Category: Others Page 8 of 14

Life is like a cup of

On 04/01/2018

Life is like a cup of tea
It will get cold one day;
the cup will become empty one day;
the pure flavors and fine tastes won’t last forever.

So,what are you waiting for?

Enjoy when you can and enjoy when it’s still warm; show respect and appreciation for what you have in time, because the essence of time is not on our sides.

People come, people go; the party is over when the door is closed.
Don’t take thing or people for granted, because it’s not right to undo for what you don’t want to happen to you too.

The most beautiful memory is not about how excited or complex it has been, but it is about how purity and simplicity have enriched your body, mind and energy and how those beautiful memories continue to ferment till the last moment in life.

We cried when we came, but can we leave with a peaceful smile, that’s the choice we can manage, in time.

Daylight Withering in tea

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 27/11/2017

In Others

Saw a question on line today about the sun drying tea.

Often a tea will be described as having the virtue of being ‘sun-dried’. It sounds very wonderful, natural and romantic – conjuring up a sense of gourmet quality in the same way that sun-dried tomatoes do. The sun is free, although unreliable, and is an energy that has been around since tea was first made but does sun drying produce a better tea compared to other forms of drying; or is it just fluffy marketing? And if it does improve quality, why is this?

First of all, it’s important to establish some basic clarity for Withering process in the tea production process:

Not all teas are suitable for sun dried (it is a Solar Dried process also known as Daylight Withering ) approach.
Basically the withering process is a process for oxidation. The management of oxidation process (also known as Withering Process) plays an important role to simulate for the fermentation process. The oxidation process will not be stopped completely by the Daylight Withering process, because the oxidation process can only be stopped by applying extra heat to the leaves in order to deactivate the oxidative enzymes present in tea leaves.
Sun Dried (or Daylight Withering ) is a very traditional and yet a must technique used for (some) White Tea, Oolong, (some but not all) Black tea and Pu’erh. Withering is also an important step for green tea, but the chance to use the Daylight Withering is less; because the color of fresh leaves will get dull and greyish in the Withering process with daylight.
Indeed sun is a free of charge energy but not reliable; and its strengths are varied in different time in a day or in season. So which tea has to go through how long in the Daylight Withering process, it depends on the timing when freshly pluck tea leaves are back to the production site and the strength of the sun; and most of all, which tea are to be produced?
For Chinese tea, the first and utmost definition for “Quality” are
- Fresh tea leaves are hand pluck
- Each process is well and thoroughly managed
- A lot of machines are used to aid the process but can’t replace the experienced workers.
Basically there are different drying processes in tea production processes,
- Outdoor oxidation and fermentation process, i.e. either solo or mixture of Daylight- and Shadow Withering
- Various indoor processes

The Daylight Withering Process for Oolong Tea

Shadow Withering

Continue withering to stimulate the fermentation in a temperature controlled environment

Learning is an endless process in life and each question opens a door to deepen the learning.

Who are you?

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 28/10/2017

In Others

Want to learn how to brew tea?

It’s easy!

Go on youtube, then you will find many interesting video’s.

But,

Does that make you a tea sommelier?

Even if you know about tea, but again does it mean you know what and how to become a Cha Ren (茶人, a Tea Wo/Man)?

Even if you know all the above, does it mean you know what does tea culture represent? what are behind and how?

At end, the question is ‘WHO ARE YOU?”

Who are you?

An artist who knows how to show the tea art?

Someone who has the pre-conceived idea about tea?

Someone actually has gone through training? For how many hours / days? How much do you really know? Are you sure you have learned enough?

Someone who appreciates and loves tea?

Someone who is committed to the life time learning?

Simply someone who knows the essence of keeping head down and how to enjoy and appreciates the learning behind tea leaves?

or…

Well, the list of question can go on and on and on and on…….

and how often you honestly confront these questions with yourself before trying to convince others?

Short and sexy with brewing time

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 19/09/2017

In Others

Why it is better to keep the tea brewing time short and sexy?

Caffeine is one important component in tea, the content in tea much less than in coffee. coffee beans need to be grinded before brewing, in other word, the drinker can’t control the content of caffeine in cup.

But tea is different, especially with good quality whole leaf tea that we do can control control the release of caffeine by controlling the brewing, I.e.

1. How much leaf we use

2. The water temperature

3. How do we control the brewing time.

In general speaking, +/-60 to 70% caffeine are released with the brewing about 1.5 minutes. In other word, the longer infusion, the more % of caffeine will be dissolved in the warm water.

Bitterness is the taste of caffeine, so when you brew tea next time, pay attention to sense the natural taste of pure quality tea (not applicable to flavored ir aromatic quality) before adding any extra ingredients, I.e. sugar, milk, flowers or fruit, etc.

Caffeine is not evil, but consuming too much can cause some health problem. Tea is only healthy if you know how to brew tea.

Have a cup of tea!

How tea helps with the energy?

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 13/08/2017

In Others

Q: How tea helps with the energy?

A: What an excellent and critical question. I probably can write a very lengthy article or even a book about how different type of tea stimulates energy in different seasons and conditions for health. But let’s face it, the answer for this question is not limited to the choice of tea type, it is about how we are willing to emerge with self consciousness in one through a cup of tea:

Before recharging we must learn how to unload and discharge. Tea only serves as a mean to facilitate the process but is not the sole solution.

Having a cup of tea is about taking time out for myself when I can simply empty my thought of “wanting” and/or desire while enjoying the pure quality flavor and taste.

The simple moment of purity, serenity and focus creates a time and mental space where I can enjoy a total relaxation in body and mind. The energy recharge does not happen in a structured planning but in every breathing.

A reflection moment

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 29/07/2017

In Others

There are only about 5000 Chinese characters in Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) written by Lao Zi, reading it is easy but comprehending it even in Chinese requires constantly review and reflection; the life experience and the state of mind could bring different level of understanding by expanding the comprehension with an opened mind. When it’s already challenge in comprehending it in Chinese, then we can imagine the challenge of translating the Chinese ancient wisdom to other language which often leads to a narrow interpretation.

道　可　道, 非　常　道; 名　可　名, 非　常　名

dào kě dào , fēi cháng dào ; míng kě míng , fēi cháng míng

This is the first sentence in Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching).

The English translation based on my personal comprehension is:

The path that can lead forwards is an abnormal path;

The name that can be named is an abnormal name.

When reading this text today, I question myself again:

What is normal? What is abnormal? Is it based on my own self-perception or actuality? Is it only one or is there various from time to time? How much do I really know about who I am? Am I sure what I know is sufficient? Am I certain for what I want, where to go and how to move forwards?

These are questions I had when I first read the Tao Te Jing more than 40 years ago. I am still questioning myself today, from time to time.

Despite the challenge, many foreign sinologist are doing their best to translate this Chinese ancient wisdom in different languages. One translation written by Ursula K. Le Guin “A book about the Way and the power of the Way” caught my attention today. She wrote: The way you can go isn’t the real way; the name you can say isn’t the real name. With this translation, my question will be

What is real? What is not real? Is what I can see or what it sees me? Where to go and what to say?

So what is your interpretation about “Dao” (the path, the way) from this first sentence?

When having a cup of tea, am I drinking just a cup of tea? or enjoying a moment of true me? That’s the charm of tea through tea time.

#daodejing #taoteching #taoism #laozi #laotzu #chineseancientwisdom #chinesephilosophies

Is iced milky bubble tea healthy?

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 27/07/2017

In Others

A news from Taiwan today caught my attention. One high school girl often felt dizzy and tire that affected her study greatly lately. After examination, the doctor found out she suffered from serious iron deficiency, the cause was because she drank one big glass of iced milky bubble tea after each meal.

The general misunderstanding is that milk can supply calcium, but in fact the women, especially young women during the menstrual period can easily lose iron.

Iron is mainly present in red cells that carries oxygen to various organs, also involved in the body’s metabolism. According to the doctor, the iron deficiency will appear tired, dizziness, asthma, decreased athletic ability, heart rate, pale and other symptoms.

Image result for 珍珠奶茶 Drinking beverage that contains milk & sugar, strong coffee or strong tea within 1 hour before and after meals can potentially cause health problem.

Indeed the taste of iced bubble tea is very delightful especially for young people who fun with fancy, sweet and icy drink. There are many different ice tea recipes without milk and less sugar, but still the question is

Do you know what and how to take care of your own health?

Like many young people today, we never thought about getting age, and we thought we have plenty of time to achieve our dreams and we thought it’s enough if we could having good fun without knowing the clock is clicking without stopping. We can’t stop the time, but we do can try to prolong the ageing process if we relised what and how to take care ourselves from food and drink everyday.

Energy Healing

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 24/07/2017

In Others

Many years ago when my elder son studied in UIA, one day he came to me and told me his professor gave him an assignment to proof the ‘scientific evident’ that Chinese traditional treatments work. I did not know what kind of evident that professor intended to find, but there are many people willing to testify its benefits, including myself.

in one hand, I fully understand the scepticism from some people, and I also would like to suggest people to check with the family doctor when they get sick. Don’t try to play the doctor yourself, certainly I will not recommend to try the ‘ fancy alternative’ treatment based on self-perception.

Energy healing is not to replace the medical treatment for body, but it is, indeed, a slow healing process for body and mind.

Relaxing and trusting the inner self is a learning process. When we are able to submit, able to relax body and mind, and are willing to accept and to receive, then the energy flow is getting smoother.

There is no medicine or even tea can help us to destress when we are not able to give ourselves some time to relax and to heal.

Chinese practice the Qigong healing exercises for thousands of year, today there are many western scientific researches have also confirmed the benefits.

Relaxing body and mind do help the inner healing process. But questions are do you know what, when and how to practice correctly? Do you know, one can also perform such energy healing to her-/himself.

I don’t know what quantum physics is about, but I do know one simple thing, even though we can’t see the air, but we feel the wind and we know its existence.

One detail is critical for those who are either interesting or have doubt about the alternative treatment that such alternative exercises or practices won’t work with people who are sceptical.

Referrence:

http://noetic.org/research/projects/mapping-the-field-of-subtle
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/12/11/harvard-study-unveils-what-meditation-literally-does-to-the-brain/

Essence of tea learning

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 16/07/2017

In Others

Tea is naturally authentic and straight, there is no variance of high or low. Human’s nature is also born naturally pure and simple. Each person has unique preferences and viewpoints for flavor and taste.

Same type, quality grade and quantity of tea can have different color, flavor and taste when water and the brewing methods are different. The self perceptive like or dislike when tasting tea create various perceptions and the self-perceptions creates differentiation.

The learning must starts from the basic theory, but the learning shouldn’t be limited to the theory only. Those who truly want to learn tea, then must learn how to lay down the differentiative mind, maintain the learning attitude, genuine listening, respective and honest mind and actions.

Whenever can enjoy a cup of tea that suit myself, the touching feeling is not measurable by price. The most valuable is that connecting moment of peace and joy.

Good tea needs not be very expensive, very expensive tea may not the one suit myself. So why bother to follow the fashion games, certainly there is no need to show off; simple appreciation and thankfulness will guide me further.

Each tea has a story and in the past thousands of year there are plenty fantastic legends. It does not matter how amazing the story is, it’s still just a story. Life that we have been through is not a imaginative story but accumulation of many experiences, whether it’sgood or bad, luck or misfortune, there is nothing we can undo it. How to manage the past memory is a critical learning; how to handle with ease is an important task.

The most valuable in life is “Genuine”, the treasure is “Suitable”. Tasting a cup of tea is like this, so as in life. Past has already pasted, future is not yet coming, so why bother to waste energy on envy, sigh, jealousy or regret. When keeping head down, there are you and I. The moment when we are able to share the fine taste, able to enjoy the heart touching feeling, the thankful heart is the greatest reward.

Learning tea is like learning life

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 01/07/2017

In Others

The concept of “the ” means there is ‘only one’ in the world. But in the journey of learning tea or in the learning journey in life with the aim either for achievement, money, position or reputation, Image result for 古茶樹 we should learn to recognise and accept the concept of ‘the best’ lasts only for a second; because there are more “better” and “even more better” exist without knowing.

Tea tree has never tried to be the best, it just tries to grow, slowly. It does not have any differentiation energy, simply standing in the wild nature and grow, silently. It allows people who recognise and able to draw its unique flavor and taste forth to create different legends of fine quality tea that people can enjoy, without judgement.

There is an end of life for human, but it’s not clear how long a tea tree can grow if there was no external harassing or not being over picked because of greediness. When we take care of the natural life cycle of tea trees, it’s like taking care of our own mind cultivation.

Learning tea is like learning life.

Having confidence and believing self are important in life, but a differentiative mind, uncontrollable competitive energy and egoism can blind us. Either for tea or life, there is no Best but only Better. Learn to live the life with humbleness and courteousness won’t make you weak, on the contrary it expands your strength and capacity through inner alignment.

Category: Others Page 8 of 14

道 可 道, 非 常 道; 名 可 名, 非 常 名

道　可　道, 非　常　道; 名　可　名, 非　常　名