The start of my tea set!!

[Tea4Todd]

.......and it's 120 a month :/ Too rich for my blood.

Ouch.... yeah... that is too bad.

I'm running a knee injury right now, so can't sit seiza. Still doing standing kata..... waiting for the results of an MRI and "the next step".

best,

................john

I dabble in various alternative sports, and keep healthy as much as I can. Where does your knee hurt? I'm in school for Exercise Science, I may be able to tell you some things that could help you out.

[Tea4Todd]

I really think this is one of the most peaceful hobbies I have ever taken up. I used to be an avid martial artist, and was very into TRADITIONAL (not western style) Tae Kwon Do, it had it's peaceful moments, but was high energy, HIGH discipline, and a lot of training, so the peaceful nature of it slowly faded.

Yeah, practicing tea can be a lot less painful!

And a lot more delicious too and nutritious too

[JBaymore]

Oh wow John, I'm sorry. Knees really can suck can't they. I had mine replaced years ago and it still doesn't work right.

Yeah...... thanks.

Sorry to hear that your knee replacement was not what it might have been. I expect that at some point I'll be headed down that road myself.

best,

...............john

[JBaymore]

Where does your knee hurt? I'm in school for Exercise Science, I may be able to tell you some things that could help you out.

Thanks for the offer Todd. Got a good sports medicine ortho guy. Likely it's a small miniscal tear on the medial side. If that is not confirmed on the MRI that has been done then it likely is an arthritic flareup.

VERY frustrating not to be able to train Iai full out.

best,

..............john

[Tea4Todd]

Where does your knee hurt? I'm in school for Exercise Science, I may be able to tell you some things that could help you out.

Thanks for the offer Todd. Got a good sports medicine ortho guy. Likely it's a small miniscal tear on the medial side. If that is not confirmed on the MRI that has been done then it likely is an arthritic flareup.

VERY frustrating not to be able to train Iai full out.

best,

..............john

Ahh, yeah, medial meniscus problems are never good. I have a misalignment in my left leg from kickboxing and other blunt trauma to that leg, and it has affected my knee. When I used to cycle competitively it would really flare up and be very uncomfortable. Hopefully it's nothing too serious. Best of luck!

[Alex]

KneeChat


*gets coat*

[JBaymore]

KneeChat


*gets coat*

So..... back on topic.........

[brandon]

White porcelain tea set is absolutely classic. Unbeatable.



Welcome to the club!



Also a great call on the 'small' gaiwan - makes your leaf go much further when serving 1 to 2 people.

[Tea4Todd]

White porcelain tea set is absolutely classic. Unbeatable.



Welcome to the club!



Also a great call on the 'small' gaiwan - makes your leaf go much further when serving 1 to 2 people.

Brandon, time and time again I am envious of your awesome setups. I love that white Gong Fu setup, including the little cup saucers, and the wooden trivet. Really nice stuff, what cups and serving pitcher is that?

[brandon]

Both sets of cups are from The Tea Gallery, and so is the pitcher.
I believe the pitcher is out of stock, but you could try - or find someone else that deals with Eilong.

Wood tray is from Seasons International NY.

[Tea4Todd]

Both sets of cups are from The Tea Gallery, and so is the pitcher.
I believe the pitcher is out of stock, but you could try - or find someone else that deals with Eilong.

Wood tray is from Seasons International NY.

Just looked through a portion of your photos on flickr from I guess the same shoot. Man, you have some awesome stuff. Can I ask why the little yixing sits in a bath of the overflowed tea? Also, what are the rock in the glass tea kettle? How much tea are you adding to your little Yixing? I remember your answers being vague, so I'll prepare myself

[brandon]

Tea Bath?
A) Shallow dish - catches drips from spout, overflow from filling teapot, or holds about enough liquid to let you do one or two 'pour over top of pot' to add more heat to a long brew. This tray is dumped often into the waste water bowl and it isn't primarily meant as a teapot bath. It is more like creating a much more attractive way to contain tea mess than the usual boxy bamboo table.

B) Tea Boat

In cold weather one might actually purposefully create a deeper bath of hot water around a teapot or gaiwan to help maintain temperature.

How much tea?
A lot. Totally depends though, Wuyi tea expands less, fits the pot less densely, and gets a lot more than Taiwanese oolong which expands like crazy. Pictured is Dan Cong, which doesn't expand much, but still gets a lot less leaf than most teas.

Rocks WTF?
http://theteagallery.blogspot.com/2008/ ... r-tea.html
Unfortunately I don't know of anyone importing these right now, best bet is possibly Best Tea House Vancouver branch. It is sort of what some people would call "just a Best Tea House thing." Your mileage may vary.