1 day 1 tea: Day 25

Day 25 of my November Challenge. Tonight, I chose the day with the most meaning on this 49th day since October 7th. In the Chinese tradition, 49 days (7 weeks of 7 days) marks the conclusion of a cycle of mourning (there's another at 100 days and another after 1 year). The goal of my November is to celebrate life, beauty and tea with my daily Chaxi. I started to feel depressed with all the news of death, torture, bombings coming from Israel and Gaza. I had to do something, even if it's just to keep my sanity. The best I can do is to make tea, so that's why I embarked on this marathon. One rule in tea is not to speak about politics. It's divisive and there are more suitable forums or occasions. Tea is a time of truce and I'm glad that this post would coincide with the fragile truce we're in.

But if a tea should not be political, it should be personal in order to have a deeper meaning. My grandparents' hometown, Landau in Germany, is also the hometown of Anne Frank's grandfather, Michael Frank. Landau had a large and vibrant Jewish community and it's now gone following the November pogroms of 1938 and the Holocaust. My 3 months stay in an Israeli kibbutz in 1994 only increased my personal connection to Israel. 

1932 was the last year of peace for Jews in Landau and Germany, before the rise of Hitler to power in 1933. By coincidence or fate, I was recently able to collect a few Oolong leaves sealed in jar with a Japanese newspaper from 1932! At that time, Japan was a colonist power in Taiwan. Now it's a peaceful neighbor of Taiwan. Things can change for the better!

The tea has a deep, pure taste. If high mountain Oolong resonate in you like a violin, this one feels like cello! The aromas are very old wood with a sweet undertone. It coats the palate and feels very smooth. The dim light of one candle adds to the bittersweet melancholy. The painting of mei hua, plum flowers, is the symbol of resistance and ability to blossom under dire circumstances (like winter, old age or tragic events). 

I pray that the light shall guide us towards peace. 

Let there be life, hope and good tea!