As always, Drinking tea with friends is one of life's pleasures. Thanks,
Ripon, for opening your house to us, and for that wonderous meal, not to
mention the really great green teas. BTW, the buried Oolong of great and
venerable age is from southern China. I hope we'll do it all again before
you leave for parts unknown.

Michael


11/14/04


> Today, I was very lucky to be the host of our Grand Washington DC tea
> fiesta. Michael, Lew, Mike Petro and myself got together and drank tea
> almost the whole day. I had tea with Michael and Lew before but Mike
> Petro joined us the first time. He is a wonderful person. Having them
> all together was a great honor for me.
> Actually Michael and me start drinking tea from last night and again
> start drinking tea from 9 AM and around 10:30 Lew and Mike joined with
> us. We started with Lew's excellent Japanese first flush Sencha, Lew
> also gave me a Jia Ji Tuocha gift. Thanks Lew. Then we had lunch and
> started to drink serious tea-
>
> Aged Oolong was underground somewhere in Taiwan for a long time. This
> rare tea was a secret collection of Michael.
>
> Then we had a rare 50 years old Pu-erh and a 30 years old Pu-erh,
> Michael has collected from Hong Kong. I can't even remember, how many
> steeps we had. Wonderful tea with wonderful group of people. Thanks
> Michael.
>
> Pu-erh specialist Mike Petro generously shared some of his Pu-erh
> treasure with us-
>
> -5 years aged Zhang Jinkun Tuocha/ Bingcha white needle puer/
> Xishuangbanna handmade limited quantity Pu-erh/ Wild ancient tea tree
> Pu-erh/ Zhang Jinkun aged green bincha/ Organic tea brick Pu-erh.
> Thanks Mike.
>
> It was a great day for me to be around them, talk and enjoy drinking
> tea. Michael was our tea master and kindly steeped tea for us with his
> great skill and patient.
>
> I was sad when they were all ready to leave because It is so nice to
> drink tea with such a wonderful friends. I always move from one
> country another and always say good bye to friends. It is not easy to
> do all the time. I hope, someday I will settled down somewhere and be
> with such a great friends where I don't have to say good bye. I hope
> to be with them one more time. I will be in another country next year
> but will never forget this great day- I had with Michael, Lew and
> Mike. Wish we all would have lived in the same city and drinks
> together all the time. We missed Dogma a lot, he couldn't join with us
> for his busy schedule. It would more nice if Norm and Joe would have
> joined with us.
>
> Time always fly, we the people move from one place to another. Some
> time from one continent to another continent but this type of tea
> fiesta and memory will be always with me. I won't forget this day. I
> appreciate to Michael, Lew and Mike for coming down to Washington DC
> and for sharing their friendship, time and tea with me.
>
> Ripon
>
> Vienna,VA