Monday TeaDay 1/05/09 Do you have ...

[Chip]

Happy TeaDay everyone. Please share what is in your cup today.

Yesterday, while a significant number of responders had dreamed about tea and/or teaware, but most responders did not think they had. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Going Zen or Feng Shui today. Does your tea accompaniments include ... any decorative indoor fountains. One, more than one, none? Does it enhance your enjoyment of tea, etc? Why, why not?

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

[Salsero]

Gee, it never crossed my mind. Isn't the sound of running water supposed to be part of the Japanese tea ceremony? Makes sense since tea is mostly water anyway ... well, except gyokuro which is equal parts water and dynamite.

[Chip]

Gee, it never crossed my mind. Isn't the sound of running water supposed to be part of the Japanese tea ceremony? Makes sense since tea is mostly water anyway ... well, except gyokuro which is equal parts water and dynamite.

You mean it is "da bombe?"

Nice travel set , makes me feel like it is deja vu all over again! I may visit that gyokuro with that set come morning ...
.

[bi lew chun]

I used to have a small vertical fountain which I'd forgotten about until reading today's question. The pump made more noise than the trickling water, and I don't miss it. Before I got it, I'd wanted one ever since being entranced by an indoor pond and stream system at my uncle's house. I'd love to have some sort of moving water to enjoy tea by, but any fund for fountains would probably end up being diverted back to tea.

Drinking some stale milk-scented kinsen oolong. Trying to make room in the cabinet for incoming tea.

[chamekke]

I have a little fountain that I inherited from my mother, but I don't use it because of what bi lew chun mentioned - the pump's motor is too loud. It's possible to get fountains that don't have this problem (I think), but they probably cost more than I'm willing to spend.

Not drinking anything right now, because I'm heading off to bed!

[Chip]

I got my first one which still is in use every day in the same year I started drinking tea, 1999. I could be labeled as obsessed with fountains and the sound of trickling water. I have one in just about every room, and 2 in some. The newer ones do not seem to have motor noise issues which used to drive me insane as well.

As much as I abhor chlorine in my tea, I always add a few drops to a gallon of water that I use exclusively for filling the fountains and hardly ever need to clean them (which was another peeve I had with them).

OK. That is possibly TMI ... well, one more tidbit, geisha cats love to drink from them.

No tea ... it is ridiculously late here. Sencha will pour here in less than 4.5 hours, woo hoo.

[Jack_teachat]

Nope, wouldn't buy one either.

No tea this morning as was in a hurry, will have sencha later!

[omegapd]

No fountains. This time of year (well, anytime really) a nice fire in the fireplace wins out.

Just got up- couldn't sleep- too groggy to figure out what I want to start today with.

EW

[Trey Winston]

This time of year (well, anytime really) a nice fire in the fireplace wins out.

Yep. Woke up to an outside temperature of -11 degrees today, and seemingly even less inside the house, but a nice roaring fire fixed that right up.

I did want a miniature fountain at one time, but I imagined a number of issues:
- Mightn't the running water become slimy and smelly in time?
- Mightn't the water become green with algae and miscellaneous contamination?
- Mightn't the sound of falling water become a major nuisance after precisely nineteen seconds?
- Mightn't the fountain, if left off for a few days, become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies, vipers, miniature sharks, and very small crocodiles?
- Mightn't the water splash over the rim, thus making me slip on the floor as I amble past?
The pump noise issue didn't even occur to me.

My first tea of the day is Glendale Handmade Nilgiri, courtesy of Victoria. 'Tis much good.

[Drax]

Hrm, no fountains. I saw a bunch at a local asian marketplace, but had to chuckle, similar to what bi lew chun noted -- the motors were so noisy!

I tend to prefer a backdrop of classical music anyway. At most I would buy a CD of a recording of a fountain (:mrgreen:)

I'm having some 2007 Xiaguan Tibetan flame brick today. Mmmmm. Now that I'm taking notes and really pondering into tea, this one in particular surprises me. In a good way!

[Ron Gilmour]

Not a fan of indoor fountains. And tea has diuretic properties anyway without accompanying tinkling noises in the background.

No tea yet, but I'll be brewing some Ceylon as soon as I get to work.

Sal, those pink flowers have figured in your compositions before. What are they? Cherry?

[brandon]

Sal, is that the Hankook travel set, or a new hohin? Please spill the beans.

[chad]

I have a fountain on my desk at work. Haven't used it since I inherited it from a departing co-worker. Maybe I'll get it setup in the next few days!

Pai Mu Tan in the mug this morning.

[brlarson]

No fountains here either. Tea alone can be zen enough for me, but I drink mainly oolongs, as I drink more whites and yellows and greens I might move in the direction of creating a zen space.

I need to get going today, so it's keemun this morning.

[laran7]

I was doing dishes by hand a long time ago, and noticed that the water running over a small stack of small metal "prep" bowls had a very pleasing sound. I thought "Oh good negative ions!" - and played around with them adjusting the water from the faucet so that it dripped over the bowls as if they were rocks and made a kind of musical sound. (I couldn't keep it around for too long
in was my sink!) and don't usually think of it - but I would like a fountain and I think I would like more than one.

gyrokuro in my cup - later.