The tumult and the shouting dies—
The Captains and the Kings depart—
The last rays of 2010's sun on the Himalaya north of Kathmandu and an end to a tumultuous decade. Looking back on the decade brings to mind these lines by Kipling:
Far-called our navies melt away—
On dune and headland sinks the fire—
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
Will the 2001-2010 decade be considered as significant as the year 1979 in world history? Only time will tell.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
One hand clapping
Zen master Hakuin Ekaku 白隠 慧鶴 (1685 - 1768) asked what is the sound of one hand clapping (隻手の音声) ? Is it silence? Or silent echo? Maybe the non pursuit of an answer. Or is it your emotions? Each must come to his own personal answer.
What is the taste of tea? Is it the considered opinion of tea masters and tasters? Like the sound of one hand clapping each must come to his own conclusion distilled from an open mind filled with nothingness. Ultimately it may just be what the slogan in the tea salon of G Clef in Koenji, Tokyo says: Mirror of the Spirit.
What is the taste of tea? Is it the considered opinion of tea masters and tasters? Like the sound of one hand clapping each must come to his own conclusion distilled from an open mind filled with nothingness. Ultimately it may just be what the slogan in the tea salon of G Clef in Koenji, Tokyo says: Mirror of the Spirit.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road.
Music & Vocals: Elton John
Lyrics: Bernie Taupin
Album released in 1973
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road.
Music & Vocals: Elton John
Lyrics: Bernie Taupin
Album released in 1973
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Madogiwa Zoku 窓際族
When I was in school in Darjeeling my English literature teacher, Miss Cynthia Hawke who was from Australia, used to repeatedly tell us how lucky we were to be in a class room with one of the best views in the world: Kanchenjunga to the north and a lovely view of the tea gardens right below our class rooms going down all the way to Rungeet and Teesta rivers. Picture on top of Mount Kanchenjunga is what that view from the class room was like.
Perhaps childhood memories of Darjeeling: happy days in school with views of the tea gardens and Kanchenjunga always looming large behind and the wonderful aroma of manufactured tea wafting from the tea factories played a part in our decision to start a tea garden in Nepal.
These days I often remember Miss Hawke when I look at the Himalaya from my office window in Patan-Kathmandu. The mountain vista stretches from the north west all the way to the north east a distance of ca. 200-300 km. The picture at the bottom, Ganesh Himal, is one of them. Alas no tea gardens here!
Am I a lucky member of the Madogiwa Zoku (窓際族) to have had rooms with a view? Maybe I am not completely useless like those in the original term but definitely lucky!
Perhaps childhood memories of Darjeeling: happy days in school with views of the tea gardens and Kanchenjunga always looming large behind and the wonderful aroma of manufactured tea wafting from the tea factories played a part in our decision to start a tea garden in Nepal.
These days I often remember Miss Hawke when I look at the Himalaya from my office window in Patan-Kathmandu. The mountain vista stretches from the north west all the way to the north east a distance of ca. 200-300 km. The picture at the bottom, Ganesh Himal, is one of them. Alas no tea gardens here!
Am I a lucky member of the Madogiwa Zoku (窓際族) to have had rooms with a view? Maybe I am not completely useless like those in the original term but definitely lucky!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Art of Food
Can art be food? Or food be art? Japanese have made presentation of food into fine art. Here some visually stunning presentation of food encountered in Japan recently is shown: parts of a Kaiseki meal (nimono and reiten oroshi soba) in the top two images; the third image is Japanese green tea and the last two images are of desserts in Japanese and western style. All very artistically done.
The question is, can one eat art? Won't it be a sacrilege to eat these artistic creations? Can one eat them without destroying them?
The question is, can one eat art? Won't it be a sacrilege to eat these artistic creations? Can one eat them without destroying them?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Himalayan Fragrance
Fragrant hand rolled Himalayan tea is matched with visually pleasing Japanese sweets in a Kyoto tea school. These autumn themed candies were not so sweet and went surprisingly well with the tea. This particular tea reacted very well to the water in Japan producing a brilliant flavour and superb aroma. This tea is now available in Japan.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tea ceremony 茶の湯
Preparing powdered tea probably started in Tang period in China by pulverising tea bricks and was refined during the Song period. However now it only exists in a meaningful way in Japan where there is an elaborate formal ceremony to prepare Matcha or powdered green tea. Here, in an informal setting Matcha is whisked in a prescribed way by a student under a watchful eyes of the tea master. The tea must be uniform and frothy ensuring that no residue remains on the side of the bowl. It is then then served along with some sweets.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Le Rouge et le Noir
Le Rouge et le Noir ca. 1830 (The Red and the Black) is a novel by Stendhal recording a man's attempt to rise beyond his common background with a combination of talent and hard work, deception and hypocrisy.
Red Tea in East Asia is commonly called Black Tea in South Asia and Europe. This image is a metaphor for our attempt to create teas that rises beyond the common by a combination of talent, hard work and imbibing the deep knowledge of teas in Japan and Taiwan and discarding the "Not Invented Here" attitude.
Unlike Stendhal's novel there is no deception or hypocrisy in this Le Rouge et le Noir! Only lots of gratitude towards our 先生 (teachers) and this post is dedicated to them.
Red Tea in East Asia is commonly called Black Tea in South Asia and Europe. This image is a metaphor for our attempt to create teas that rises beyond the common by a combination of talent, hard work and imbibing the deep knowledge of teas in Japan and Taiwan and discarding the "Not Invented Here" attitude.
Unlike Stendhal's novel there is no deception or hypocrisy in this Le Rouge et le Noir! Only lots of gratitude towards our 先生 (teachers) and this post is dedicated to them.
Monday, November 15, 2010
August Autumn
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Ueda
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Nagano colours
Friday, October 8, 2010
Autumn Harvest
Autumn harvest in Banepa valley, central Nepal. How wonderful it is to have the sweet fragrance of freshly cut paddy assaulting our olfaction. I despair for such pretty places. I wonder how long it will be before some ghastly structures come up in the name of development. That would be a truly bitter harvest.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tilt and Turn
Tilting tea pots solve the big problem of over steeping the tea, specially in restaurants and cafes. Through a clever mechanism one can brew that perfect cup(s) of tea.
There is a shelf inside the pot into which tea leaves are put and steeped in hot water. Once the brew is ready tilt the pot to let the brewed tea drain to the bottom and finally stand the pot upright so that the brewed tea is not in contact with the tea leaves. Then pour and drink that perfect brew. This picture was taken in Restaurant Fischereihaven in Hamburg, Germany.
There is a shelf inside the pot into which tea leaves are put and steeped in hot water. Once the brew is ready tilt the pot to let the brewed tea drain to the bottom and finally stand the pot upright so that the brewed tea is not in contact with the tea leaves. Then pour and drink that perfect brew. This picture was taken in Restaurant Fischereihaven in Hamburg, Germany.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Food for Thought
....Wasn't that a dainty dish,
To set before the king? (from an old English nursery rhyme)
Somehow I find small quantities of well presented good food more fulfilling than large amounts of food just ladled out carelessly, no matter how delicious. This picture of some absolutely delectable sashimi in Tokyo is a testament to that sentiment.
To set before the king? (from an old English nursery rhyme)
Somehow I find small quantities of well presented good food more fulfilling than large amounts of food just ladled out carelessly, no matter how delicious. This picture of some absolutely delectable sashimi in Tokyo is a testament to that sentiment.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Big and Small
Above: On the way to Mirik in Darjeeling. Possibly Thurbo tea estate. That is typical of Darjeeling: large tea plantations.
Below: The distinctive way of farming tea in Nepal just a few kilometers away from Darjeeling: small and compact farmer's garden.
In Nepal small farmers rule the roost and supply their leaves to tea factories some of whom may have a smallish tea gardens of their own. Which is the better way: large plantations or small tea farmers? Maybe there is no better way. Just different paths leading to the same goal of trying to make good teas.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Holy Land
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Eye candy
Thursday, August 26, 2010
70%
Don't let the neat rows of tea bushes in Wazuka near Kyoto dazzle you. Look at the forest cover in the background. 70% of the country is under forest cover. Yet, this is a country that has one of the highest population density per square kilometer; lots of industries and urban sprawl competing for every inch of space with agriculture. So how do they do it? Perhaps the tea bushes hold the answer. When things are done so meticulously and with so much love then almost anything is possible.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Imperfection
Transient Beauty
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