prefaced of the four Chinese Characters, of which I bought it at Jiangsu Water-town Zhouzhuang. The above Chinese calligraphy means "serving the people". The simple yet rich in content was advocated by Mr. Sun Yat-sen. I must admit that I have indebted to him because he had an great and significant impact on my life. I also strongly believe that lots of people have been inspiring by him as well. He is also one of key figures who had contributed significantly in bringing back to China its former glory.

This piece will be added to my future tea corner.

I find the above bamboo slip has a very meaningful and close relationship with this blog. This is because tea is well fitted into this context. Tea has a great impact on people's lives and bring lots of benefits to the people through its multi-function roles in the world. It has been serving people for more than 5,000 years, in the form of beverage, currency, herb, medical, art and culture.

Through tea, it also helps to cement relationship amongst the human beings.
In this connection, its indirect function as preserving peace and harmony cannot be ignored. Therefore, we can not ignore its social status as peace keeper. As such, i do hope you will continuously giving your support to this blog so as to educate people to cultivate this healthy hobby at the same time promote peace through it.

You can be rest assured that it will also enriching our life through an healthy hobby as the same time promote the spirit sharing spirit as a way to maintain peace and harmony to human mankind.

Through this healthy hobby, one learn to be clam and patient. By doing so, a lots of dispute can be settled through tea rather bullets and bombs.

By now, Trust you will be able to see these intangible benefits that brought through tea and give it a recognition as its well deserved.

Thanks for your time and look forward to hearing from you again,

James Oh