Wednesday 8/13/08 UNOPENED teas, how many?

[Geekgirl]

Well if we're counting samples, I have several of those still unopened, mainly because I received them unsolicited with teaware orders, and they didn't particularly appeal to me.

OH! about 6 weeks ago I ordered a PiXiu tea beast (he has been in several of my photos,) and he arrived from China with one wing cracked off. I emailed the ebay seller and let him know about the damage, we exchanged a babelfish email and I repaired my statue with ceramic epoxy (it's almost perfect, you can barely see the repair.) I was satisfied since the repair was fine, and the item was inexpensive.

This morning when I arrived at my office, there was a replacement PiXiu sitting on my desk. Of course, I'm delighted and impressed, but haven't decided yet what to do with TWO beasties, maybe they can have a teaparty?

(Store is YunnanColorfulon Ebay, and he has a nice little selection of tea beasts.)

[Victoria]

Cool! So they understood after all.

[Selaphiel]

I have 0 unopened teas I can't contain myself when I have new tea in the house :p

Had some Darjeeling first flush from Phuguri earlier today, gonna have some Jun Chiyabari Himalayan jade oolong for my evening tea.

[Chip]

wow, top vote getter hands down so far, ZERO unopened teas.

I am enjoying Japanese Farmer shincha that I added some Karigane to. The karigane really rounds the flavor out. Makes it much better IMHO.

[chamekke]

Salsero (and anyone else who's interested) --

There's a really good article about houou (Japanese) a.k.a. feng huang (Chinese - the name that Victoria gave) on this webpage:
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/h ... enix.shtml

Nice pictures too. You can judge for yourself whether your "turkeys" fit the bill or not

[auggy]

There's a really good article about houou (Japanese) a.k.a. feng huang (Chinese - the name that Victoria gave) on this webpage:
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/h ... enix.shtml

Nice pictures too. You can judge for yourself whether your "turkeys" fit the bill or not

Anyone know the difference between houou (鳳) and fushichou (不死鳥)? Apparently they are both "phoenix" in Japanese was wondering what the distinction (if any) is.

Of course, flying turkeys are cooler than phoenixes any day.

[Victoria]

There's a really good article about houou (Japanese) a.k.a. feng huang (Chinese - the name that Victoria gave) on this webpage:
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/h ... enix.shtml

Nice pictures too. You can judge for yourself whether your "turkeys" fit the bill or not

Anyone know the difference between houou (鳳) and fushichou (不死鳥)? Apparently they are both "phoenix" in Japanese was wondering what the distinction (if any) is.

Of course, flying turkeys are cooler than phoenixes any day.

Fushichou is a phoenix but a houou or feng huang is made up of many different birds.

"Unlike the Phoenix of the Western World, the Feng-Huang is immortal without needing to go through a cycle of death and re-birth" - New World Encyclopedia

Moving on this afternoon to FLT Li SHan.
Very nice oolong for an busy afternoon.

[Geekgirl]

News flash (and cry for help from my fellow teachatters...)

It is over 90degrees outside today (in NW Oregon!) and I just came home to find a little parakeet (budgie) in my courtyard. He is exhausted and overheated I'm sure. I would like to get him to drink something, but not sure how.

Any ideas?

[RussianSoul]

News flash (and cry for help from my fellow teachatters...)

It is over 90degrees outside today (in NW Oregon!) and I just came home to find a little parakeet (budgie) in my courtyard. He is exhausted and overheated I'm sure. I would like to get him to drink something, but not sure how.

Any ideas?

Aw, he is so cute! Are you going to keep him?

Put a saucer or two with water near him, he will drink when he is ready.

[bronzebed]

awwww, he's such a cuttie. i hope he is ok.

[Salsero]

There's a really good article about houou (Japanese)

Mmm, well the cup is Japanese, so the Japanese version of the bird applies, but the two traditions are certainly intertwined. Thanks for the article, Chamekke. I just glossed over it earlier in the day, but now I actually read it and see it is a pretty good treatment.

Portrayed together with the Dragon, they add up to powerful cosmic symbolism:

• “In China, early artifacts show the Phoenix (female) as intimately associated with
  the Dragon (male) -- the two are portrayed either as mortal enemies or as blissful
  lovers. When shown together, the two symbolize both conflict and wedded bliss.”

[/size] Sort of reminds me of the wonderful matsuba (pine leaf) that you taught me about a couple months ago, although that is a less conflicted representation of romantic fidelity.

The two on my cup are starting to sound more like a couple:

• “From early times … the Hou-ou was depicted as a male-female pair facing each other,”

[/size]So it may be they are not charging, but just displaying like this couple:

• 

The motif that strikes me as most central seems to be that of harmony vs. conflict and I find that attractive and life-like in its ambiguity. Thanks everyone for helping me understand better this little cup I picked up in an antique store. I am back liking it quite a bit again … still ... those heads … sloppy work, IMO.

[Pentox]

News flash (and cry for help from my fellow teachatters...)

It is over 90degrees outside today (in NW Oregon!) and I just came home to find a little parakeet (budgie) in my courtyard. He is exhausted and overheated I'm sure. I would like to get him to drink something, but not sure how.

Any ideas?

Aw, he is so cute! Are you going to keep him?

Put a saucer or two with water near him, he will drink when he is ready.

Hm, since he's green i'm gonna say he's picky and wants some matcha. But in all truth yeah, just put some water near him and if he's thirsty he'll go for it I think.

[Geekgirl]

Ha! If I keep him I'm gonna name him Matcha.

[jewelbug]

Ha! If I keep him I'm gonna name him Matcha.

Matcha's a cutie. A new forum mascot, perhaps? I hope he's had something to drink now--how's he doing?

Thanks everyone for helping me understand better this little cup I picked up in an antique store. I am back liking it quite a bit again … still ... those heads … sloppy work, IMO.

I need to hit some antique stores, I think. Hubby's going to be gone this weekend and the antique district isn't far...

I'm drinking some of adagio's li zi to finish my day.

[kymidwife]

Well, I always open and smell all of my new teas... the exception to this has been my good greens, from O-Cha... because I wasnt' sure how fast I would drink them and I was trying to extend their freshness.

I bought 3 teas from O-Cha and until today, 2 of the 3 were open (Fukamushi Sencha Supreme and Yutaka Midori). My gyokuro Shou-Un was sealed.

And then I read the poll. So I opened it.

I'm on about the 8th infusion, and it is absolutely delicious. I am a gyokuro newbie, having only had Adagio's. But I must say, it is really delicious... very sweet and rich, with tons of staying power so far.

Sarah