Mike, Melinda -

Same way as Gongfu has two ways to be written (I elaborated on it today
somewhere below), Wenxhia(n,ng)bei can also be written in couple of ways. I
am sure that only one is "right", and also I am pretty sure that the last
"bei" is the same as in "chabei" - which is a cup.
It is actually right to write the combination of characters that mean one
word as one word (without spaces) in pinyin.
Melinda - I very much reccommend you to use wenxianbei - you will be blown
away, trust me. Do it this way (I already described that somewhere, but just
for the lovely lady

When you pour - pour into wenxianbei (if you do not have it - use some kind
of narrow wine glass or something. After that (you do not have to wait -
pour the tea from WXB into chabej (small cup). Without waiting put your nose
almost all the way into WXB and smell, many times inhaling and EXHALING into
WXB. Do not do it in front of children - in some states this may be
considered lewd behaviour

I also think that you may miss another "near sexual" experience, smell the
tea after "sicha". Sicha is washing tea. This pre-first steep - just
covering tea with hot water and immediately pouring water out (throwaway).
Now, cover the teapot (chahu) with a lid and give it about a minute for the
leaves to start open up and cool a bit down. Now open the lid and ... you
guessed it - no kids It is absolutely important that all participants
EXHALE into the teapot, when the smell it, not only inhale. Same way when
you smell the dry tea in chahe (the cup for dry tea before you put it into
the teapot. And one must EXHALE first, then inhale. The difference is so
dramatic, peopel alwats freak out when doing it or the first time.

Sasha.



"Mike Petro" > wrote in message
...
> Don't feel bad Melinda, I too had to ask what he was referring too. I
> have never heard this particular variation of the term before, and
> never used one myself (I will soon though). I have however seen the
> term expressed as "Wen xiang bei" or fragrance listening cup.
>
> Look at or
> http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcar...=Wen+xiang+bei or
> http://www.easterntea.com/ceremony/chineseceremony.htm for a
> reference.
>
> I am getting used to seeing multiple variations of the same terms,
> between Mandarin and Cantonese, Simplified and Traditional, and the
> various translations it is however confusing at times.
>
>>Alex, please remind me what the wenxianbei is that you are referring
>>to, is that the oolong that Imperial Tea Court calls Imperial Wen Shan
>>Bao Zhong (Pouchong)? You've gotten me interested now in examining
>>its..other...properties if so, lol.
>