Of Tea and Mooncakes (album)

August 16, 2008

I attended a workshop on the "Art of Chinese Tea Making" at 3/F Artspace, Glorietta 4, Ayala Center from 3:00-5:00 p.m. 

Although in my hurry I didn't bring a camera to record all the tea pouring, gestures and interesting tea-related stuff I learned, on that afternoon I made a new friend who like me also bought a tea tray (convenient for spilling all that hot water), a glass teapot (my first glass one) and tons of tea such as ooling ginseng (sweet), the usual chrysanthemum and other unpronounceable ones :-) We had soup and bread afterwards and talked about possible other activities.

While the Japanese tea ceremony is more for aesthetics, Chinese tea presentation is concentrated on taste rather than the elaborateness of gestures and movement. Since I've been fond of tea since my high school years, it was as if the afternoon session just flew by. We had cookies from Mrs. Fields to pair with the tea.

It so happened that after that purchase of the tea things, my mom and I passed through Edsa Shangrila hotel and guess what, they were selling mooncakes...a bit expensive but since I couldn't think of where to buy green tea and the oreo cheese as well as apple cinnamon mooncakes (both which were a novelty for me but which I tried), I closed my eyes and surrendered my overworked credit card to the saleslady.

Went home after a seafood dinner and dessert of sinfully delicious creme brulée at C2 at Crossings, made another batch of tea and munched on my purchases...lucky I'm the only one in the family who likes these cakes ;-)

- Sep 18, '08 12:14 AM