Happy Winter Solstice!

Happy Winter Solstice!

Thanks for our delicious tea gatherings in 2011.  Wishing all your wishes come true in 2012. 

In January we will be meeting in Lee Young Hee museum on January 12th, thursday 6:30 pm.

November Tea Meet

Dear Tea Friends

It was great to see everyone for our November tea meet.  For our November tea meet, we tasted special Japanese green tea, delicious Chinese green tea and pungent lotus leaves tea given to us by our tea friends.  We enjoyed them greatly.  I thank everyone who brings tea to our meets.  It is definately very special to try different teas.  Then to cleanse ourselves from the chills of November, we drank five flavor fruits tea (omija) from the Jiri mountains of Korea.

For our annual December dinner meet, it was suggested we meet thursday December 29th to celebrate our friendship and coming of the new year.  Let us know what you think of the date.  Followings are suggested restaurants.  Let us know your preferences.  Thanks.  See you in December.

http://www.franchia.com/

www.KajitsuNYC.com

www.PureFoodAndWine.com

www.RougeTomateNYC.com

www.CandleCafe.com

www.BroadwayEast.com

www.BlueHillStoneBarns.com

www.Souen.net

www.BlueHillNYC.com

www.MasFarmhouse.com

www.BlossomNYC.com

www.PeacefoodCafe.com

Following pictures from our November tea meet need no introductions from me. 

Enjoy them.  See you in December.

October Tea Meet

Dear Tea Friends

 

It was great to see everyone.  Lee Young Hee museum had a great event, and we got to see excellent art exhibition and taste wonderful Korean food.  The event was not really conducive to a sit down tea meet, so we will have to wait for November for our proper tea gathering.  However, we got to taste Master Chef Haelin Lee's traditional Korean food presentation and Ms. Won Ju Seo's wonderful art exhibit made of traditional Korean fabrics.  Ms. Won Ju Seo is fomer teacher at my Korean School of NJ, so it was great to see her blossoming art works that started while she was a teacher at the school.  Ms. Haelin Lee gave me a whole packet of Lotus Leaves as big as big fans.  So we shared among our tea members.  The leaves were simply deliciously fragrant.  I cannot wait to taste them at our next tea meet!

 

Our next meeting will be held at Lee Young Hee museun on November 9th, Wednesday, 6:30 pm.  See you there.

 

People enjoying the event at Lee Young Hee museum.

 The artists and curator of Lee Young Hee museum, along with the cultural minister of Korea.

Master chef Haelin Lee, in front of her delicious food offerings.

A beautiful art exhibit.

Ummmmmmm, this is representative of Korean wine offering.  Have a drink on me.

 Our tea friends enjoying the exhibits.  Love the over coat on her, it is a creation by Lee Young Hee!  We decided all our tea members would buy one at our next tea meeting!!! haha.

Lotus flower tea!  Ummmmm, delicious.

Love the presentation.

A beautiful artwork.

More people enjoying the exhibit.

The theme of the exhibit; everyday art!  Art as dress, art as food.  It was a great event!

Joe's birthday bash at Mahgo's

For our September Tea Meet, Mahgo invited us to her house for an afternoon of tea for Joe's birthday bash. We had food, laughter, and a lecture on health by Dr. Jang, and a tea meditation session by Mahgo.  Our sincere thanks to our host, Mahgo.  And our genuine birthday wishes for Joe.

Mahgo had a feast prepared for us.  

The birthday boy.

People enjoying the food.

Dr. Jang gave us his wonderful lecture on health.   He is a master at healing people without acupuncture or medicine.  Just like there are tropics, deserts, oceans and mountains on earth, people are born with constitutions that are like tropics, deserts, oceans or mountains.  Just like there are spring, summer, autumn and winter; some people are healthy like the spring breeze or awake like the autumn breeze.  Some people are born with week liver, some people are born with week digestive system.  Depending on the body type that you were born with, Dr. Jang customizes diets for you.  He generally divides people into four types; however, of course each person is born with a unique constitution and depending on the season, age, environment, and eating habits; he will recommend certain foods for you.  However, that does not mean you should always eat those foods; it just means it is the right food for you at this point.  I once followed his diet recommendations and lost 20 pounds in one month without even realizing.  Before I knew none of my pants fit me and everyone told me I lost weight.  It is important to see him on a regular basis because the diet recommended for you today might be very different six months from now depending on your health condition.

People listening to Dr. Jang's lecture.

Woooo, see how intensely they listen.

Only to laugh the next minute.

Dr. Jang's body twist exercise to help circulate the blood in the body.

Tea Master Mahgo's wonderful tea meditation session.  Some people were in tears in the depth of spirituality.  Mrs. Gilham also shared her spiritual experience of finding God among the tree spirits.  If you have a spiritual story and would like to share, you are more than welcome to share them with us during our tea meetings.

After the tea meet, some of us went to Ido sushi for some delicious sushi and opera.

Ok-ja sang her heart out at Ido sushi.

Then next day was Chusuk, the Autumn harvest full moon festival day of Korea.  It is the biggest holiday in Korea.  I went to Bear Mountain and offered food, wine and prayer to the mountain spirit and to ancestors.

Our next tea meeting will be held on October 20, Thursday, 6:30pm at Lee Young Hee museum.  Lee Young Hee museum will be holding an opening day reception on that day.  Art exhibitions and demonstrations will be presented.  We will meet artists and artisans and appreciate their arts while enjoying delicious tea!  See you in October.

Tea time in Woodstock

For our August Tea Meet, we gathered together at our famous poet, artist and writer power couple Wolhee Choe and Bob Hawks' house in Woodstock.

The lunch was simply too delicious for words and the company even more.  After lunch we had tea together.  First we sampled slightly oxidized green tea from the north Kangwon mountains of Korea.  Some found the taste to be too rough.  Second we tried Mulberry leaves tea.  They are best at curbing diabetes.  Most scientific tests comfirm mulberry leaves curb diabetes better than any known medicine.  Third we tried fresh picked green tea from Jiri mountains of Korea.  All of us definately enjoyed the taste of fresh green tea from this year.

After tea we visited Wolhee's friend's garden gallery.  The setting was enchanting.

The garden gallery owner invited us into her house and we got to enjoy all the arts exhibited inside her house.

And Okja delighted us with her opera performance at the house.  She definately sings from her whole body, mind and heart.  And it was such a joy and emotional moment to hear her sing.

Some of us had a tour of Woodstock.  It is a wonderful hippie town.  When you get a chance go visit.

For our September meeting, Mahgo invited us to come to her house for an official Korean tea ceremony.  It is a ceremony for Joe's birthday as well as Chusuk (Korean full moon harvest.)  It will be held at her house in Closter on September 10th Saturday 1pm.  If you need a ride, Joe will be departing from Lee Young Hee museum at noon.  Also my dear friend Dr. Jang Ikpyo will come and give us a lecture at Mahgo's house for our September meeting.  He is a retired Oriental medical doctor who practiced medicine in Scarsdale NY for the past 30 years.  He is retired to the mountains of Virginia, but still practices medicine in his offices in Virginia and in Japan.  He is famous for curing all ills without accupuncture and medicine.  He will conduct healings for you and will tell you what your body type is and recommend exercises, diets and healing meditation practices tailored for you.  Hope you can join us in September.

Korea in July

It has been raining alot in Korea for the month of July.  It is really peaceful drinking tea in the rain.  And it is indeed the best time to be had in the mountains of Korea in the rain. 

My favorite tea house in Insadong.



Joe recommended me to visit Marchera Wellbing in the city of Taejeon.  It is a new place located at a town of Yoosung in the city of Taejeon.  It is a brand new town being prepared to become the political capital of Korea.  Starting from next year, most of the administration offices of Korean government will be moved to this new city.  Marchera Wellbeing is an all you can eat place.  For about $10, you can have all you can eat vegitables, fruits, and vegitarian dishes. 

I brought my friends from the city of Taejon to join me for lunch at the place.

At the city of Taejeon, there is a favorite tea house of mine at a town called Sunhwadong.  The name of the town literally means a place where one becomes an immortal.  What do you think?  Will I become an immortal?

I took my son to a Buddist food place.  It is the most famous Buddhist food place in Insadong.  The restaurant is called "Sanchon."  It is a twenty dish vegitarian lunch for $20.  I highly recommend the place.

The meca of tea trees in Korea is the mountains of Jiri.  It is a huge mountain range located in the middle and south of Korea.  The guardian spirit of the Jiri mountain is known as "Nogo Halme,"  literally translated as the grandmother of old and ancient.  Sometimes she is referred to as "Mago Halme," or "Samshin Halme."  Mago is a Goddess that gave birth to humanity.  She is also known as the goddess that is the chief of a paradise community known as "Magodan."  Samshin is the origin that gave birth to the universe, to the principle, and even us.  She is known as the giver of birth, who is present when a life is impregnated as well as when a life is born.  "Samshin Halme," is literally translated as the triune grandmother.  It does not mean there are three different grandmothers, but sometimes she is literally described as being three.  She is often referred to as being female; but not all the time.  In the Bible, when Abraham is visited by three men, he asks his wife to prepare an offering table.  Abraham is obviously not receiving guests, but rather "Samshin Halme," who tells Abrahma's wife that she will bear a child.  Then they state they will be back for the birth of the child to complete the role of the "Samshin Halme."

 

At one of the peaks of Jiri mountain, there is a mound built as an offering to "Nogo Halme."  I was planning to climb to the top before sunrise, but I got there way after the sunrise, out of breath, drenched in sweat.

If you can see the gentle sway of the mountain ranges of Jiri mountain, then you can understand why Jiri mountain is referred to as a female mountain.

 

Korea is a peninsula, there are abundant sea shores everywhere.  The most beautiful among them is Naksan Temple.  This is the Naksan tea house next to the sea side.

 

There are around 20 temple buildings inside Naksan temple.  This one on the cliff is the most famous.  It is built jetting out from the cliff.  If you own the door on the floor, you can see the ocean waves under the temple floor.

There are many temples in Korea where Temple stay is available.  All Temples in Korea are located at the most beautiful sites and it is just wonderful spending a night there.  Also delicious vegetarian foods along with teas at the most tranquil sites are included in the price.  This is the Naksan Temple tea house.  If we ever do plan a trip to Korea, then definately Temple stay would be the best option.

About 30 minutes away from the Naksan Temple is the Serak mountain.  One of the most beautiful and famous mountain of Korea.

Jiri mountain is a female mountain, Serak mountain is a male mountain.  Can you tell the difference?

There are many temples inside Serak mountain, way too many to count.  All of them are built in harmony with the lines of the mountains around them.

The tea house in the entrance of the Serak mountain.  The tea is free, but the view is simply pricessless.