Greetings, and welcome to the revised version of Tea On Tap. My own experience with tea and tea culture has "evolved" into something much larger than simply reviewing teas, and it's my hope that the new format here will be informative, interesting, and entertaining. Naturally I also hope that it will encourage people to steep themselves in tea culture, if you'll excuse the pun.
To me, the culture surrounding tea is something special. It's not just the community, though that's a big part of it. It's not just the beverage either. It's everything together - leaves, water, teaware, preparation, history, mindfulness and people, all coming together in a symbiotic relationship that promotes peace, health, and thoughtful living, even in the midst of chaos.
Sometimes it's difficult though to see how all of those things can fit into a normal, everyday life. Stress, deadlines, family drama and even housework can take over, leaving little time to enjoy the slower, more contemplative state that a cup of tea can foster. Learning how to find tea culture in small moments throughout the day is what I strive for, and what I hope to share on Mondays with the new "Tea & Life" Topic.
On Wednesdays, "Tea People" will be featured in a weekly interview of tea companies, bloggers, and anyone else I happen to come across with an affinity for tea. And Friday's "Tea On Tap" posts will feature a roundup of interesting blog posts and articles for the week, as well as a log of my tea drinking for the week. If I should come across a tea that stirs me to a review, I'll post those occasionally on an unscheduled day.
On Sundays, "Tea Tales" will feature a new piece of tea-themed writing to enjoy with a cuppa, either short fiction or poetry. If you would like to submit work for possible inclusion, send me an email with the piece included in the body and I'll get back to you within a couple of days. I'll post a link to your web site or blog, and you'll retain all rights, of course.
I'm excited about this new format - please feel free to comment or drop me a line at any time, and thank you for sharing this journey with me.
Awesome new layout you have planned! I can't wait to read the Tea People section!
ReplyDelete"It's everything together - leaves, water, teaware, preparation..." - I just tell my non-tea-friends that tea is more like a cult... haha... I say it jokingly, of course. :)
Sounds like a great new format Jamie. It's always cool discovering another passionate tea drinker, especially one passionate enough to blog about it! I look forward to reading your new blog posts.
ReplyDeleteThanks to both of you for stopping in! Brittiny. You both have wonderful blogs that I look forward to visiting often, both on my blogroll. :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy Sipping!