ANOTHER PIECE FOR MY TEA CORNER ON MY RECENT TRIP IN CHINA

Dear loving readers and visitors,






The above framed black and white hand painting which I bought on my recent trip in China and I find it meaningful and very pleasing to my eyes. Hope it does so to you too.

The literary meaning of its Chinese Character is "happiness". I find it has a very significant meaning in our lives. Success without happiness is a failure. I bought this piece is for my future tea corner. I hope that I can hang it at the wall of my tea corner to remind my guests and myself to seek happiness from our precious lives especially when we have our good tea times drinking our tea at that corner. Let tea be the tool to bridge us to the path of happiness through closer relationship with each other.

Through tea, we also can cultivate good and healthy spirit of caring and loving each other. Trust that tea will also cement relationship, which had happened previously. The other mandarin characters of phrases also stipulated that happiness can cure aging, and prolong life. Now, you can see the great work done by this artist, who has expressed his wisdom well through every piece of his work, which I am greatly appreciate. He has been playing a great significant impact on human beings. His humble nature is well respected and your great support is greatly appreciated.


I strongly hope more people will have such wisdom to create happiness for human beings so that all of us can contribute significantly towards healthy living for the real betterment of life.

Apart from the above significant function, this hand painting also can make a unique culture statement for my home.

Below are the photos taken with the artist at the front of his shop at the old town in Shanghai. His contact number and his business card are also attached for your reference.

I do wish his dream of traveling to other parts of the world materialize in the near future. He told me he can only do so after he obtain the proceeds from the sale of all of his paintings and artworks that remained at his shop.












I have the honor to have taken photos with him and our handshake symbolize our friendship and happy conclusion of our deal.

The reason I share with you is that how wonderful life would be if we all are always seeking for real happiness at whatever we do. Live meaningful and respect others view - let this be the corner stone of our living principle.

Trust our future world will be much better of.

James Oh

TEA TRULY SERVING PEOPLE

Dear my loving visitors,






The above bamboo slip, prefaced of the four Chinese Characters, of which I bought it at Jiangsu Water-town Zhouzhuang. The above Chinese calligraphy means "serving the people". The simple yet rich in content was advocated by Mr. Sun Yat-sen. I must admit that I have indebted to him because he had a great and significant impact on my life. I also strongly believe that lots of people have been inspired by him as well. He is also one of key figures who had contributed significantly in bringing China back to its former glory.

This piece will be added to my future tea corner.


I find the above bamboo slip has a very meaningful and close relationship with this blog. This is because tea is well fitted into this context. Tea has a great impact on people's lives and bring lots of benefits to the people through its multi-function roles in the world. It has been serving people for more than 5,000 years, in the form of beverage, currency, herb, medicine, art and culture.

Tea also helps to cement relationship amongst the human beings.

In this connection, its indirect function as preserving peace and harmony cannot be ignored. Therefore, we can not ignore its social status as peace keeper. As such, I do hope you will continuously give your support to this blog so as to educate people to cultivate this healthy hobby at the same time promote peace through it.

You can be rest assured that it will also enriched your life through this healthy hobby as the same time promote the sharing spirit as a way to maintain peace and harmony to human mankind.

Through this healthy hobby, one learns to be clam and patient. By doing so, a lots of dispute can be settled through tea rather bullets and bombs.

By now, I trust you will be able to see these intangible benefits brought through tea and give it a recognition  it well deserved.


Thanks for your time and look forward to hearing from you again,



James Oh

Awards from Karen Jasper

Dear loving readers and visitors,


I am deeply happy to inform you that this blog has received an award from one the blogger friends at http://karenjasper.blogspot.com/ as shown below:-







I have created this special award in honor of two bloggers who will also be its first recipients.


This is the Stroke of the Brush Award, which recognizes and celebrates the willingness to take risks, speak honestly, act with integrity, and in the process create and share colors and/or words that stroke our curiosity and brush aside our differences.
This award was inspired by two bloggers who reach, stretch and try every single time. It is my pleasure to award the first annual Stroke of the Brush Award to:


Soulbrush


http://soulbrush.blogspot.com/


&


Snowbrush


http://snowbrush.blogspot.com


When you have the chance to visit their blogs, you will find Soulbrush's love and enthusiasm for painting, family, and all mediums of art a balm for your soul. And you will settle into Snowbrush's touching and courageous memoirs and story telling as though you are sitting in front of a warm fire, taking it all in.


And now, something I forgot to do when I posted this yesterday: I is my pleasure to also give the Stroke of the Brush Award to the following worthy bloggers:


Sonia.....Deborah....Studio Lolo.....Mim.....Suki.....Deborah Kay.....Angela R.....Sweet Mango.....


Melissa.....ValGal.....Baino.....Human Being.....Walking Man.....CS Blogging Incognito...


Kate.....Bella Sinclair.....Marianne.....Chewy.....Kay/Chief......Tessa,


Bimbimbie....Aimee....


Teri C......Babs.....Annie.....Lavender


Ribbon....Sidney....Yoon See.....Julie....Maithai.....Wieneke.....Hildegarde.....Pieterbie....


Cestandra.....Merlin Princesse.....Laughing Wolf...Jessie....Ruby....Jon.....Barbara....


Singleton....James Oh....Carla....Kris.....Andrea....Miladysa.....


Shubhajit....Ascender.....Hopeful Notations.... Mariana Soffer.....Silver.....


and of course..... Renee


Please feel free to pass the Stroke of the Brush Award to the special bloggers who inspire you. Let this award circulate around the blogs, because Soulbrush and Snowbrush personify what it's all about. Both are both deserving and delicious.






IN THIS CONNECTION, I WRITE TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, WHO HAVE BEEN GIVEN ME THEIR CONTINUALLY SUPPORT THAT MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THEREFORE, I WOULD TO SHARE THIS WITH THEM FROM MY HEART.


FURTHER TO THIS, I ALSO LIKE TO PASS THIS AWARD TO OTHER BLOGGERS WHO INSPIRE ME. I KNOW THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO LIST DOWN HERE. TOO MANY. HOWEVER, I JUST A FEW AND DO APOLOGIZE IF I MISSED SOME OF YOU OUT.


THEY ARE :


1. Voon See
2. FrankandMary
3. Vanessa Brantley Newton
4. Sheila
5. Barbara/myth maker
6. Rouge
7. Ana Luisza
8. Cherie/Butterfly dreamer
9. Deni
10 stephen Knover
11. Dreamwriter
12. Michelle
13. Angelhair
14. Ringtardia
15. Sashindoubutsu
16. Joyfulsister
17. Tina


BIG THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, WHO HAS MADE A GREAT IMPACT ON MY LIFE. I LOVE YOU ALL.






James Oh

SEASONING A NEW TEA POT

Dear my loving readers.

It is acknowledge that teapot is the central of tea brewing art of producing good quality of tea, apart from water and tea. Therefore, it is supreme importance to take proper care of it.

One of the crucial and basic of care taking process is called Seasoning.


SIMPLE SEASONING PROCESS OF NEW TEAPOT

1: Wash with cold running water and scrub the new teapot thoroughly with a clean and non-abrasive sponge that has never be in contacted with soap detergent before. Clean inside of the teapot thoroughly and remove any dust or fragments of clay. NEVER USE ANY TYPE OF DETERGENT TO CLEAN THE TEAPOT BEFORE OR AFTER.

2: Fill a large pot with adequately sufficient of cold water, fully immerse the new teapot and its lid with at least one or two inches above the top of the teapot. The teapot and its lid should not be over crowded during the seasoning. Heat up the pot gradually to a low boil. Once the water has reached a steady and gentle boil, place the teapot and its lid carefully into the pot and they must be ensured that they are under the water at all times. Leave them at the low boil for about thirty minutes.

3: Remove the pot from the stove and pour off the water from the pot. The teapot should preferably to be allowed to dry completely on a rack that allows air on all sides, even underneath of the tea pot as well. Never subject the teapot to dramatic changes in temperature, such as immersing it in cold water immediately after the teapot is taken from the pot with boiling water.


4: Fill the pot with the same amount of cold and clean water. Add a small amount, approximately 1 to 2 teaspoons, of the same type of tea leaves you plan to use this teapot for.

NOTE: Due to the highly absorbent properties of zisha clay, it is better to dedicate each teapot for one type of tea for best performance. This is because the teapot will be nominated by the character of the tea once it has married to.

5: Heat the water with tea leaves slowly to a low and stable boil. The room will be full of the wonderful fragrance once the tea begins to unfurl and infuse into the water.

6: Gently immerse the teapot and its lid into the boiling tea and allow them to boil for thirty minutes.

7: Remove the pot from the heater and cover it completely. Allow them to cool overnight.

8: Then pour out the tea from the pot carefully. Use your finger to press on its lid while pouring the tea so that the lid does not drop out from the pot.

9: Then rinse the teapot thoroughly with clear and cool running water only.

10: Allow the teapot to dry completely before it is use as a fully functional teapot. Do not allow it to contact with any oil or caustic materials. As the teapot ages through use, it will produce better tea and will accumulate the rich sheen of matured seasoned zisha clay.

Trust this seasoning process is useful to you especially when you acquire a new tea pot.

See you again,