Korean Two Person Tea Set

A perfect gift for couples that want to make time for two and tea!

Ready set steep! The perfect cup of tea for two has never been easier or so much fun to prepare. Just add a teaspoon of tea, add hot water, cover and let steep for a couple of minutes.

Then ENJOY YOUR TEA! And then, when you’re ready, do it again, steep another cup and get fresh with your tea. And soon you’ll find yourself in hot water…again!

To Tease your sensations I included two absolutely delicious tea’s: Tung Ting a Green Oolong from Taiwan and the famous: Ti Kwan Yin from Fujin Province, China.

Ti Kwan Yin and Tung Ting Teas

Reminder:

You control the strength of your tea by varying the steeping times, moving from light to strong by giving each infusion more time. I tend to use 2-3 teaspoons and shorter steeping times. This way I make multiple infusions.

Traditional Korean Tea Set Made by Master Potter Heh Bong.

I can still remember the excitement when I got my first tea set from Master Heh Bong, and the feeling returns every time I buy another to add to my collection. Master Heh Bong’s tea set is the ideal size because it fits so nicely into your hands. The side handle is convenient, and the cups provide you with a good shot of Green or Oolong tea. The advantage of this set is that you can use it for yourself throughout the day,steep by steep when you need it or sit down with friends to share the experience. I usually have several tea pots going on at the same time located at different places in the house … and in my opinion no room should be without one. With a thermos of hot water you can stop,steep and then step on it to the next room or task! I drink lots of tea. Each steep is a half cup. And since the tea leaves can be re-steeped several times throughout the day or night, it makes it easy to space out and leave time between steeps. This way you don’t have to commit yourself to sitting down to tea if you don’t want to. Finally I find that the pottery that Master Heh Bong makes is durable and has a great weight balance. Most importantly, I’ll supply you with a good amount of tea to help you enjoy your new tea life. Only the brown tea set is available at this point.

Pale green Korean tea set by Master Potter Heh Bong

Korean Buddhist Monk Doll with Poppy

Just a note the gray doll with the Poppy is a Korean Buddhist Doll. If you press it in the center it chants the 108 pre-recorded Buddhist mantras. I mention this because to most Westerners it looks like a Nazi Doll. The Swastika predates the meaning it assumed in the early 20^th century with the rise of Hitler’s Nazi party. While living in South Korea I traveled to many Buddhist temples to talk with the Korean Monks. When I fist saw the symbol I was confused, and that was when I was taught the earlier meaning of the symbol. One of the explanations I received was that for Buddhism this emblem represents a perfect circle once it spins: hence enlightenment. I included this picture in the photo essay to commemorate all those who lost their lives serving in the Korean War. May peace reign.

For further reading and references concerning the swastika and its association with Eastern Religions please consult Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

Historical use in the East

“The swastika is a historical sacred symbol in Indian religions. It rose to importance in Buddhism during the Mauryan Empire and in Hinduism with the decline of Buddhism in India during the Gupta Empire. With the spread of Buddhism, the Buddhist swastika reached Tibet and China.” Quoted from Wikipedia

]]> http://www.livelikewater.com/tea/remembering-rememerence-day/feed/ 0 http://www.livelikewater.com/tea/south-korean-school/ http://www.livelikewater.com/tea/south-korean-school/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:34:38 +0000 admin http://www.livelikewater.com/tea/?p=960

School Assembly

A SOUTH KOREAN SCHOOL ASSEMBLY

I stand in the empty

Teachers room

By the window

Behind the flag

Watching

Pubescent boys

Ordered into formation

Looking up

To the structurally elevated authority

The principals harsh face

Stares down from the podium

His mouth contorts

Spitting

Shouting into the microphone

That amplifies

And distorts his words

On either side

Teachers form

A barrier

Like generals

Reviewing parades

From up top of mausoleums

But from here

I can see the fidgeting

Restless shifting from foot to foot

And the Ethics teacher

Discreetly

Relieving

The persistent

Irritating

itch

hemorrhoids.

Squid Drying

THE SQUID

I ate dried squid
Feasted on it’s tentacles
Burnt them over my gas range stove
Then dipped them in mayonnaise
And I thought
As I chewed and chewed
How stupid the squid is
To jump into traps
Light being the only bait
Just like moths that burn themselves in the flame
The squid are caught and eaten
Must be retribution
For past life crimes
I thought
As I chewed and chewed
The stupid squid
Until the next morning
When I awoke
With sore gum’s
And teeth
Unable to move my mouth
Ahhhh
Then I realized
And bowed to the squid
My teacher!