MINDSET SHIFT : EMPLOYEE TO ENTREPRENEUR

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BETTER THAN THE BEST

BETTER THAN THE BEST
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QingHuan Chinese Tea House

QingHuan Chinese Tea House
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Sunday 30 May 2010

TEA POTS AND ITS HISTORY

Hi! Folks,

Today, we are going to show you some of my tea pots collection, as below. You may notice that they are of different colour of clay, yellow, green, purple and brown. Majority of them have not been used. Guess which ones are suitable for pu’er tea.








We are going to go through with you more details of each of the tea pots and its attributes so that you are able to appreciate each of them and their individual function.

In this article, append below is extracted from http://www.teapots.net/ on teapots history for your reading pleasure. 

A History of Teapots

The Need for Teapots

The story of teapots begins with their necessity -- the development of tea and its regular consumption required an efficient, and later an aesthetically pleasing, vessel for brewing and drinking.

There are two legends about the invention of tea. Some attribute the discovery of tea to Shen Nung, a Chinese Emperor in the 3rd century BCE, who sat under a tree while boiling his drinking water. When the leaves of Camellia sinensis fell into his bowl, the agreeable taste prompted the genesis of tea drinking. An alternative account gives credit to a Dharuma Buddhist monk who travelled to China from India in the 5th century CE. During his fifth year of a seven year meditiation undertaken to prove his faith, he became sleepy. In an effort to remain focussed he cut off his offending eyelids and threw them onto the ground, whence sprang the tea plant. He decided to make a drink from the leaves and discovered it kept him awake, allowing him to pursue his spiritual studies.

Camellia sinensis, the common tea plant, was first cultivated in the 4th century CE, after wild specimens were brought to China from India. Actually an evergreen tree which may grow up to 50 feet, the domesticated plant is pruned to a bush-like state and kept at a height of five feet. After three to five years of growth, its leaves may be harvested to make tea. Today, women constitute the majority of pickers, and there is no machine that can exceed the 60 to 70 pounds of leaves per day that an experienced worker can collect. These 60 to 70 pounds of fresh leaves produce approximately 20 pounds of dry tea, or 2800 cups of tea. (To find out more about the process of making tea, go to our pageFrom Tree to Teapot.)

Teapots were not used immediately upon the discovery of tea. From the 8th century CE, tea leaves were rolled by hand, dried and then grounded into a powder. At first, this powder was mixed with salt and formed into cakes that would be dropped into bowls of hot water to form a thick mixture. Eventually the powder was left in its loose form, to be mixed in a bowl with boiling water and whipped into a froth. This method of tea-making was introduced into Japan in the early 9th century CE. Tea was considered medicinal in both China and Japan for the next 500 years.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in China, leaf infusion as we know it now became popular. The earliest examples of teapots come from this period, made from the zisha, or "purple" clay, of the YiXing region of China. Pottery in the YiXing tradition has been strong since the Sung Dynasty (960-1279); wares are valued for their fine texture, thin walls, and naturally beautiful coloration ranging from light buff to deep maroon tones. The transition from drinking bowls to teapots was a smooth one. YiXing teapots were, and still are, used to brew tea as well as act as the drinking vessel -- one sips directly from the spout of a single-serving pot. YiXing teapots gradually season, the unglazed clay absorbing the flavor of brewed tea, making them a favorite choice for tea lovers. The dissemination of YiXing teapots greatly influenced not only the forms of teapots found throughout the world, but also prompted the invention of hard-paste porcelain in the western world. (Modern YiXing teapots can be found atwww.YiXing.com, along with information about the manufacture and use of these legendary pieces.) 

Japanese demand for teapots created a growth in the industry of this new form of pottery. By the 15th century CE, both the Chinese and Japanese were drinking tea for ceremonial purposes, and the beverage was no longer regarded solely for its medicinal properties. Chinese scholars and intellectuals involved themselves in the design of teapots. The "cult of tea" in Japan, led by the artist Sen Rikyu (1522-1591), became an impetus for stylistic and artistic evolution in YiXing teapot designs. Cha-no-yu, the tea ceremony which forms the basis for Japanese Buddhist "Teaism," serves as a natural expression and discipline of zazen meditation and is viewed as an art. (The Japanese tea ceremony is described in detail on our page Chado: Adoration of the Everyday.) Teapots detailed with themes from nature or sutras were desirable adjuncts to this art, and YiXing pots themselves became prized as creative works. The Japanese began making red clay or shudei teapots; they imported Chinese artists to teach them potting methods, and developed new techniques for creating these delicate wares. The old province of Bizen became an increasingly important center for Japanese ceramics. Raku, rough and dark earthenware, emerged.

The emergence and early evolution of teapots spanned several hundred years. Tea drinking had spread South through Asia, and was noticeable in Formosa (Taiwan), Siam (Thailand), Burma/Myanmar and the islands of Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. The next 300 years would see the global spread of tea -- and, of course, the teapot.

By now, we hope you have an indepth understanding of tea pots and its history.
  
Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18


Saturday 29 May 2010

SQUARE ROSEWOOD TISSUE BOX


Hi! Friends,

Almost everything evolves over time, similarly this rosewood tissue box. This contemporary item was created as a result of convenience. Prior to the invention of tissue papers, people use handkerchiefs instead. As the tissue papers came into the picture, the furniture producer also added this decorative item apart from serving its intended function.

The photos below  are taken from 4 different sides of this decorative tissue box. All painting displayed at each side represents one season of the year, i.e .spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Can anyone tells us specifically what season o the year each painting represent ? (see the photos below) 





















Here, we hope you too are inspired by its craftsmanship, i.e. painting of the colourful Mother of Pearl. This craftsmanship is fine and of high quality, suitable for collection. This box is with me for a couple of years which I bought together with my rosewood display cabinet. It is of approximately of 8 inches of length, width and height.

There is a hole; of approximately 4 inches; at its top, which enable the user to pull out the tissue from the tissue box. The tissues are placed inside this tissue box by pulling out the tray from its bottom and place on top of its tray before pushing the tray back to its original position.(See photo)












I find this tissue box unique and it blends well with conventional and contemporary items which offers its user a new life. Imagine how meaningful your time will be when you display it at the centre of the table while having tea and some snacks with your loved ones. The tissue box  plays a role of serving its intended purpose. 

At the same time, it also add colours to the tea ceremony especially together with other tea accessories, unique tea cups and tea pots. These items may also become conversation topics amongst its participants. 

Before we end our discussion, may I be allowed to throw a question to the readers. What do the balls at the four corners represent or symbolise?

Thank you for your time and   I look forward to hearing from you,

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

Thursday 13 May 2010

COME AND TASTE "CHAM" AT OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE OUTLETS

Hi! Folks,

This is my first week on road show to reach out to my local community. As usual, I stationed myself at Old Town White Coffee, just opposite the Kolej Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya. 

Whilst deciding on what drink I am going to have, I spotted something New from this outlet, i.e. different from my routine. At last, I decided to go for "cham" or literally in Hokkein (Chinese Dialect) coffee mix with tea.

For the benefits of some of my readers, please allow me to brief you on this issue. In fact, this is not something new to me. It has been a popular drink during my teenage years. Sounds weird to some of you. I recalled when I gave my answer of "MIX" to those air stewards when they approached me for my drink. They were stunned and usually repeated their initial question. When I answered with "Mixture of coffee and tea." Guess what their next question, via comment? I will tell you then if you are keen to know.

It is a well known fact that both coffee and tea have their individual characteristics. Both these commodities are traded internationally. May anyone of you tell me how much the trade per day involves?

Initially I thought these products are competing with each other and I also cut down my coffee intake and substitute it with either tea or sky juice (plain water). However, after serious thought, I now changed my view and accept them as supplementing each other. No wonder this outlet introduce "Cham" and tea tarik (Pulled) to its regular customers. Well done, OldTown White Coffee outlets. 

They brought new ideas, i.e non conventional way, to new beverage outlets so as to bring more benefits to its customers especially those who do not like routine drinks (like me). It also adds colours and variety to their lifestyle. This not only opens their mindsets, but also cultivates their creativity. Their evolvement over time well indicates this case in point. No wonder they are progressing and staying ahead. 

Click the title of this article to access to its website.


Another interesting point to note is they are tied up with our local bank (CIMB), as their anchor bank to pool their expertise together to serve their customers even better. They seem to know that their customers have daily busy schedules and do not have time to enjoy good white coffee. As such, they sneak in and stationed at the bank branch to provide both the banker's customers and their own loyal customers this wonderful and tasteful drink so as to refresh themselves. This shows that they not only care for their customers, but also share their drink expertise with the people so as to make the world more enjoyable.

In this connection, we, at tea art blog, also come in to promote all their services to the population at large. We also look forward to collaborate with these two parties to bring more benefits to our readers.

So, stay tuned with us for more exciting stories to come...

See you then.


James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Monday 10 May 2010

PU'ER GIVEAWAY














Hi! Valued Readers,





We are very excited to host our very first give away raw "Pu'er Tea" memorial event out of my own collection. This stock is with us for a couple of years. 

So, please forward me your particulars, via comment, so that we can forward you with such a gift and hope you enjoy this 2004 Raw Pu'er. This is a token of our appreciation for the support you have shown us as our loyal readers. 
You can see the above Pu'er is about 6 years old.

You may read its description at the link below:-

For your information, we have recovered all my investment costs with some profit, plus some stocks. Therefore, we are fortunate to have chance to enjoy our hobby yet get paid. Today, we offer for sale some of our stocks so as to raise more funds to acquire more resources to upgrade and improve our blog facilities so as to serve you better.

As you may be aware that we are also offering USD 30.00 for the winner who can come out with the logo and theme for our main blog at http://liftyouup.blogspot.com.

WE are pleased to inform you that there are lots of initiatives in the pipeline for your reading and get paid scheme. So, stay tuned and happy reading.

If you wish, you may also click at the title of this article so as to guide you how to brew your Pu'er tea . We do it because we want you to get the best value of the tea from your own preparation. At the same time, we do hope you may acquire the skill and have lots of fun of doing it. 

Kindly let us know your taste and whether is it to your liking or not. You may email to us at jamesoh2003@yahoo.co.uk or via comment.

I hope this will help you get your feet wet and enjoy the taste and aroma of it. Have a pleasant tea session and look forward to hearing from you.

If you wish to order from us, please email us. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need any further clarification.

Happy reading and get the rewards accordingly,


James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Sunday 2 May 2010

YOU CAN FIND EVEN TEH TARIK AT OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE OUTLET

Hi! friend,

Thanks for your continuous support and I am so happy to see you again and again.

For those who have followed my other blog, they may know that I have embarked on my new venture recently, that is to discover new and unique things outside my house, so that you will be entertained. I have officially become a Technopreneur, whose intention is solely to create more new business opportunities. We would train more people to join our team to take the world to greater heights.

In this connection, I decided to put on record my discoveries during my journey so as to make this journey not only enriching, but also more exciting. At the same time to keep you all entertain as well. So stay tuned to this blog, you are rest assured to live a more meaningful and enriching live, as I do.

I journalize this event while I am waiting for my Teh Tarik (Pulled Tea) at the Old Town White Coffee. This serves as good news especially for those who want to have tea and at the same time accessing the internet. Alternatively, you may choose to have other drinks. However, this outlet seems to choose non-conventional way to include Tea Tarik.

Here, I decided to have Curry Egg Noodles (costs RM 7.90), which consists of  Egg Noodles, Fried Dumplings, BBQ Chicken, Bean Curd Puffs and Long Beans.

What really caught my attention is their new menu of Teh Tarik, it costs RM 2.80, and only made available between 3-6pm and 9 pm onwards ( It's Teh Tarik time). So, remember to check the time before you embark your journey there. So, take your time-out and reward yourself with such a delicious Teh Tarik, which will give you the kick at the end of the day. Then you will know why its a pull factor. See the photo and make your own conclusion. 





For those who have tried, please let us know how you find the Teh Tarik, as your comment? Thank you for your kind participation.


For those who want to know as how the Teh Tarik was brewed. You may click at the title of article to make access to my preceding article on this particular issue.






What really astonishes me is that this outlet is so versatile and always enhance new products so as to fulfill their customer needs. Syabas to Old Town White Coffee. For those who have not heard about this white coffee and curious to find out whether its color is really white as its name suggested. 



Happy reading and see you again,

James Oh

AVIANCE - A LUXURY DIVISION OF UNILEVER

AVIANCE - A LUXURY DIVISION OF UNILEVER
"WORLD CLASS PRODUCTS" FROM UNILEVER AVIANCE

TO MALAYSIAN AND THAIS

To read about this new business unit, please click at the above image itself. It is a luxury division of beauty and wellness products of top quality at fair price using multi-channel business solution.

As such, you are cordially invited to join me by pre registering at the above website. Just click at sign up, enter my details of mobile: 0192133728, postcode:47800 & birthdate: 2502, click agree and submit. You will then get your own website like mine and do networking online.

However, if you have done so. I like to congratulate you on board.

Please note that the official sales of Aviance products on 18th October. If you want to know more, please let me know and I can make the necessary arrangement for you.

For those who want to register directly at Aviance Office, please quote my ID number MY 0000302

To your success,

Your Chief Servant,


James Oh