Post 4: A Steep in the Right Direction
“Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. In China, in the eighth century, it entered the realm of poetry as one of the polite amusements. The fifteenth century saw Japan ennoble it into a religion of aestheticism, -- Teaism.” -Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea Today, in times of convenience stores and fast food restaurants, it seems that some things have lost their value to the modern person. One of these things, I believe, is the sacred art of preparing tea. Growing up, I was taught to make tea by my grandmother, who treated the beverage as a sacred art. Now, I find that most of my tea is made from a bag of cheap leaves, and steeped in too hot water from an electric kettle at work. The new assistant sometimes attempts to make tea from leaves, but her technique is inadequate. I felt as though it was time for a change. I immediately began researching traditional tea rooms in Japan, hoping to find a place to visit with my son for a taste (literal...