Today we started our iiw about tea. One of the things that we got was a small tea cup in which we would drink some tea in. After we got settled in and talked about what we were going to do we were going to have a guest speaker coming over to tell us facts about tea. She was the only certified tea master in the whole state of Texas, which was pretty cool. She brought in some tea that was already brewed for us to taste and had her assistant pour in the tea for us. We tasted 5 different kinds of tea in total, white tea, green tea, uglon tea, black tea, and rooibos tea, and had a cookie to accompany us with our tea tasting. The teas that I liked the most after tasting all of them were white tea and green tea. The white tea relaxed me a lot and had like a original natural taste. The green tea, since ive had some of that before, I really liked it and enjoyed it a lot. The other teas were really new to me so I didn't really have a taste for them, but on the other hand I was able to experience the taste that they delivered. After the guest speaker left we worked on making our map, making the outline of the continent and starting on getting some facts done.
Jonathan Rivera 01/04/11 Today only expert in Tea in the state of Texas came to us and brought us five different teas to taste which where brewed at The Path of Tea, the tea’s we tasted today where white tea, green tea, Ulan tea, and rooibos tea each one of these teas had its own particular Taste and smell for example Ulal tea smelled and taste like strawberry’s, the way it gets its smell is when the loose leaf tea is sited next to the strawberry’s the loose leaf traps in the aroma.
Not a teas are made some teas are sprayed with fifteen different types of chemicals , some processed differently, Third world countries still use DDT on their teas, so teas are not imported to tea united states unless it is certified by the US or Japanese.
Tea is very healthy for you put if water is added the affects go away put if had with sugar it does affect the tea and its healthy supplements for example green tea can relief stress, black tea can low your cholesterol helps u get over the flu quicker and can prevent from having a heart attack and live longer if you drink three to five cups a day.
The Path of Tea..... Elena Moya 1/4/11 First day of IIW and we had a guest speaker come in who was the only tea master in Texas. She brought with her five different teas that we would be tasting as she told us about tea and its many components. First tea of the day was white peach tea, the first tea I've ever had in my life. I hestitantly took a sip to find it to my liking. Next up was Oolong tea which I enjoyed as well, but not as much as the white peach tea. Third was green tea that I did not get to enjoy that much because I was rushed to finish it so I could have the fourth tea, but I liked it nonetheless. Fourth up was a black tea that I found, sadly, appaling. The flavor was all off for me and I had to force myself to finish it so I could taste the last tea sample of the day, Rooibos, which I could not drink because I was full. All that tea had made me full and I had to pass up on the chance to taste it. Though it did smell good. After the speaker left, our groups, who were decided before the speaker arrived, worked on the maps of our continents we would be studying.
Jacqueline Hernandez 1/4/11 Today we had a guest speaker, her name was Thia McCann. She is the only tea master in Texas. To be a certified tea master she went to tea school, for a year and a half. Organic tea is the best tea! Most teas come from the Camellia family. Some examples of teas made from this plant are white tea, green tea, black tea, and many more. The first tea we tried was the white tea. It had a peach flavor to it. This one was my favorite. White tea reduces fine lines, wrinkles, is anti bacterial and prevents cavities. We also tasted a green tea. Green tea prevents Alzheimer’s disease, helps people remember things, and cuts level of stress. Green tea would be helpful before a major test! Are you feeling sad or know someone who is? Drink or make them drink oolong tea! It helps people who are feeling blue, and takes that blowded feeling you sometimes get when you eat a bit too much. The black tea is the most processed tea. The fire when making this tea is supposed to be very high. Black tea helps lower cholesterol, balances blood sugar and helps your cardiovascular system. Tasting all these different types of teas and learning the health benefits of them was a good experience. What I’m wondering is were is the iced tea!? Word count: 227
01/05/11 Today our IIW class attended a Japanese tea ceremony which was hosted by an organization and ten Japanese ladies which were wearing Kimonos and they thought us about a little bit of a Japanese new year and a tradition Japanese tea ceremony which they do for a special occasion for example a graduation, new birth, new year, marriage, ect.
When we attend the ceremony I was one of the lucky three to perform the tea ceremony, the first thing u do is take of your shoes then sit on your knees on the tatami flooring at the guest entrance and put the fan in front of you and the piece of cloth behind you then bow then you side forward with your fist and but the fan in front of you and the piece of cloth behind and bow again then side to your to your right and sit on your knees , then the guest do the same and the sit were they suppose to and then host walk in with sweets and does the same thing the guest didn’t before sitting at their place and when she sides in the host and guest bow to show their respects, and the host has everything prepared to make the tea before he/she even sat down, then she passes out the sweets and the host and guest bow then the guest bows to the other guest, it’s a way of saying sorry for eating sweets before you and the same thing with the tea, when given the tea the host turns the tea cup two times clockwise and then bow and the guest does the same and while drinking the tea the guest sips about two to three times to indicate it was delicious, when the guest is done the guest wipes of the part he/she drank of and cleans their hand on the cloth then turns the cup two times counter clock wise and set it down.
Today we went to the multi-purpose room where a miniturized Tea Room was set up. We observed as a Japanese woman came out wearing a Kimono and explained New Year traditions to us. They only wear Kimono's for special occasions and they have different types of Kimono's for different seasons. The only difference is how many layers there are. If there are two sets of fabric than its for winter, summer Kimono has only one set of fabric. To start the ceremony, you had to bow, placing a fan in front of you, before a mini-door way before sliding your way through the door way and going to a specific tetami mat to sit down, placing the fan behind you. You then bow when the host comes in and then sit there as she cleans the utensils to show you that they are clean. But before you drink the tea, you eat a small sweet to negate the bitterness of the green tea. When they passed them around and I took my first bite, it felt as if I had just swallowed 200 packets of pure sugar. I felt a heart attack coming on and instantly felt jittery. I was not looking forward to the tea if it took that much sugar to negate the bitter taste of it. Sure enough, when I took my first sip, I tasted the grainy bitterness of the powdered green tea. I also tasted a hint of fish, which no one else seemed to taste. Even though I disliked the tea, I enjoyed the actual tea ceremony. I had already knew parts of it because of some of the shows that I watched, but the mini-door way threw me off. It supposed to symbolize that ever one is equal in the Tea Room, because back in the old days of Japan, Samurai's had to take off their sword when coming into a building. When they finished, they showed the proper way to bow for certain things. Like when bowing to the host, you place both hands on the floor with your thumbs connecting in a triangular form, but when bowing to the person beside you, you only place your fingertips on the tatami mat, apologizing for the fact that you got tea before them saying “Sorry for drinking tea before you” or “Sorry for eating a sweet before you”.
Rodolfo Rodriguez 1-5-11 Today, in the morning, we started the day by drinking white tea and black tea. I chose white tea because I have grown accustomed to it by now, I really like how it has a plain taste to it and how its not so bitter. We had some Japanese women come and do a traditional Japanese tea ceremony for us. The setup for the ceremony had around 10+ mats, special Japanese mats, laid on the floor to cover 10x10 space. There was a little entrance before getting to the mats where each person had to bow to show respect and to show that there is no class, as in people class, when they do the ceremony. After that they dragged themselves with their hands while having a little fan in front of them. They sat in the knees and awaited the tea. The host gave each of them a little sweet and to show respect bowed to them. After that was over the host then came to each bow of them and bowed again and gave them the tea. The people participating had to drink the tea in 3 sips, making sipping sounds as a sign that they really liked the tea. After that the tea ceremony was finished and a last bow was finished and a last bow was done. At the end we were all offered tea which was really foamy and had a plant taste to it, it was something really different and I liked it even though there was a little aftertaste.
In the very morning we drank two kinds of tea: white tea and black tea. Of the two my favorite was the white tea. I just wish I had a bit of sugar to add to it… In the afternoon we had some guests. They were going to demonstrate a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. There were about 10 mats spread around a small space, but were in a particular pattern. There was a kind of square door in one of them. The speaker told us that when people first start the ceremony they have to pass through the little door. After that they sit down in mats and wait for the host of the ceremony to prepare the tea. There was a certain pattern the host would ‘prepare’ the tea. The guests of the ceremony would have to bawl down to the host. It was fun to watch but we also got a reward. They gave us some type of sweet, which in my opinion tasted much like melon. We also got to try the tea. It was a bit too bitter. I didn’t want to be rude so I finished my cup of tea. A little bit of more water and lots of sugar would of made it taste better. word count: 211
Jonathan Rivera 01/06/11 Korean tea ceremonies are different from Japanese tea ceremonies, in Korea when woman have tea ceremonies so that they may develop relationship between woman and woman of noble classes. There are similarities and differences between Korean and Japanese some similarities are that they both sit on tatami mats on their knees, take their shoes, pass out treats and the host serves the tea, and they prepare the tea when everyone is sited down, the difference is that Koreans may chat during the tea ceremonies and the Japanese are silent, in Korea the guest gets the bigger tea cup, and the way it is served, held, and the way you drink it. The way tea is prepared and served is that you have one pot that is for hot water and the you pour the pot of hot water into the tea pot which has the tea leaves in it when the hot water is poured you close it with the lid and wait two to four minutes, then you grab the handle of the tea pot with your right and hold the lid with your left hand, then pour the tea to the guest put not all the way so that everyone can have the same density. The way you hold the cup tea is by putting the cup of tea on top of your left and hold it with your right hand put only with your thumb, index, and your middle finger. When drinking the tea you first take a little sip to taste it then finish it with big sip but with out making any noise. Word count:268
Korean Tea Ceremony.... Elena Moya 1/6/11 Today we had a taste of Korea in the form of green tea. After the Japanese Tea Ceremony yesterday, I was a little hesitant to try this tea, but the guest speaker said that they used actual tea leaves instead of tea powder and for that I was extremely grateful. The speaker had an assistant who also doubled as a translator and they showed us a power point on Korean tea and a video that showed us that their ceremony is more revolved around the tea and socialization. At first you look at the tea color. And then you smell the tea to get the aroma. When first tasting the tea, you take a small sip to savor the flavor, and then you take big sips. The color was a perfect light green, the smell was heavenly and the flavor was awesome. It made me start liking green tea again. They usually have rice cake with the tea, but since we are not used to Korean customs, we had some American chocolate with the tea. Tea in Korea was an excuse to visit with friends back then. The high class ladies would visit and chat while the host would make tea, so their tea ceremony is less formal than the Japanese ceremony and takes up less time. I had no idea that tea had a big effect on people and countries. I found out that there were around four wars that had tea in the center of it.
Today in IIW we experienced a Korean tea ceremony in the classroom. We were accompanied by two Korean women that showed us a short slide show informing us about how tea is served, what the purpose is, and what it is used for. The older women, who is a Korean teacher in Korea explained how the tea was made and how it was done in Korea. She told us how you have to have boiling water at about 180 degrees Fahrenheit so that it can bring out the taste of the tea. Then you have to put the tea leaves inside the teapot and then add the hot water. You then have to let the tea settle for about 3 minutes so that it doesn't burn out tongues. After is cooled a bit more you add the tea to little tea cups and serve it to the guests, the host serves the tea to everyone else and then itself. The way you drink the tea is by putting your left hand under the cup holding it, you also use your pinky, index and middle finger to hold the side of the cup and bring it to your mouth. You first look at the color of the tea then you take a small sip to get the taste, then you sip a bigger one, and then you sip one last time and finish the tea. This was a very interesting experience and I liked it. We also got teabags and drank the tea right there and than, and got instant tea as well.
Today we tasted black tea and white again. This time the white tea had a peachy flavor. I liked that one the best. We then started to finish our research. In central and south Asia, tea is very traditional. Tea is served to guests, and if it isn’t, your host must be upset about something. After that we had guests: two Korean women demonstrating a Korean Tea Ceremony. A tea ceremony is a “social” kind of event. Total opposite of a Japanese one. To make Korean tea you first have to place the loose green tea leaves in the teapot. You then add water, and steep for 3-5 minutes. You first serve your guests and serve yourself last. First have to look at the color. Then you smell the aroma. The first sip you take has to be a small one, just to taste the tea. After the first sip you continue but with much bigger sips. Contents of the tea include: caffeine, protein, carbohydrate, flavor, vitamin c, tannin and inorganic compounds. The different kinds of teas are the leaf tea, fermentation (which give tea the bitter sour taste), semi-fermentation tea and powder tea. Tea leaves are used in food as a type of spice. It was also used as a medicine.
Today, we were visited by the Iranian culture. Black tea is the traditional tea that they drink over there. They drink tea in the morning, before and after every meal and the Samovar doesn't cool down, until they are in bed. Tea is a major part of their culture and it shocked me to hear that they drink it like Americans drink soda, but even more regularly than that. In Iran, when you drink tea, you put a sugar cube in your mouth and drink the tea through that, if you don't like sugar, you can drink it plain. Tea is served when you visit and is usually served in a glass cup so that you can enjoy the color of the tea as well. They serve the tea with fruit or sweets, such as cookies. Iranian factories produce about 50 tons of tea, but that is not enough tea for them, so they import another thirty to forty more tons of tea. A Samovar is what they boil the water in and is shaped like an urn. When you pour the tea, if you don't like strong tea, you add water from the Samovar into your tea to dilute it, but if you like strong tea, you don't have to add water. Benefits of the black tea are good teeth, strong bones and helps with your heart and it only has twenty percent of the caffeine that coffee has. word count: 247
Today was our first day at IIW. It was all about Tea, just like I expected. I’ve never been really into tea; I am more of a coffee person but tea sounded like an interesting class. Today, we had a guest. Her name was Thia McCann and she is the only Tea Master in Texas. She gave us many interesting facts about tea in general. One thing that surprised me was the fact that she said that there’s Tea that can kill a tiger! Tea comes from the Camilla family and we need to remember that Organic tea it’s the best. She gave us a tea cup so that we tried some tea and let us keep it. They put handles on tea cups because back in the days people will burn their hands when holding the cup. She brought with her 5 different types of teas for us to try. She had white tea, green tea, black tea, uglon tea, and rooibos tea. We also had a cookie to eat while we drank our tea. Usually, people give a sweet when they give tea. All the tea’s had a different color, different taste and different health benefits. The first tea, which was the green tea, had no flavor for me but according to Mrs. McCann it had peach flavor in it. White tea helps you relax and reduces wrinkles. Then we tasted a green tea. Green tea helps you a lot when it comes to stress and problems with your heart or skin. It can also help with Cancer. You have to drink 3-5 tea cups daily to get all the health benefits and not put milk in it. You should drink Green Tea the day you a have a test, it helps a lot! The next tea we tried was the Ulung tea. This tea helps you when you feel sad or depressed. With Ulung tea the liver metabolizes fast and also helps you when you have ate a lot. After the Ulung tea, we tried Black tea. Black tea it’s the most processed tea. Black tea has many health benefits. It can help you with asthma, cardiovascular streams and with blood sugar problems. The last tea we tried was Rooibos Tea. This tea mainly addresses stress. All the tea’s had a very interesting flavor. I had really enjoyed the first day.
Jacqueline Hernandez 1/7/11 In the very morning, I drank some jasmine black tea. I didn’t like. It smelled really good, but a flower should be made into a tea. At first it tasted like, it smelled, but the after taste was horrible! We then had a guest speaker. She had worked at our school before, and she was born in Iran. She came to talk to us about the tea in Iran. Tea is served for all guests. It is a tradition to serve tea to guests. Tea has a social role. In the 15th century coffee was the main beverage, but it was too expensive to transport, so then people switched to tea. In 1899, tea was successfully cultivated. Tea is in high demand in Iran. It is still imported from other countries, even though there are lots of tea barns. To make tea, you have to boil water and put it in a tea pot. You put some tea leaves, and leave them there for a while so they can infuse. The color of Iranian tea is a reddish color. To drink the tea you have to put a sugar cube in your mouth, and drink the tea by small sips. Steaming gives the tea the flavor. The color and strength of the tea is determined by the level of dilution. The Iranian tea was kind of strong. But it was much better than the Japanese and Korean tea. I put the sugar cube in my mouth, like the Iranian custom and I drank some tea. The sugar cube dissolved really fast and I was left with no sugar for the rest of the tea. Word count: 277
Ana Arzate 1.5.11 “Japanese Ceremony” Today was very different from yesterday. Today we watched a traditional Japanese ceremony take place at our school. When we walked in the multi-purpose room, the tea ceremony was already set up. There was like ten mats spread around on the floor in some kind of pattern. The ceremony happens on the mats. There was a small door to where you had to walk in through to get on a mat. There was ten Japanese ladies wearing really beautiful kimonos. They explained to us their culture, their new years and told us about their kimonos. They only wear kimonos for special occasions like graduations or weddings. They also have special type of kimonos for every season. For example, the winter kimono has double layer while the summer one doesn’t. After they were done explaining the tea ceremony started. There was three students from our class participating on it. They had to take their shoes off and had to be wearing socks. They had to kneel down, bow and drag themselves under the small door having a small fan in front of them at all times. They stayed on their knees and waited for the tea to be served. They finally got their tea and a little sweet. They had to drink their tea in three sips, making sipping noises. The last sip had to be loud. Other than the sips, the ceremony had to be silent. After the ceremony, the Japanese ladies gave the rest of the students some tea and a sweet. The tea had a very strong green color, it was green tea. When drinking the tea, you had to bow, pick it up and turn three times in your hands and finally drink it. When I took the first sip, I expected to be good but now I know never to drink that type of tea again. It was so different from all the other teas. This one actually did taste like it came from a plant. Now I know for sure that white tea it’s my favorite! WORD COUNT: 346
Ana Arzate 1.6.11 “South Korean Speaker” Today we had two ladies from South Korean as guests. They came to tell us about everything that has to do with Korean tea and their tea ceremonies. In Korean the mostly use green tea, just like in other East Asia countries. The green tealeaves are steamed so that enables them from getting the antioxidants. Tea is now a Koreans beverage but it is used to be more hospitable then feast. It was used for medicines. The tea purifies the world. The lady told us that we should tea with our five senses. In Korean, you need to hold the cup with three fingers and the other two have to be sticking out. Before drinking, you look at the color then smell the aroma, take a small sip and finally drink it. Their tea ceremonies are to build relationships between women’s. Unlike the Japanese, in Korean tea ceremonies you can talk. The guests’ cups need to be bigger than the rest and served first. Also, when you serve it, you pour the patch twice not feeling it all the way. We got the chance to try a type of Korean tea with a chocolate. Both were very good, but I liked the chocolate more! So far I know there are all different types of teas around the world and different ways of having tea ceremonies. WORD COUNT: 231
Ana Arzate 1.7.11 “The History of Tea in Iran” Today we had another guest. She was part of the staff in Westchester last year but left us and went to Northbrook. She came back to tell us all about the history of tea in her land, Iran. Tea is very original, very social over there. Before the 15th century coffee was the main thing but the countries that produced it were far and the countries that produced tea were closer, so they started importing tea. The first modern tea factory was back in 1934. Now, Iran has over 100 tea factories, each producing over 50 thousand tons of tea. Many countries call tea “chaai”. The Iranian tea is red and has a fairly light taste. The color and the strength of the tea are determined by the level of dilution, which is based on the taste and preference that each person has. They usually drink tea with a sugar cube and not a cookie like Japan people and Koreans. When you’re feeling down or you’re sick it’s good to drink your tea with saturated sugar. Their teas are all about moisture. In Iran, they also have a preference for black tea. Black tea can help you lower stress, the level of stress, aids in lowering cholesterol, regulate blood sugar and help you have healthy teeth’s, skin and bones. We had the chance to try Iran tea with sugar or a cookie. In my opinion it was good but I wouldn’t drink it daily. It was kind of strong but maybe that’s just how Iran people like it. WORD COUNT: 267
Jonathan Rivera 01/07/11 In Iran it is costume that when someone comes to your house to serve them tea and a snake and if they don’t want it they just leave it there. In Iran coffee was the main beverage in the 15th century but the transcended to tea, Iranians were not able to produce their own tea until the 1899 when Iran able to cultivate tea in the northern hemisphere or Iran. Iran’s first tea factory was built in 1934 and now there are over a hundred tea factories which produce fifty tons of tea each year but is not enough because Iranians drink over a hundred tons of tea each year and exports thirty to forty ton of tea to the world each year, a typical Iranian would wake up drink tea, the drink tea for lunch, and for dinner. In Iran it is costume o serve someone their tea in a glass cup so that the can see the color of the tea. The color of Iranian tea is red and it tastes fairly light, when drinking the cup of the Iranians put a cube of sugar between their teeth while applying the right pressure and sipping the tea with the cube still between your teeth. Word count: 211
Serenitea- From the Tea Leaf to the Tea Cup........ Elena Moya 1/10/11 Today- our last day of IIW- we traveled to a restaurant that has to do with tea, tea, tea. First they served us tea of all types. Good tea, bad tea, black tea, green tea, and a surprising pink tea that was tarty yet good. After telling us what tea we were having, I did not pay attention to the names that they told us because of the tea in front of me, we sipped and tasted and scored the tea in our heads, seeing if we liked this tea or liked the one before better. Then they brought out the scones served with blotted crème and lemon cur. Both tasted good with the scone that had cranberries in it as well. After a while, they brought out more tea to taste, but I was too full of scones and tea to taste any more. Though it was tempting to gorge myself on tea, I decided against it because all that tea was making me sleepy. After we were served our twelfth tea, the owner started to lecture us on tea and how it made it to the tea cup. She told us the most popular and worldly excepted version of how tea came to the tea cup was through the Chinese emperor who was a scientist and found the leaves by accident. Apparently, tea became so popular, they compressed it into bricks and used it as currency. To pay, you would break off a chunk that was already pre-cut and hand it over to get what you paid for. The owner also told us how tea in Britain became the thing of nobles through the queen and how the nobles would give the left overs to their servants who would then sell it on the black market. It was a new experience for me to sit and have that much tea in one go, but I enjoyed the tea and the conversations we had, even though it was a little weird at first to have two teachers sitting with you. All in all, this was a great experience for me and I enjoyed all the teas, even the ones that I didn't like. word count: 378
Today we went to a Serenitea, Tea Room- Gift Shop, in Sugar land. It took us around 30 minutes to get there on bus, so it wasn't that far away. Once there we started drinking many kinds of tea, around 10 different kinds, which was served to us by some employees there once every 5-10 minutes. We accompanied the tea with stones, some biscuits with some raspberries in it. We also put our napkin in our laps, a special kind of napkin, so that if any tea dripped it wouldn't fall on our clothes. We also sat in the table with 3 other people, counting yourself. Some of the teas that we drank were called, Earl Grey, Apricot, Fragrant Orchard, Caramel Cream, Masala Chai, Comfy Cozy, Jasmine, Mango Passion, and Mandarin Spice. My favorite teas were Mango Passion and the Caramel Cream, I really liked them because, one, the mango passion had a very tropical taste to it and it wasn't all that bitter, and the Caramel Cream because it had a very sweet flavor to it. Every time we got a different tea served to us we would take a whiff to get an idea of what it was, then we would sip a small sip in order to taste it and then we would drink it one sip at a time. The way that the cup and plates were set up were, the cup on top of the saucer and then on top of plate where we would put have our food on it. It was really formal and you had to have very good table manners. We were also taught how to hold the tea cup, using all your fingers to hold it with them being curled inside the handle and around it. I also learned that if you have your pinky stuck out when you drink the tea can be really offensive to people of different cultures. The owner of the place talked to us about how they made their teas and how they named them, naming them after places that they were in or just a random name that described what they were feeling . She also told us about how the tea was discovered and how it has spread all across the world. At the end of the day I liked the whole experience and being able have tasted the teas.
Today we went to Serenitea tea room in sugar land to have after noon tea the tables were set up neatly with the tea cup on top of the saucer, and the saucer on top of the plate. The right way to hold a tea cup is by having your fingers curled , having your pinky out in other countries is like telling someone to bug off. When served tea and you want to add sugar u use a special teaspoon to get some sugar to put in the tea cup then you grab your spoon and stir it with out make noise or hitting the cup, and you put the spoon on top of the saucer, then stones are past out which are like biscuit with raspberries and cream and lemon frosting which are put on the plate and the napkin is placed on your lap. During after noon tea its is a time of relaxation and to chat with your friends, many people call it high tea instead of after noon tea but after noon tea is correct term because in the old times high time meant when a worker came from the fields and had their dinner.
Jacqueline Hernandez 1/10/11 It took us around 30 minutes to get to serenitea. When we got there the host had everything set up. Ms. Smith educated us a little about etiquette. I sat with Jose and Ms. Blasingame. We talked about school and were quickly given tea in our cups. I put sugar on it so it could have some taste to it. It was a very good idea. It gave more tea the flavor. With the tea, we had some biscuit type thing. It was very good. My favorite kind of tea was the fragrant orchard. It had apples, blueberries and pomegranate. There was another type of tea that had chocolate. I didn’t like it that much. The host talked to us about tea, and the history of it. She also said that in order to drink tea, the proper way is to curl your fingers in the handle. Also when you put sugar your suppose to make a special movements with the spoon so it wont make so much noise. The teas that are in bags are considered “trash”. They are the bad things people don’t want from the tea. The good tea is the one that has the natural leaves. When we got back to the classroom we drank some iced tea. Finally! But it was much too sweet. We had little pieces of cake to accompany the tea, which I liked. We then had to present our different countries. Most countries rely on tea. Everyone seems to have there own kind of tea, which is given to there guests. I think this was a good experience for me. I learned a lot about tea, which I didn’t know. For instance I didn’t know tea had health benefits. I also wont ever have tea from bags. Thanks for having us in your IIW group. :) Word count: 305
Ana Arzate 1.10.11 “Serenitea: Tea Room” Today was our last day in IIW. We had a fieldtrip to Serenitea, a tea room-gift shop. It was in Sugarland, about a 30 minute ride. It was a small restaurant and all you saw around was tea cups. It made it look very elegant. We had to sit in a group of 3 or 4 people per table. They told us to choose very wisely who we wanted to sit with so that we had some good conversations while having our tea. Each table had a cup, a saucer and a plate, the cup was on top of the saucer while the saucer was on top of the plate. We also had a knife, spoon and fork next to the plate. There was sugar and salt in the middle. She gave us about 13 different teas’ to taste. They also gave us cranberries scones with a cream and lemon cur. The scones were delicious and there was some teas’ that were good, not all though. The lady from the restaurant told us everything about the history of tea. Something that I found very interesting was that you’re supposed to hold the tea cup by curling your fingers in the handle. It is not right to drink the tea having your pinky sticking out since it means something bad in china and others countries. I really enjoyed this week. I found out very interesting things about tea. Now, ill make sure I drink tea more often. WORD COUNT: 252
Rodolfo Rodriguez
ReplyDelete1-4-11
Today we started our iiw about tea. One of the things that we got was a small tea cup in which we would drink some tea in. After we got settled in and talked about what we were going to do we were going to have a guest speaker coming over to tell us facts about tea. She was the only certified tea master in the whole state of Texas, which was pretty cool. She brought in some tea that was already brewed for us to taste and had her assistant pour in the tea for us. We tasted 5 different kinds of tea in total, white tea, green tea, uglon tea, black tea, and rooibos tea, and had a cookie to accompany us with our tea tasting. The teas that I liked the most after tasting all of them were white tea and green tea. The white tea relaxed me a lot and had like a original natural taste. The green tea, since ive had some of that before, I really liked it and enjoyed it a lot. The other teas were really new to me so I didn't really have a taste for them, but on the other hand I was able to experience the taste that they delivered. After the guest speaker left we worked on making our map, making the outline of the continent and starting on getting some facts done.
word count: 238
Jonathan Rivera
ReplyDelete01/04/11
Today only expert in Tea in the state of Texas came to us and brought us five different teas to taste which where brewed at The Path of Tea, the tea’s we tasted today where white tea, green tea, Ulan tea, and rooibos tea each one of these teas had its own particular Taste and smell for example Ulal tea smelled and taste like strawberry’s, the way it gets its smell is when the loose leaf tea is sited next to the strawberry’s the loose leaf traps in the aroma.
Not a teas are made some teas are sprayed with fifteen different types of chemicals , some processed differently, Third world countries still use DDT on their teas, so teas are not imported to tea united states unless it is certified by the US or Japanese.
Tea is very healthy for you put if water is added the affects go away put if had with sugar it does affect the tea and its healthy supplements for example green tea can relief stress, black tea can low your cholesterol helps u get over the flu quicker and can prevent from having a heart attack and live longer if you drink three to five cups a day.
Word count:207
The Path of Tea.....
ReplyDeleteElena Moya
1/4/11
First day of IIW and we had a guest speaker come in who was the only tea master in Texas. She brought with her five different teas that we would be tasting as she told us about tea and its many components.
First tea of the day was white peach tea, the first tea I've ever had in my life. I hestitantly took a sip to find it to my liking.
Next up was Oolong tea which I enjoyed as well, but not as much as the white peach tea.
Third was green tea that I did not get to enjoy that much because I was rushed to finish it so I could have the fourth tea, but I liked it nonetheless.
Fourth up was a black tea that I found, sadly, appaling. The flavor was all off for me and I had to force myself to finish it so I could taste the last tea sample of the day, Rooibos, which I could not drink because I was full. All that tea had made me full and I had to pass up on the chance to taste it. Though it did smell good.
After the speaker left, our groups, who were decided before the speaker arrived, worked on the maps of our continents we would be studying.
word count:222
Jacqueline Hernandez 1/4/11
ReplyDeleteToday we had a guest speaker, her name was Thia McCann. She is the only tea master in Texas. To be a certified tea master she went to tea school, for a year and a half. Organic tea is the best tea! Most teas come from the Camellia family. Some examples of teas made from this plant are white tea, green tea, black tea, and many more. The first tea we tried was the white tea. It had a peach flavor to it. This one was my favorite. White tea reduces fine lines, wrinkles, is anti bacterial and prevents cavities. We also tasted a green tea. Green tea prevents Alzheimer’s disease, helps people remember things, and cuts level of stress. Green tea would be helpful before a major test! Are you feeling sad or know someone who is? Drink or make them drink oolong tea! It helps people who are feeling blue, and takes that blowded feeling you sometimes get when you eat a bit too much. The black tea is the most processed tea. The fire when making this tea is supposed to be very high. Black tea helps lower cholesterol, balances blood sugar and helps your cardiovascular system. Tasting all these different types of teas and learning the health benefits of them was a good experience. What I’m wondering is were is the iced tea!?
Word count: 227
Jonathan Rivera
ReplyDelete01/05/11 Today our IIW class attended a Japanese tea ceremony which was hosted by an organization and ten Japanese ladies which were wearing Kimonos and they thought us about a little bit of a Japanese new year and a tradition Japanese tea ceremony which they do for a special occasion for example a graduation, new birth, new year, marriage, ect.
When we attend the ceremony I was one of the lucky three to perform the tea ceremony, the first thing u do is take of your shoes then sit on your knees on the tatami flooring at the guest entrance and put the fan in front of you and the piece of cloth behind you then bow then you side forward with your fist and but the fan in front of you and the piece of cloth behind and bow again then side to your to your right and sit on your knees , then the guest do the same and the sit were they suppose to and then host walk in with sweets and does the same thing the guest didn’t before sitting at their place and when she sides in the host and guest bow to show their respects, and the host has everything prepared to make the tea before he/she even sat down, then she passes out the sweets and the host and guest bow then the guest bows to the other guest, it’s a way of saying sorry for eating sweets before you and the same thing with the tea, when given the tea the host turns the tea cup two times clockwise and then bow and the guest does the same and while drinking the tea the guest sips about two to three times to indicate it was delicious, when the guest is done the guest wipes of the part he/she drank of and cleans their hand on the cloth then turns the cup two times counter clock wise and set it down.
Word count: 327
Japanese Tea Ceremony....
ReplyDeleteElena Moya
1/5/11
Today we went to the multi-purpose room where a miniturized Tea Room was set up. We observed as a Japanese woman came out wearing a Kimono and explained New Year traditions to us. They only wear Kimono's for special occasions and they have different types of Kimono's for different seasons. The only difference is how many layers there are. If there are two sets of fabric than its for winter, summer Kimono has only one set of fabric.
To start the ceremony, you had to bow, placing a fan in front of you, before a mini-door way before sliding your way through the door way and going to a specific tetami mat to sit down, placing the fan behind you.
You then bow when the host comes in and then sit there as she cleans the utensils to show you that they are clean. But before you drink the tea, you eat a small sweet to negate the bitterness of the green tea.
When they passed them around and I took my first bite, it felt as if I had just swallowed 200 packets of pure sugar. I felt a heart attack coming on and instantly felt jittery. I was not looking forward to the tea if it took that much sugar to negate the bitter taste of it.
Sure enough, when I took my first sip, I tasted the grainy bitterness of the powdered green tea. I also tasted a hint of fish, which no one else seemed to taste.
Even though I disliked the tea, I enjoyed the actual tea ceremony. I had already knew parts of it because of some of the shows that I watched, but the mini-door way threw me off. It supposed to symbolize that ever one is equal in the Tea Room, because back in the old days of Japan, Samurai's had to take off their sword when coming into a building.
When they finished, they showed the proper way to bow for certain things. Like when bowing to the host, you place both hands on the floor with your thumbs connecting in a triangular form, but when bowing to the person beside you, you only place your fingertips on the tatami mat, apologizing for the fact that you got tea before them saying “Sorry for drinking tea before you” or “Sorry for eating a sweet before you”.
word count: 403
Rodolfo Rodriguez
ReplyDelete1-5-11
Today, in the morning, we started the day by drinking white tea and black tea. I chose white tea because I have grown accustomed to it by now, I really like how it has a plain taste to it and how its not so bitter.
We had some Japanese women come and do a traditional Japanese tea ceremony for us. The setup for the ceremony had around 10+ mats, special Japanese mats, laid on the floor to cover 10x10 space. There was a little entrance before getting to the mats where each person had to bow to show respect and to show that there is no class, as in people class, when they do the ceremony. After that they dragged themselves with their hands while having a little fan in front of them. They sat in the knees and awaited the tea. The host gave each of them a little sweet and to show respect bowed to them. After that was over the host then came to each bow of them and bowed again and gave them the tea. The people participating had to drink the tea in 3 sips, making sipping sounds as a sign that they really liked the tea. After that the tea ceremony was finished and a last bow was finished and a last bow was done.
At the end we were all offered tea which was really foamy and had a plant taste to it, it was something really different and I liked it even though there was a little aftertaste.
word count: 259
Jacqueline Hernandez 1/5/11
ReplyDeleteIn the very morning we drank two kinds of tea: white tea and black tea. Of the two my favorite was the white tea. I just wish I had a bit of sugar to add to it… In the afternoon we had some guests. They were going to demonstrate a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. There were about 10 mats spread around a small space, but were in a particular pattern. There was a kind of square door in one of them. The speaker told us that when people first start the ceremony they have to pass through the little door. After that they sit down in mats and wait for the host of the ceremony to prepare the tea. There was a certain pattern the host would ‘prepare’ the tea. The guests of the ceremony would have to bawl down to the host. It was fun to watch but we also got a reward. They gave us some type of sweet, which in my opinion tasted much like melon. We also got to try the tea. It was a bit too bitter. I didn’t want to be rude so I finished my cup of tea. A little bit of more water and lots of sugar would of made it taste better.
word count: 211
Jonathan Rivera
ReplyDelete01/06/11
Korean tea ceremonies are different from Japanese tea ceremonies, in Korea when woman have tea ceremonies so that they may develop relationship between woman and woman of noble classes.
There are similarities and differences between Korean and Japanese some similarities are that they both sit on tatami mats on their knees, take their shoes, pass out treats and the host serves the tea, and they prepare the tea when everyone is sited down, the difference is that Koreans may chat during the tea ceremonies and the Japanese are silent, in Korea the guest gets the bigger tea cup, and the way it is served, held, and the way you drink it.
The way tea is prepared and served is that you have one pot that is for hot water and the you pour the pot of hot water into the tea pot which has the tea leaves in it when the hot water is poured you close it with the lid and wait two to four minutes, then you grab the handle of the tea pot with your right and hold the lid with your left hand, then pour the tea to the guest put not all the way so that everyone can have the same density. The way you hold the cup tea is by putting the cup of tea on top of your left and hold it with your right hand put only with your thumb, index, and your middle finger.
When drinking the tea you first take a little sip to taste it then finish it with big sip but with out making any noise.
Word count:268
Korean Tea Ceremony....
ReplyDeleteElena Moya
1/6/11
Today we had a taste of Korea in the form of green tea. After the Japanese Tea Ceremony yesterday, I was a little hesitant to try this tea, but the guest speaker said that they used actual tea leaves instead of tea powder and for that I was extremely grateful.
The speaker had an assistant who also doubled as a translator and they showed us a power point on Korean tea and a video that showed us that their ceremony is more revolved around the tea and socialization. At first you look at the tea color. And then you smell the tea to get the aroma. When first tasting the tea, you take a small sip to savor the flavor, and then you take big sips.
The color was a perfect light green, the smell was heavenly and the flavor was awesome. It made me start liking green tea again. They usually have rice cake with the tea, but since we are not used to Korean customs, we had some American chocolate with the tea.
Tea in Korea was an excuse to visit with friends back then. The high class ladies would visit and chat while the host would make tea, so their tea ceremony is less formal than the Japanese ceremony and takes up less time.
I had no idea that tea had a big effect on people and countries. I found out that there were around four wars that had tea in the center of it.
word count:256
Rodolfo Rodriguez
ReplyDelete1-6-11
Today in IIW we experienced a Korean tea ceremony in the classroom. We were accompanied by two Korean women that showed us a short slide show informing us about how tea is served, what the purpose is, and what it is used for.
The older women, who is a Korean teacher in Korea explained how the tea was made and how it was done in Korea. She told us how you have to have boiling water at about 180 degrees Fahrenheit so that it can bring out the taste of the tea. Then you have to put the tea leaves inside the teapot and then add the hot water. You then have to let the tea settle for about 3 minutes so that it doesn't burn out tongues. After is cooled a bit more you add the tea to little tea cups and serve it to the guests, the host serves the tea to everyone else and then itself. The way you drink the tea is by putting your left hand under the cup holding it, you also use your pinky, index and middle finger to hold the side of the cup and bring it to your mouth. You first look at the color of the tea then you take a small sip to get the taste, then you sip a bigger one, and then you sip one last time and finish the tea.
This was a very interesting experience and I liked it. We also got teabags and drank the tea right there and than, and got instant tea as well.
word count:265
Jacqueline Hernandez 1/6/11
ReplyDeleteToday we tasted black tea and white again. This time the white tea had a peachy flavor. I liked that one the best. We then started to finish our research. In central and south Asia, tea is very traditional. Tea is served to guests, and if it isn’t, your host must be upset about something. After that we had guests: two Korean women demonstrating a Korean Tea Ceremony. A tea ceremony is a “social” kind of event. Total opposite of a Japanese one. To make Korean tea you first have to place the loose green tea leaves in the teapot. You then add water, and steep for 3-5 minutes. You first serve your guests and serve yourself last. First have to look at the color. Then you smell the aroma. The first sip you take has to be a small one, just to taste the tea. After the first sip you continue but with much bigger sips. Contents of the tea include: caffeine, protein, carbohydrate, flavor, vitamin c, tannin and inorganic compounds. The different kinds of teas are the leaf tea, fermentation (which give tea the bitter sour taste), semi-fermentation tea and powder tea. Tea leaves are used in food as a type of spice. It was also used as a medicine.
Word count: 212
Iran Tea.......
ReplyDeleteElena Moya
1/7/11
Today, we were visited by the Iranian culture. Black tea is the traditional tea that they drink over there. They drink tea in the morning, before and after every meal and the Samovar doesn't cool down, until they are in bed.
Tea is a major part of their culture and it shocked me to hear that they drink it like Americans drink soda, but even more regularly than that.
In Iran, when you drink tea, you put a sugar cube in your mouth and drink the tea through that, if you don't like sugar, you can drink it plain. Tea is served when you visit and is usually served in a glass cup so that you can enjoy the color of the tea as well. They serve the tea with fruit or sweets, such as cookies.
Iranian factories produce about 50 tons of tea, but that is not enough tea for them, so they import another thirty to forty more tons of tea.
A Samovar is what they boil the water in and is shaped like an urn. When you pour the tea, if you don't like strong tea, you add water from the Samovar into your tea to dilute it, but if you like strong tea, you don't have to add water.
Benefits of the black tea are good teeth, strong bones and helps with your heart and it only has twenty percent of the caffeine that coffee has.
word count: 247
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAna Arzate 01.04.11
ReplyDelete“Tea Master & Her 5 Tea’s”
Today was our first day at IIW. It was all about Tea, just like I expected. I’ve never been really into tea; I am more of a coffee person but tea sounded like an interesting class. Today, we had a guest. Her name was Thia McCann and she is the only Tea Master in Texas. She gave us many interesting facts about tea in general. One thing that surprised me was the fact that she said that there’s Tea that can kill a tiger! Tea comes from the Camilla family and we need to remember that Organic tea it’s the best. She gave us a tea cup so that we tried some tea and let us keep it. They put handles on tea cups because back in the days people will burn their hands when holding the cup. She brought with her 5 different types of teas for us to try. She had white tea, green tea, black tea, uglon tea, and rooibos tea. We also had a cookie to eat while we drank our tea. Usually, people give a sweet when they give tea. All the tea’s had a different color, different taste and different health benefits. The first tea, which was the green tea, had no flavor for me but according to Mrs. McCann it had peach flavor in it. White tea helps you relax and reduces wrinkles. Then we tasted a green tea. Green tea helps you a lot when it comes to stress and problems with your heart or skin. It can also help with Cancer. You have to drink 3-5 tea cups daily to get all the health benefits and not put milk in it. You should drink Green Tea the day you a have a test, it helps a lot! The next tea we tried was the Ulung tea. This tea helps you when you feel sad or depressed. With Ulung tea the liver metabolizes fast and also helps you when you have ate a lot. After the Ulung tea, we tried Black tea. Black tea it’s the most processed tea. Black tea has many health benefits. It can help you with asthma, cardiovascular streams and with blood sugar problems. The last tea we tried was Rooibos Tea. This tea mainly addresses stress. All the tea’s had a very interesting flavor. I had really enjoyed the first day.
WORD COUNT: 403
Jacqueline Hernandez 1/7/11
ReplyDeleteIn the very morning, I drank some jasmine black tea. I didn’t like. It smelled really good, but a flower should be made into a tea. At first it tasted like, it smelled, but the after taste was horrible! We then had a guest speaker. She had worked at our school before, and she was born in Iran. She came to talk to us about the tea in Iran. Tea is served for all guests. It is a tradition to serve tea to guests. Tea has a social role. In the 15th century coffee was the main beverage, but it was too expensive to transport, so then people switched to tea. In 1899, tea was successfully cultivated. Tea is in high demand in Iran. It is still imported from other countries, even though there are lots of tea barns. To make tea, you have to boil water and put it in a tea pot. You put some tea leaves, and leave them there for a while so they can infuse. The color of Iranian tea is a reddish color. To drink the tea you have to put a sugar cube in your mouth, and drink the tea by small sips. Steaming gives the tea the flavor. The color and strength of the tea is determined by the level of dilution. The Iranian tea was kind of strong. But it was much better than the Japanese and Korean tea. I put the sugar cube in my mouth, like the Iranian custom and I drank some tea. The sugar cube dissolved really fast and I was left with no sugar for the rest of the tea.
Word count: 277
Ana Arzate 1.5.11
ReplyDelete“Japanese Ceremony”
Today was very different from yesterday. Today we watched a traditional Japanese ceremony take place at our school. When we walked in the multi-purpose room, the tea ceremony was already set up. There was like ten mats spread around on the floor in some kind of pattern. The ceremony happens on the mats. There was a small door to where you had to walk in through to get on a mat. There was ten Japanese ladies wearing really beautiful kimonos. They explained to us their culture, their new years and told us about their kimonos. They only wear kimonos for special occasions like graduations or weddings. They also have special type of kimonos for every season. For example, the winter kimono has double layer while the summer one doesn’t. After they were done explaining the tea ceremony started. There was three students from our class participating on it. They had to take their shoes off and had to be wearing socks. They had to kneel down, bow and drag themselves under the small door having a small fan in front of them at all times. They stayed on their knees and waited for the tea to be served. They finally got their tea and a little sweet. They had to drink their tea in three sips, making sipping noises. The last sip had to be loud. Other than the sips, the ceremony had to be silent. After the ceremony, the Japanese ladies gave the rest of the students some tea and a sweet. The tea had a very strong green color, it was green tea. When drinking the tea, you had to bow, pick it up and turn three times in your hands and finally drink it. When I took the first sip, I expected to be good but now I know never to drink that type of tea again. It was so different from all the other teas. This one actually did taste like it came from a plant. Now I know for sure that white tea it’s my favorite!
WORD COUNT: 346
Ana Arzate 1.6.11
ReplyDelete“South Korean Speaker”
Today we had two ladies from South Korean as guests. They came to tell us about everything that has to do with Korean tea and their tea ceremonies. In Korean the mostly use green tea, just like in other East Asia countries. The green tealeaves are steamed so that enables them from getting the antioxidants. Tea is now a Koreans beverage but it is used to be more hospitable then feast. It was used for medicines. The tea purifies the world. The lady told us that we should tea with our five senses. In Korean, you need to hold the cup with three fingers and the other two have to be sticking out. Before drinking, you look at the color then smell the aroma, take a small sip and finally drink it. Their tea ceremonies are to build relationships between women’s. Unlike the Japanese, in Korean tea ceremonies you can talk. The guests’ cups need to be bigger than the rest and served first. Also, when you serve it, you pour the patch twice not feeling it all the way. We got the chance to try a type of Korean tea with a chocolate. Both were very good, but I liked the chocolate more! So far I know there are all different types of teas around the world and different ways of having tea ceremonies.
WORD COUNT: 231
Ana Arzate 1.7.11
ReplyDelete“The History of Tea in Iran”
Today we had another guest. She was part of the staff in Westchester last year but left us and went to Northbrook. She came back to tell us all about the history of tea in her land, Iran. Tea is very original, very social over there. Before the 15th century coffee was the main thing but the countries that produced it were far and the countries that produced tea were closer, so they started importing tea. The first modern tea factory was back in 1934. Now, Iran has over 100 tea factories, each producing over 50 thousand tons of tea. Many countries call tea “chaai”. The Iranian tea is red and has a fairly light taste. The color and the strength of the tea are determined by the level of dilution, which is based on the taste and preference that each person has. They usually drink tea with a sugar cube and not a cookie like Japan people and Koreans. When you’re feeling down or you’re sick it’s good to drink your tea with saturated sugar. Their teas are all about moisture. In Iran, they also have a preference for black tea. Black tea can help you lower stress, the level of stress, aids in lowering cholesterol, regulate blood sugar and help you have healthy teeth’s, skin and bones. We had the chance to try Iran tea with sugar or a cookie. In my opinion it was good but I wouldn’t drink it daily. It was kind of strong but maybe that’s just how Iran people like it.
WORD COUNT: 267
Jonathan Rivera
ReplyDelete01/07/11
In Iran it is costume that when someone comes to your house to serve them tea and a snake and if they don’t want it they just leave it there.
In Iran coffee was the main beverage in the 15th century but the transcended to tea, Iranians were not able to produce their own tea until the 1899 when Iran able to cultivate tea in the northern hemisphere or Iran. Iran’s first tea factory was built in 1934 and now there are over a hundred tea factories which produce fifty tons of tea each year but is not enough because Iranians drink over a hundred tons of tea each year and exports thirty to forty ton of tea to the world each year, a typical Iranian would wake up drink tea, the drink tea for lunch, and for dinner. In Iran it is costume o serve someone their tea in a glass cup so that the can see the color of the tea. The color of Iranian tea is red and it tastes fairly light, when drinking the cup of the Iranians put a cube of sugar between their teeth while applying the right pressure and sipping the tea with the cube still between your teeth.
Word count: 211
Serenitea- From the Tea Leaf to the Tea Cup........
ReplyDeleteElena Moya
1/10/11
Today- our last day of IIW- we traveled to a restaurant that has to do with tea, tea, tea. First they served us tea of all types. Good tea, bad tea, black tea, green tea, and a surprising pink tea that was tarty yet good. After telling us what tea we were having, I did not pay attention to the names that they told us because of the tea in front of me, we sipped and tasted and scored the tea in our heads, seeing if we liked this tea or liked the one before better.
Then they brought out the scones served with blotted crème and lemon cur. Both tasted good with the scone that had cranberries in it as well. After a while, they brought out more tea to taste, but I was too full of scones and tea to taste any more. Though it was tempting to gorge myself on tea, I decided against it because all that tea was making me sleepy.
After we were served our twelfth tea, the owner started to lecture us on tea and how it made it to the tea cup. She told us the most popular and worldly excepted version of how tea came to the tea cup was through the Chinese emperor who was a scientist and found the leaves by accident. Apparently, tea became so popular, they compressed it into bricks and used it as currency. To pay, you would break off a chunk that was already pre-cut and hand it over to get what you paid for.
The owner also told us how tea in Britain became the thing of nobles through the queen and how the nobles would give the left overs to their servants who would then sell it on the black market.
It was a new experience for me to sit and have that much tea in one go, but I enjoyed the tea and the conversations we had, even though it was a little weird at first to have two teachers sitting with you.
All in all, this was a great experience for me and I enjoyed all the teas, even the ones that I didn't like.
word count: 378
Rodolfo Rodriguez
ReplyDelete1-10-11
Today we went to a Serenitea, Tea Room- Gift Shop, in Sugar land. It took us around 30 minutes to get there on bus, so it wasn't that far away.
Once there we started drinking many kinds of tea, around 10 different kinds, which was served to us by some employees there once every 5-10 minutes. We accompanied the tea with stones, some biscuits with some raspberries in it. We also put our napkin in our laps, a special kind of napkin, so that if any tea dripped it wouldn't fall on our clothes. We also sat in the table with 3 other people, counting yourself. Some of the teas that we drank were called, Earl Grey, Apricot, Fragrant Orchard, Caramel Cream, Masala Chai, Comfy Cozy, Jasmine, Mango Passion, and Mandarin Spice. My favorite teas were Mango Passion and the Caramel Cream, I really liked them because, one, the mango passion had a very tropical taste to it and it wasn't all that bitter, and the Caramel Cream because it had a very sweet flavor to it. Every time we got a different tea served to us we would take a whiff to get an idea of what it was, then we would sip a small sip in order to taste it and then we would drink it one sip at a time.
The way that the cup and plates were set up were, the cup on top of the saucer and then on top of plate where we would put have our food on it. It was really formal and you had to have very good table manners. We were also taught how to hold the tea cup, using all your fingers to hold it with them being curled inside the handle and around it. I also learned that if you have your pinky stuck out when you drink the tea can be really offensive to people of different cultures.
The owner of the place talked to us about how they made their teas and how they named them, naming them after places that they were in or just a random name that described what they were feeling . She also told us about how the tea was discovered and how it has spread all across the world.
At the end of the day I liked the whole experience and being able have tasted the teas.
word count:400
Jonathan Rivera
ReplyDelete01/10/11
Today we went to Serenitea tea room in sugar land to have after noon tea the tables were set up neatly with the tea cup on top of the saucer, and the saucer on top of the plate. The right way to hold a tea cup is by having your fingers curled , having your pinky out in other countries is like telling someone to bug off. When served tea and you want to add sugar u use a special teaspoon to get some sugar to put in the tea cup then you grab your spoon and stir it with out make noise or hitting the cup, and you put the spoon on top of the saucer, then stones are past out which are like biscuit with raspberries and cream and lemon frosting which are put on the plate and the napkin is placed on your lap.
During after noon tea its is a time of relaxation and to chat with your friends, many people call it high tea instead of after noon tea but after noon tea is correct term because in the old times high time meant when a worker came from the fields and had their dinner.
Word count: 203
Jacqueline Hernandez 1/10/11
ReplyDeleteIt took us around 30 minutes to get to serenitea. When we got there the host had everything set up. Ms. Smith educated us a little about etiquette. I sat with Jose and Ms. Blasingame. We talked about school and were quickly given tea in our cups. I put sugar on it so it could have some taste to it. It was a very good idea. It gave more tea the flavor. With the tea, we had some biscuit type thing. It was very good. My favorite kind of tea was the fragrant orchard. It had apples, blueberries and pomegranate. There was another type of tea that had chocolate. I didn’t like it that much. The host talked to us about tea, and the history of it. She also said that in order to drink tea, the proper way is to curl your fingers in the handle. Also when you put sugar your suppose to make a special movements with the spoon so it wont make so much noise. The teas that are in bags are considered “trash”. They are the bad things people don’t want from the tea. The good tea is the one that has the natural leaves. When we got back to the classroom we drank some iced tea. Finally! But it was much too sweet. We had little pieces of cake to accompany the tea, which I liked. We then had to present our different countries. Most countries rely on tea. Everyone seems to have there own kind of tea, which is given to there guests. I think this was a good experience for me. I learned a lot about tea, which I didn’t know. For instance I didn’t know tea had health benefits. I also wont ever have tea from bags. Thanks for having us in your IIW group. :)
Word count: 305
Ana Arzate 1.10.11
ReplyDelete“Serenitea: Tea Room”
Today was our last day in IIW. We had a fieldtrip to Serenitea, a tea room-gift shop. It was in Sugarland, about a 30 minute ride. It was a small restaurant and all you saw around was tea cups. It made it look very elegant. We had to sit in a group of 3 or 4 people per table. They told us to choose very wisely who we wanted to sit with so that we had some good conversations while having our tea. Each table had a cup, a saucer and a plate, the cup was on top of the saucer while the saucer was on top of the plate. We also had a knife, spoon and fork next to the plate. There was sugar and salt in the middle. She gave us about 13 different teas’ to taste. They also gave us cranberries scones with a cream and lemon cur. The scones were delicious and there was some teas’ that were good, not all though. The lady from the restaurant told us everything about the history of tea. Something that I found very interesting was that you’re supposed to hold the tea cup by curling your fingers in the handle. It is not right to drink the tea having your pinky sticking out since it means something bad in china and others countries. I really enjoyed this week. I found out very interesting things about tea. Now, ill make sure I drink tea more often.
WORD COUNT: 252