Friday TeaDay 9/18/09 Demonstrating tea?

[Chip]

Good Teaday everyone and welcome to what promises to be a great TeaDay! Please be sure to share what is in your cup throughout the day.

Yesterday we discussed our comfort level of brewing for others. You can still vote and discuss this topic!

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic, taking yesterday one step further. Would you be comfortable/enjoy demonstrating, instructing, sharing the way of tea including its preparation either in an "informal or formal setting?" Please share whether you would enjoy this or not.

I am looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with ... everyone. Bottoms up.

[chamekke]

Oh, I love doing Way of Tea ("Japanese tea ceremony") demonstrations. It's great fun - even if there's a lot of toil involved! (Sometimes my tea group does "marathons," at cultural fairs for example, where we do three or four demonstrations over the course of a day.) Every audience is different, and it's fascinating to hear the questions that people come up with. And I'm always chuffed when someone goes away having genuinely enjoyed their first taste of matcha

A lot of people think that tea demonstrations are an odd sort of animal because, out of necessity, it is more of a staged demonstration of what happens in the tearoom than a truly participatory event. This is true; it's rather like watching a narrated stage play, with a question-and-answer session (and complimentary bowl of matcha!) at the end. But it's still the best way that we've found to introduce newcomers to what goes on in "tea ceremony." The first demo I attended was certainly enough to get me hooked!

[Victoria]

Yes on all counts! I love talking about tea, and most people seem very interested, or they fake it well. So making and demonstrating go hand in hand and it's fun. I'm no expert but it since all most people know are tea bags, they are eager to learn.

Yesterday when my latest Hagi package came from Japan, I opened it at work and everyone got a bonus lesson in Hagiware.

In my cup this morning Bohea from ToT.

Have a nice day everyone!

[CynTEAa]

Yes, on all counts!

Victoria, what did you get? I'm happily awaiting my first Hagi pieces.

So far Yunnan Gold. Maybe some sencha next as I feel a cootie coming on...booo!

[Trey Winston]

Given enough time to prepare, I would happily demonstrate tea making even in a formal setting.

Trying a new sample from Adagio now, a green called Xiu Ya Ballad. To me, it's a somewhat unusual green. It's certainly very different from sencha.

[Drax]

I'd be relatively happy to do so. As long as people understood that I'm not an expert...

It's going to be a reaaallly slow morning. I've got some sort of cold. Fortunately it doesn't seem to be flu-related. Or maybe unfortunately? Maybe I'll have the pleasure of getting both this year, or if I'm really lucky, I'll have this cold and two types of flu!

Hm, maybe I'll just brew up some shu. Fortunately I can still taste, so I might as well have something comforting...

[gingkoseto]

I would love to demonstrate tea if the audience has the wish as well as the patience seeing me demonstrating tea. The only reason I chose "maybe" for this question is I wouldn't want to grab non-tea-drinkers and force them through tea drinking.

In zen culture, there is an old saying that, you can't pour tea into a cup that is already full. When we visit others and bring a cup already full, we can't accept any new stuff, tea or ideas. So I would love to demonstrate tea to people if they bring their empty cups. And of course I love to take my empty cup with me and get tea from others

[Salsero]

I would do it.

[Intuit]

Yes, of course, I love to do it - if I have the opportunity and a genuinely interested audience who want to learn about teas. In the vast majority of cases, however, friends, family and casual acquaintances aren't likely to morph into tea enthusiasts.

The Internet has been both a blessing and curse to the tea industry. Yes, we have improved access to loose-lef teas from overseas markets outside of major urban centers, but about 80-90 percent of the tea retail trade caters to and encourages flavored tea consumption because there are many more consumers who will purchase boutique caffeinated and flavored beverages for their energy boost and liquid-candy traits, rather than for true appreciation of the leaf or bean quality.

It's the commoditization of tea, sans normal market regulation by producers and retailers to keep floods of inferior quality product from eroding educated consumer demand.

There is no application of artful technique, no years of palate education, no real tea quality appreciation necessary, when you are brewing overpriced, flavored blender teas in expensive, eye-candy teaware.

Mate in my cup, for a change.

[leiche2]

No way. I'm... shy. More of a watcher than a demonstrator or teacher. Good thing I decided to become a professional academic, eh? I'm sure I'll get over it eventually.

I think lunch could use a little houjicha.

[depravitea]

There is nothing about tea that I don't find interesting, and there is nothing about tea that I wouldn't like to have a conversation about, or try my hand at doing.

I think that covers it

This morning I think I'm going to do some shu pu... if my son gives me the chance, that is.

[skywarrior]

Depends on the group/person. I'm probably more relaxed about it than a lot of people here.

[Donna417]

Oh, no, no, no! Of my many many jobs in life, the worst were the teaching jobs, and in my job now, which I love, there is one part I truly dislike - training new employees. I am, by nature, a teach-ee, not a teacher. I am so very glad that all the rest of you can pick up the slack!

I'm having a second day of Tea Source Oolong, my first tea from them. It's nice.

[Chip]

I believe I would enjoy it on many different levels, again the challenge as a introvert, but also the challenge on making it both real and interesting.

I have actually thought of this quite a bit, talk about an interesting job ... if you want to call it that, to go around and share tea in all different kinds of settings.

Began the TD with Zencha Fuga Limited Edition which was very good. SweeTea came for the tea while Wulong and Pyrit came for the TrEAts. And now some Hatsumi from O-Cha.

[Mrs. Chip]

Began the TD with Zencha Fuga Limited Edition which was very good. SweeTea came for the tea while Wulong and Pyrit came for the TrEAts. And now some Hatsumi from O-Cha.

Delish and brewed to perfection, served in a Sea Cucumber Wan!
Some other Teacatz visitors the Mod forgot to mention, Fuji decided to play with Ceylon and Gandalf and all 3 paid no attention to the TeaTable this morn.

I'm an extravert and would have noooo problem doing this, if only I knew how!

Up next, Silver Needle again ala Adagio.
Have a TEArrific TeaDay everyone, and hope you are looking forward to the weekend.