Serenity Art now online

[ABx]

Some of you have seen me talk about Serenity Art (a local shop) over the years, and specifically their super cheap teaware. Well, they are now online - http://www.serenityartinc.com

For those that have been wanting gaiwans or small (gongfu cha size) porcelain pots, this is definitely the place to go. The mass-produced gaiwans you see in just about every tea shop online for $10-$20 go for $4-$7, and he has the small porcelain pots that you just don't find online for around the same price.

As for tea, he has some pretty decent wulong, and great jasmine pearls (and I normally don't like scented teas), but his actual specialty is shu - which is mostly aged.

The site just went up, so I expect that they'll be adding more stuff as time goes on. His focus is primarily on practical stuff at the best prices.

[geeber1]

I was looking at his site the other day. It will be nice if he gets more of the stuff that they have in the shop on there, especially since I live 5 hours away!

[tenuki]

Total Awesomeness.

Quick favor - I trust your palette, could you tell me the top 5 teas to order?

[Victoria]

Thanks for the link some interesting items.

[ABx]

Total Awesomeness.

Quick favor - I trust your palette, could you tell me the top 5 teas to order?

Shu, jasmine pearls, Dong Ding (it's 07 in vacuum packs), dancong (white tea page), TGY (green tea page).

[Salsero]

Shu

OK, which shu?


Which part of China calls Puerh "Polay"? I have heard about that name for it before, but I have forgotten where it is used.

[TomVerlain]

I think the romanized word you are looking for is "Bolay" - I do not know the exact etymology, but I would guess it is cantonese. That is a BIG guess, based on nothing but guess.

Foojoy has "Bo Nay" tea - basicly the same. I have had it and it does taste like shou in a tea bag

[brandon]

I think the romanized word you are looking for is "Bolay" - I do not know the exact etymology, but I would guess it is cantonese. That is a BIG guess, based on nothing but guess.

Bo'lay is an approximation of Cantonese pronunciation for 普洱.

[Intuit]

Wiki page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolay_tea

This is, perhaps, a Sino-Portuguese term refers to the ball-form, bolus, large-leaf tea that is pressed pu'erh.

Spanish bolas, pl. of Spanish bola, ball, probably from Latin 'bulla'.

The first and last European colony in China was the port of Macau, initially settled by Portuguese traders in the 16th century.

[Intuit]

Has anybody else placed an order with SA, paid, but not received any emailed confirmation or received their ordered goods?

It's been nearly 10 days since I placed my order. I live 5 hours away. Abx says they don't speak English very well. Guess I'll have to call and find out what's going on at their end.

[geeber1]

I haven't ordered anything from them but when we went into their store they pretty much ignored us until my husband started chatting them up.
Maybe they haven't quite got a routine going with the online thing yet? It couldn't hurt to give them a call, especially if they have already taken your $$$.

[Intuit]

I did call. The owner was surprised that I hadn't received my order. Took a few details, said would contact the person responsible for running the online store. Was supposed to get a call back (2.5 hrs have elapsed, no call).

The phone number listed on my paypal receipt was answered by someone who spoke English with no accent - maybe the person who set up the website and is running it (or ignoring it, as the case may be, since they neither return phone, emails, nor fill orders received).

The physical store owner spoke clipped English well enough for me to understand him without a problem.

[Intuit]

Talked to the physical store owner in Portland again this afternoon. His hired help was supposed to call me, but did not. He confirmed my order, we corrected a glitch in the order page for porcelain teapots (the best selection on the web), and he will provide me with a few samples of other teas.

The owner speaks English, about on par with many Asian adults I've known (including professors/professional engineers). Please keep conversation to very basic words and phrases, if you call about your order, which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you do to confirm it and push the order process along.

At 10 days, nothing had happened, the owner was unaware of my existing order and clearly unhappy and wishing to help. I should have called earlier. The order will go out on Monday, and I may see it by Friday. Shipping costs are reasonable/typical.

I think that Serenity Arts will eventually become a bread and butter supplier of teaware to this forum, if they can sit on their website order guy to get orders filled and out the door.

[Intuit]

Eight days have passed since I last called, discovered that nothing had done about my order placed and paid for on Sept 8th. Owner promised the package would go out last Monday. No show this week. I live just 5 hours drive from Portland.

At this point, I cannot recommend doing business with Serenity Arts. I have had overseas orders filled faster.

Edit: I received my package today from SA. It was indeed posted from Portland one week ago - sent by USPS by mule, apparently. The shipping estimate was accurate and the items well packed, with exception of the tea*. The small blue gaiwan ordered is lovely - far higher quality than I would have expected for the price. The blue and gold porcelain teapot is not 8 oz as listed, it's 6oz. It's got a nice thin wall. The order page incorrectly attached an order code for a different size and pattern for another pot. I can live with it, and will probably order the one I want by phone next time. I also ordered a glass gaiwan; it's hand made and surprisingly thin walled, so it should be perfect for my lighter oolongs and it may well see service for DCs, too.

*The tea came in thin zip lock baggies. A week in shipping didn't help freshness. Good thing its dry season, they're rolled teas, and I have spare tins and vacuum packs. Not sure how he is shipping his greens, but it won't be pretty if they're casually thrown into the thinnest of plastic bags (oversized ones at that), sans protective wrap in priority mail boxes.

I'll have a chat with the owner about hair curling tongs and cheap heat sealing bags. He will also be introduced to USPS one-price packaging, which would have sufficed and is one third less expensive.

Edit 2 (Sept 29): High Mt Wuyi, grade B: not bad at all on brewing. Flavorful, aromatic, reasonably well-crafted for a less-expensive tea ($32/lb). A good choice for an every day oolong, much better quality than typical 'medium fired' oolongs. Much more impressed with the 3 good infusions than with the appearance in the baggie. Two thumbs up.

Feeling relieved that it finally showed up, since I had no idea how it would be sent or if I would receive it, given that it's full 20 days since ordering.

[ABx]

Hopefully it's just growing pains, and/or a problem with the carrier. I know that I've had letters sent in town take ridiculously long to arrive, so it's possible (however unlikely).