Category: Others Page 5 of 14

Let’s ring the bell of hope

Let’s hold the noble praying in heart

Let no one suffers from undue pain

Let hope for dreams can forever stay

Let hope the Nature remains calm and fun

Let four seasons miss the ultra extreme blaze

Let windows for heaven remain loosen

Let the sun not rushes into rest

Let joy and happiness replace despair

Let the innocence not fade away

Let the smile not shies and hides away

Let the youth spirit forever stays

Let the poverty starts to run away

Let happiness blooms and glows

Let’s share the prosperity, joy and glee

Let the world find no evilness and dusk

Let hopes never to fade away

Let’s mend the peace and harmony in time when we still can

The world is for you, me and all others, here is now and now is forever.

copyrighted Mei Lan Hsiao, Belgium Chinese Tea Culture Association 04/03/2019 Antwerp, Belgium

What drive you into the world of tea?

What do you want to benefit from tea drinking?

You think you a lot but exactly how much do you really know about yourself?

Once met a very presentable couple walked into a tea shop, the lady said she can’t live a day without tea. “Wah” when I heard this statement. after smelling different tea caddies in the tea shop she eventually chose an aromatic additive blending tea. “Is that way she manage her health and live?” I can’t help to ask this question.

Chinese culture has very long history of “Yang Sheng 《養生， Health Cultivation》”. The most significant representative of LaoZi （老子） Daoism wisdom, ZhuangZi （莊子）wrote in the chaper of 〈Yang Sheng Zhu〉(養生主Mastering Yang Sheng)， ZhuangZi mentioned the importance of following the Nature, not to be driven by feeling or emotion, and not to be blocked by external attractions.

The Dao (meaning Way) is to follow the rationality in the natural Yin-Yang balance and adapt to tge change.

Either drinking, eating or living, how well you are able to listen to your body, know how to adapt to changes by understanding the rationality behind every detail?

Mei Lan Hsiao, Belgium Chinese Tea Culture Association, 03/03/2019, Antwerp, Belgium

Learning tea is easy, starts from liking tea, willing to summit to learning and take time with yourself. Learning life can be easy too, starts from facing own subconsciousness with honesty.

When able to transforn the balanced and peaceful scent in heart to tea, can then refine the fine flavors and taste in tea; the aromatic additives will then not needed in life.

The genuine intension in heart and mind transform scents to tea;
The authencity in quality and scents reflect the straightness of the person;
tea is like life, living as tea.

Convince self before trying to convince others.

The beauty of tea is that we can easily integrate those principal learnings in actions through a cup of tea.

           心真意真茶自真
质正香正人自正
茶若人生，人生若茶
.       Mei Lan Hsiao
#wisdomintea #meilanhsiao #chineseteamaster #learningintea
Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre
Tea Sommelier Centre
Tea Culture Rendez-vous
Cha Dao – The Way of Tea.
Antwerp  Business Community Group

©Mei Lan Hsiao

Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre / Belgium Chinese Tea Culture Association, 9/2/2019 Antwerp, Belgium

I can have tea seeds from China, India or Japan, but can I grow and make tea with the same quality flavours and taste as they produce in China, India or Japan?  The answer is …………. OF COURSE NOT !

Tea and tea culture migrated from China to the West and now even travel far in the world. So as to tea trees and production methods. Well, answers actually are quite simple ……………

Tea tree cultivars?  It can be migrated and planted in other part of the world; but the macro- & micro ecological environment, conditions, weather, air, water and energy in the air and under beneth in the core….these are simply not possible to be duplicated or re-engeered!

Tea production methods ? Production processes can be copied and learned, but experience and accumulated wisdom based on feeling…….can not !

The local tea growers need to understand the characters of their plants in their environment and know when and how to abstract the best but not try to copy with blind eyes.

Egoism and self-confidence are very similar, often the difference is so thin as a see-through rice paper.

The basic theory about tea and how to prepare tea are not the most difficult learning in tea, but willingness, respectful and submissive learning attitude are.

On the journey of tea learning, I remain as a white paper so I can receive all information, but I do not take  information for granted, because I like to maintain objective digestion and diagnosis without preconceived ideas, certainly to avoid pre-judgement before I even have a chance to know more.

Learning tea, learning life.

Mei Lan Hsiao  蕭美蘭

Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre / Belgium Chinese Tea Culture Association 8/2/2019

One of most commonly asked questions is

How long tea can be stored?

As matter of fact all teas can be stored for very long time under the appropriate storing conditions.  Of course, some teas will lose its natural fine and sexy aroma and the taste might become woody.  We certainly should understand how the post oxidative fermentation might occurred because of the long time storage.

1. Air flow environment
2. Avoiding direct light
3. Avoiding humidity
4. Avoid bad odors

Above suggestions also are suitable to consider for tea shop layout.

What is the  reality when you fall in love with Pure flavours  and tastes in tea?

It is a journey like water that does not float backwards, once into the world of pure, authentic and better quality tea, it is hard to go back.

I started with Pure and Authentic Quality teas without aromatic flavors or taste additives, thus the cosmetic flavours and tastes are TOTALLY not attractive to me AT ALL.

Being able to identify pure  vs. aromatic flavours and tastes is only one of fundamental requirements from a #teasommelier. The utmost foundation is submissive learning and respectful attitude；it is not just about the what/which/how in tea, it is about what kind of person you become to.

copyright Mei Lan Hsiao, Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre/Belgium Chinese Tea Culture Association 3/2/2019 Antwerp, Belgium

Who do no like good meal, fine drink and party in this holiday season?  Here are few useful tips for tea lovers:

1. Wash tea ware every time after being used. Can consider to use either pre-heated vinegar or soda to remove nasty tea stains when necessary
2. Avoid drinking too hot tea because the temperature that the swallow pipeline can tolerate is between 50-60℃
3. when tea gets cold, the continued oxidation with air may generate lots of oxalate. Excessive oxalate might increase the risk of kidney stones to some people, according to the research
4.  Some people misunderstand drinking tea can dissolve alcohol, actually it increases work load to liver. Advise not to flush alcohol with tea after meal, especially if have dronk wine or liquor； it is better to take time to enjoy some desserts or have some acidic fruits or juice；otherwise have some water before drinking tea.
5. Avoid to pair tea with crabs. Suggest to give 2-3 hours time gap after eating crabs.

copyrighted Mei Lan Hsiao, Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre, 2/2/2019