Greetings, fellow tea lovers and aficionados. I've just returned from a year of tea research in China, and I am so excited to have found a group of people who are just as devoted to tea as I am! After learning so much about Chinese teas and making so many friends who make and sell it, I return to the USA devoted to promoting tea as a taste, an experience, and a way of life. For me, tea's way of life is both a celebration of beauty and a chance to meditate on weightier things, a time to focus on the senses and share with others.
I cannot deny that I have a bias towards Chinese teas. What can I say? I studied Chinese language and literature (including classical Chinese) in university. It was through my tea friends in China that I was introduced to this passion of mine. I was both a Freemen and a Fulbright research fellow, focusing on contemporary Chinese tea culture, puer, and tea in the Tibetan regions of Aba and Ganzi. During my research, I traveled to the main-tea growing regions of China to interview farmers and study tea ceremony, and I am now compiling a book on the origin myths of tea as told by the farmers themselves.
Despite this understandable bias, I am really looking forward to learning about tea all around the rest of the world (Japan and India at the top of my list). TeaChat seems like a wonderful resource to connect with those who share an interest in tea, and it is with all of you that I am eager to connect. I am also looking forward to the ability to post links, so that I can share the tea blogs I write each day, as well as the Verdant Tea Culture Series of webisodes I'm creating for YouTube.
In the meantime, I'll see you around the board! I look forward to meeting and sharing with you all.
May 4th, '10, 19:45
Posts: 37
Joined: May 4th, '10, 16:35
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Contact:
David Duckler
Re: Excited to share and learn
Welcome. Well we are a diverse group here with a lot of knowledge.
Glad to have you with us!
Glad to have you with us!
Re: Excited to share and learn
Wow, welcome to Teachat!VerdantTea wrote:Greetings, fellow tea lovers and aficionados. I've just returned from a year of tea research in China, and I am so excited.
I can't wait, Did you take a lot of pictures?
May 5th, '10, 21:37
Posts: 37
Joined: May 4th, '10, 16:35
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Contact:
David Duckler
Re: Excited to share and learn
Yes, I did. I'm sure the tea related ones will make their way onto the boards eventually, as the moments present themselves.nonc_ron wrote:Wow, welcome to Teachat!VerdantTea wrote:Greetings, fellow tea lovers and aficionados. I've just returned from a year of tea research in China, and I am so excited.
I can't wait, Did you take a lot of pictures?
Thank you, and Victoria, for your welcomes.
May 5th, '10, 23:20
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 22nd, '06, 20:52
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Re: Excited to share and learn
Welcome to TeaChat VerdantTea. Hope to see you around the forum ... oh wait, I already did! 
Re: Excited to share and learn
Good stuff, I'm eager to hear about your travels and interviews with the tea farmers, should be interesting to here all the different opinions/perspectives.