Tea has definitely been a life-changing force for me. Striking out on my own in college was the first time away from my hometown alone for a long period of time. Living in the idyllic environment of Santa Cruz, my interests in tea began to grow and take shape. Prior to then, my access to tea was somewhat limited by the scope of my own knowledge. My mother is British and, so, I had grown up around tea, albeit fine English teas. While in Santa Cruz, whether it was the earthiness of the forest-situated campus of UC Santa Cruz, or the health-conscious population, my tastes in tea changed. This was, in effect, the shift that brought me into the path of tea, a road that I continue to travel to this day.
My first interests were in Japanese tea, namely Senchado. The clean flavors of these teas and the allure of the Japanese culture drew me closer to this art. However, America has yet to fully appreciate this form of tea and, so, my access to it was very limited. I did, however, find that in Santa Cruz and the greater Northern California Bay Area, that there was a large community of Chanoyu practitioners. These chajin, many of which lived in San Francisco and Santa Cruz, quickly became a guiding force in my life. Many of them lived a tea life, either in forest huts or their own urban hermitages. I soon found that this was my calling, a life in the dedication to understanding tea.
Taking up basic Chanoyu practice, I began to see how tea was a force to be reckoned with. Steeped in history, care, and deep-seated cultural values, I soon recognized that I was stepping into an understanding foreign to myself. Although there exist many elements Chado's appreciation of time, the seasons, and change that I could easily grasp, I knew that because I was both a modern and Western individual, I would have to significantly change my lifestyle and worldview to sink into the all-encompassing realm of the tea world.
My first true encounter with a chajin's life was when I moved to Paris. There for a good part of a year, I found myself totally alienated from my surroundings. Forced to forge a new path, I happened upon a small Japanese teashop in the quartier around La Madeline. Named "Chajin," the shop was a cornucopia of tea, teaware, and tea knowledge. Better still, I soon was introduced to a tea master of the Sohen-ryu school who took me under his guidance, considering me his second son and friend in tea. Our connection was immediate and our experiences together were profound. Like lifting a veil from my eyes, he exposed me to a world in tea, where beauty is found in imperfection and one's path to true understanding is infinite and lifelong.
Returning from Paris was a gut-wrenching experience. Still, I find my heart has been left there but now living the tea life, one cannot hold onto such things lest they want to be destroyed by them. However, the spirit of tea had been embedded in me and, back in Santa Cruz, I quickly began to return to a chajin's life.
Finding that Santa Cruz had emerged as a tea mecca since my departure (namely pu-erh), I began to become more serious about Gong Fu Cha. I had practiced the art of Gong Fu Cha for several years prior to my life in Paris but I had not seen how it could change my perspective on life. Now imbued with the realizations that Chado had imparted upon me, Gong Fu Cha became an equally life-changing force.
Centered more around the tea leaf and the components that make its flavors come alive, Gong Fu Cha was a practice in the technical side of tea. Although Chanoyu has these elements as well, for Gong Fu Cha, the spirit seemed looser and less preparation need to be done before hand, so the experience was ultimately more spontaneous. Thus, tea and teaware in hand, I made Santa Cruz my oasis for the art of Gong Fu Cha, teaching small classes on tea brewing, making tea in the forests, and offering tea to people who showed interest.
Now in in San Francisco, tea continues to play an integral role in my life. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with my longtime friends at Red Blossom Tea, helping them serve tea and offering my insight to what they might carry within their already wide array of Chinese, Japanese, and Taiwanese teas. Recently, I have become more involved in practicing a regional form of Gong Fu Cha called Chaozhou Gong Fu Cha. I am finding that this, too, is making a lasting impression upon my life and has helped to deepen my knowledge and appreciation of tea and tea culture. In the years to come, I hope that my path in tea will continue to widen, become stronger, and take me on journeys yet known as I continue my travels in tea!
