April Tea Meet

Someone once asked me the mission of our tea group.

I said the following;

1.  It is our intention to understand diverse cultures around the world through each others' tea cultures.

2.  It is our intention to have a conversation over tea with the people around the world.

3.  It is our intention to enlighten and to make people healthy through tea.

To that end; For our April tea meet, we gathered at Urasenke Japanese tea center.  It was a beautiful get away center in the middle of Manhattan that allowed one to forget all the stresses of NYC and meditate with tea.  We had a wonderful time enjoying Japanese tea culture and drinking macha.

 

The tea teacher, at the Urasenke center, showed us with a great enthusiam the original tea room with a hole on the wall as the entrance for the tea guests.  Tea and through tea culture, Japan transformed and organized its Samurai culture, and afterwards they were able to unite the nation.  In order to enter the tea room, Samurais had to leave their weapons outside, crawl inside and be humble.  The Samurais learned each and every little details of tea rituals over and over through out their lives.  With each turn of the tea cup, their oath to their lord strengthened. 

For our May meeting, we will listen, smell and taste the spring tea buds at “In Pursuit of Tea.”  Sebastian Beckwith, the owner of In Pursuit of Tea will treat us with this year’s spring tea that are just coming to market.  He will also talk about and give us a presentation on his tea buying trip that he just came back from Asia.  His presentation and tea drinking will take place on May 10, Thursday 6pm.  It will cost $25 per person and will last about an hour and a half.  The spaces are limited and we can only accept first 10 people who reserve the space by emailing me.  So let me know as soon as you know for sure that you are coming.

Sebastian Beckwith
In Pursuit of Tea
33 Crosby Street
Grand & Broome Streets
New York, NY 10013
646.964.5223
info@InPursuitOfTea.com
www.InPursuitOfTea.com

Lee Young Hee Museum Catalogue publication celebration

We enjoyed Lee Young Hee museumn catalogue publication party greatly.  Madam Lee Young Hee, herself was there to sign the copies.  The food was great, and the entertainment was fabulous.

For our April meeting, we are meeting at Urasenke, on April 14th Saturday 1:30pm.  We can only take 20 people.  If you wish to go, let me know immediately since most people have reserved their spots already.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4w1xWGNbVg

February Tea Meet, and Looking forward to March, and April....

During our February Tea Meet, we heard a presentation regarding why the correct name of the East Sea is "East Sea," not Sea of Japan.  Historically it has always been known as the East Sea internationally and no known body of water that lies between two countries are called by one country's name.  I hope the East Sea regain its proper name soon.

Our March Tea Meet will take place at Lee Young Hee museum on March 8th, Thursday, 6:30pm.  This will be a special meeting where we will be celebrating publication of the Museum catalog.  We will have delicious tea along with a feast of food and entertainment.  There are only limited number of spaces, so please reserved your space soon by emailing me or to the museum.  (Please see attached flyer for more information.)

Our April Tea Meet will take place at the Urasenke Chanoyu Center, www.UrasenkeNY.org, on Saturday, April 14th at 1:30pm.  We can only accept first 20 people.  We also need to pay and reserve the space ahead.  Please bring $15 checks, payable to Urasenke, Inc., by our March tea gathering.  If you cannot make to our March Tea Meet, but plan to attend our Urasenke meet, please mail $15 check to Jongsuk Sung at the Lee Young Hee Museum of Korean Culture, the check must be received before our March Tea Meet.  Thanks.

January Tea Meet

For our January Tea meet, we met at Lee Young Hee museum of Korean culture.  We tried variety of teas; roasted green tea from the Jeju island of Korea, winter barley skin powder tea, fermented dandelion tea, and woolong tea from taiwan.  The teas were delicious.  Winter barley skin tea brought memories for people.  In olden days when there were no food in the winter time, barley skins were used as the food of last resort.  It is full of vitamins and nutrients that will cleanse the blood and regulate blood pressure.  Hope you get a chance to taste it soon.  Suh Haikyung, the most famous Koren pianist joined us for tea, she has an upcoming concert at Lincoln center in March.  Go catch her concert! 
Our February meeting will take place at Lee Young Hee museum on February 10th, Friday 6:30 pm.  See you there.

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!