A beautiful Chinese expression reads: When you give a rose, the fragrance stays on your fingers 送人玫瑰，手有余香. This weekend I returned to volunteer at the Zhaoxian diocese convent and orphanage in rural Ningjin County, Hebei Province. The nuns and local residents take care of 30 disabled children here in the Liming Family orphanage. Volunteers take part in the life of the orphanage by reading to the children, helping with their care, and praying daily rosaries.
OK, I know this post is a little different, but what an experience! My high school friend Igor Soto and I met up in Chicago to attend the Tony Robbins "Unleash The Power Within" seminar. Still can't believe that we walked barefoot over the hot coals. They describe the coals as a metaphor for fear, and around 5,000 people made their way across 25 fire walks to confront their fears and activate their greater potential.
Spectacular morning here on the farm in Baihe Village, Wufeng County.
Wuyi Shan, a mountainous region in northern Fujian province, boasts some of China's most historic oolong and black teas. Da Hong Pao ("great red robe") is one of the most prized oolong teas, with unusual overtones of grilled peaches and baked dates. The original six mother trees, estimated to be over 400 years old, are still growing in this cliff in the Wuyi Shan Scenic Area. They are shown above to the right of the red inscription in the stone.
This afternoon when I was on a neighboring mountain to Baihe Village, I turned back to find this stunning view of the Baihe church against surrounding mountains. This evening, Father Shuai Ziqiang will celebrate the Easter Vigil mass in the church. The farmers are happy to schedule the Easter Vigil mass as late as possible, as we're working until well after sundown. We're now picking the first flush of tea, known as "Before the Rains" or "Ming Qian" tea. Many consider green tea made from the first buds of the season to be the best, with the freshest taste and brightest color. The...
Tonight we evaluated four teas in my tea class at the Dongfang Guoyi tea school in Beijing. We have been studying Phoenix Mountain Dancong tea, which is an oolong tea from Guangdong province that has a seductive apricot flavor. We brewed four samples in gaiwan tea cups, and then strained after 2, 5, and 10 minutes (shown above). We assessed the dry leaf, aroma, color, flavor, and wet leaves using the standard evaluation methods.
Regardless of whether in China or the United States, we are bombarded with advertisements for products that promise to improve our appearance. Malls have stores with extensive cosmetics counters, department stores have large health and beauty sections, and infomercials offer a whole range of products designed to make us “look better.” The market is telling us that there’s something wrong with the way we look. But some ancient wisdom teaches us to think otherwise. Confucius wrote back in The Great Learning that, “what is true in one’s heart will be shown in his outward appearance” 诚于中，形于外。In other words, whatever is...
A view of the Qiaohe Village tea farm at dusk. The first buds for picking won't appear for another month, so these bushes are still resting up to get us ready for the next crop.
After celebrating mass in advance of this evening's Chinese New Year celebrations, Father Li Xiaoguo leads a pilgrimage through the tea farm in Qiaohe Village, Wufeng County. Similar to the Chinese New Year tradition of setting off fireworks at the graves of departed loved ones, Father Li leads the official prayers for the faithful departed at the family graves.
It's a cold and damp afternoon on the tea farm, so this wood stove has become the center of attention. The dogs and cat have put aside their differences for the moment, probably recognizing that they'll only make it through if they work together.