Jan

29

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Black Raku tea bowl by Chojiro (1500’s)

Sen no Rikyū (1522–1591) is considered the most influential figure on the Japanese way of tea, particularly the tradition of wabi-cha (tea of simplicity and sincerity). He considered the ritual of preparing and serving tea an opportunity to experience the essence of life, a moment to transcend everyday reality and be absolutely present with yourself and others. I came across a great story about Rikyū in the book Liquid Jade. It perfectly illustrates the essential spirit of the tea ceremony (Chanoyu), but is definitely applicable to all areas of life.

Once a tea grower invited Rikyū to have tea. Overwhelmed with joy at Rikyū’s acceptance, the tea grower led him to the tearoom and served tea to Rikyū himself. However, in his exitement his hand trembled and he performed badly, dropping the tea scoop and knocking the tea whisk over. The other guests, disciples of Rikyū, snickered at the tea grower’s manner of making tea, but Rikyū was moved to say, “It was the finest.”

On the way home, one of the disciples asked Rikyū, “Why were you so impressed by such a shameful performance?” Rikyū answered, “This man did not invite me with the idea of showing off his skill. He simply wanted to serve me tea with his whole heart. He devoted himself completely to making a bowl of tea for me, not worrying about errors. I was struck by that sincerity.”

- James

Jan

25

Tonight at Subtext

January 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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Should be a great show! It’s always a good time at these gigs.
6–10 pm at 680 W. Beech Street in Little Italy

Jan

24

Times for Drinking Tea

January 24, 2008 | 2 Comments

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from Ch’a-shu by Hsu Tz’u-shu (Ming era)

In idle moments
When bored with poetry
Thoughts confused
Beating time to songs
When the music stops
Living in seclusion
Enjoying scholarly pastimes
Conversing late at night
Studying on a sunny day
In the bridal chamber
Detaining favored quests
Playing host to scholars or pretty girls
Visiting friends returned from far away
In perfect weather
When skies are overcast
Watching boats glide past on the canal
Midst trees and bamboos
When flowers bud and birds chatter
On hot days by a lotus pond
Burning incense in the courtyard
After tipsy guests have left
When the youngsters have gone out
On visits to secluded temples
When viewing springs and scenic rocks

Jan

23

Thank you.

January 23, 2008 | 1 Comment

Yesterday was the launch of our first newsletter and we have received so many great emails and well-wishes. Thank you very much to all of you. We hope you’ll check in as we’ll be posting regularly.

There’s some nice cozy rain here in San Diego tonight. Time for a cup and an early bedtime. Cheers!

- James

Jan

20

Color Shifts

January 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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Christi roughs out some swatches of paint samples. And I thought the world of print design was plagued by color issues from Pantone guide to printed piece. These little snippets of color you get at the paint store tend to look nothing like what ends up on the wall. No surprise, I know. Still, it keeps it interesting. We decided to not go with any of the colors you see here. We’re going to stay away from greens and have chosen something closer to the gray(ish) on the far right. All paints used will be zero VOC, and we are sourcing sustainable materials throughout. We’ll continue to keep you posted on this design/build aspect of Halcyon Tea. And, if you have any great ideas in the low-impact department, please do send them our way. Thanks!

- James

Jan

19

Fact:

January 19, 2008 | 1 Comment

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You won’t find this in your teabag. I’m not being snobby about tea bags (many people are), and I don’t consider myself “anti-tea bag” (many people are). In recent years we have seen a lot of new versions of the tea bag. They’re made from all types of materials into all sorts of shapes. The thing is, sometimes it’s the bag and the packaging that people are selling and the quality of tea is a second thought. I’m not talking about the old classics like Lipton, Bigelow’s Constant Comment, etc. Many of us remember these as the teas our parents or grandparents always had in the cupboard; maybe they still do. Maybe you do, and there’s nothing wrong with that. These teas can offer a familiar comfort. Also, when you consider how tea is so affected by climactic conditions and a host of other factors, it’s amazing these teas have tasted the same year after year. It’s this consistency that takes us back to the familiar, which most of us love. But like anything else, once you get into tea pretty seriously you begin to crave the new and unfamiliar.

I like the variations in certain teas from year to year. Flavors can undergo subtle changes even if the tea is picked from the exact same location, at the same time of year, and using the exact same processing methods. The journey a tea leaf takes from plant to cup is an amazing one. Like wine, tea’s natural variations keep the aficionado constantly enthralled by the search for what’s new this year. This is only one factor that sets the world of loose tea apart from most bagged offerings. There are a host of other factors that we’ll talk about in time.

Regardless of what anyone else says, drink whatever you like in any manner you enjoy. That’s ultimately what’s most important.

- James

Jan

17

Spaces and Places

January 17, 2008 | 4 Comments

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After an extensive search and eventual full-circle, here’s our new retail space in South Park! We’re the space on the right. The Lily Pad children’s shop just moved in next door from their old location in Hillcrest. Mila loves that store, so we are really happy to be neighbors with them.

On the far right, located on the corner is the old location of Santos coffee. Christi and I lived just down the way for five years and we often made our way there to enjoy a lazy weekend morning. There will be a new restaurant going in that location as well as another new one right across the street.

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Architect Glenn Miller works closely with creative director Mila Bowman.

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Looking west down towards the park you can see Ginseng Yoga on the corner. Now I have no excuse to not take yoga classes. Beyond Ginseng is
a smattering of shops ending with Grant’s Market on the corner. Grant’s is a good spot for sandwiches, snacks, and interesting beverages.

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And finally, a look from the inside out. Still lots to do. Mila finds the space excellent for riding her scooter around; it also helps her avoid our discussions about paint colors and floor treatments. Understandable.

We’ll be posting regularly, so we hope to hear your comments and feedback about everything. Thanks for checking in.

-James

Jan

16

A Realization

January 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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Though it seems too obvious, I recently realized that every time we sit down to cup/taste teas, we’re working! Here we are at work during a recent cupping. We’ve decided to limit the number of teas we stock to around 40. I’ve seen lists of up to 150+ teas in some shops. I like a selection and all, but these massive lists honestly just make my head swim. It seems as though curating a smaller selection would be easier, but it’s actually pretty tough. It’s hard to resist the temptation of adding more to the list. Still, we would rather feature fewer teas, establish a solid baseline of what our customers want on a more regular basis, then have a little wiggle room to change teas out from season to season. It’s a good way to keep ourselves honest, searching for new teas to feature without becoming complacent.

We are still in the process of refining our Japanese tea offerings, then it’s on to our Indian selection. We have our Chinese selection pretty solidified. Stay tuned for more, and always feel free to give us feedback on anything you’d like to see at Halcyon Tea. Thanks!

- James

Jan

15

“Tea is the new coffee. The world of tea is as fascinating as fine wines.
Real, fresh-brewed, loose-leaf tea is the beverage of the future.”

- Gordon Gould (founder, ThisNext)

Jan

14

It’s Happening

January 14, 2008 | 1 Comment

Hard to believe we’re in the final stages of launching our website and retail store. This is the realization of a dream that has undergone many rounds of development along the way. Christi and I have discussed doing our own business for many years, and we are really happy to have Paul working with us as a partner. Paul and I met in the 8th grade when we formed a friendship around a shared interest in punk/skate rock music. We’ve remained friends for nearly 24 years.

So, why tea? Each of us got into tea in different ways. For as long as I can remember, I always drank tea. Nothing against coffee, I just never really got into it. I still remember a book I read called The Empty Mirror about a Dutch man’s experience in a Japanese Zen Monastery during the 1950’s. Aside from just loving the story, the author’s accounts of the green tea they drank everyday sent me straight to local Asian markets in search of these teas. It’s funny to think how these places and the teas felt so exotic at the time. Still, I learned about different grades of Sencha, Gyokuro, Kukicha, Matcha, etc. and it all sparked my eventual search for quality teas from Japan and beyond.

Christi first fell in love with chai while living in India, then fruit teas in small Taiwan teashops, and eventually malty, smoky teas that wooed her away from coffee. I actually witnessed her transition from full-on coffee fiend to full-on tea lover leading me to believe anything is indeed possible. Paul longed for a world beyond the Lipton teabag and discovered the sublime flavors of loose leaf tea while living in Washington, DC and San Francisco. He is also a world-class traveler and has spent some serious time in South America drinking maté with gauchos in Bolivia and coca tea with Inca descendants in the Andes.

We like the way tea makes us stop and be fully present in what we’re doing. For some, the phrase “being present” may be considered an overused term most often found in free new-age publications you pick up at the local veg eatery. I’ll risk it. The ritual of sitting down to make tea creates a natural series of rest periods throughout the day. We can reach for any number of teas based on mood, time of day, season, or what music we’re listening to at the time. We can downshift, regroup, and energize all in one sitting. I have to say, there is nothing else like tea.

Thanks for checking in.

- James