Myanmar calling…

Michelle of Hainan Tuhsu had introduced this tea company from Burma in 2005 Hangzhou tea expo, who later visited us in 2006, but we never worked togather. Luck changes overnight. Let’s hope for the best.

A new look…

Jennifer Howard of Australia and 2009 inspired us to don a new look and the result was amazing. In her own words “I was the one who designed it… i just had my work to print it out. they had designed a few, but i wasnt happy, so i did a final, and we went with that one.”

Designs are just like shirts which we change quite often, but some touch our hearts and minds. This one is so unique like the girl who has designed it. The black & white scheme is latest tool in designing. www.oscarandhoward.com.au

Look for yourself and notice the effect.

Our first chinese student…

Lixia or Lisa, who is working in Maliandao tea market in Beijing presently, has completed her masters in economics from South Korea and is a tea professional now. Her love of black teas brings her to India, where she wishes to write a book on Indian black tea for the propogation of Indian tea knowledge in China. 

China December 2008…

This time Manisha, my wife, accompanied me on my China trip and was fully appreciative of our efforts there in the end. We visited Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Kunming from 15th to 23rd December 2008 and met lot of business associates and friends there, coincidently Vincent also wound up his China trip on 23rd December and we, he and Ms. Xiao were togather in Shanghai on 20th & 21st December.

Jinhua…

Louise had kept our tea packs in Jinhua, where Vincent is getting his training now. As a further approach we wish to expand this business to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai during our December 2008 trip.

Butterfly legend…

Sir, i don;t know why i choose this story..a sad love story. …. seems not to be a suitable story on ur birthday…….but…..today is not ur birthday, yea? haha, hope u like it, very very long, spend hours in tying…….

the fold is the music for this story, called “Liang Zhu”, singing for their sad love

Say once there’s a girl called Zhu Yingtai, she loves literature and eagers in learning knowlege. But in ancient China, “nv zi wu cai bian shi de”, means woman who illiteratured is the best woman, they are forbbiden from schools.

To rebel the society, Zhu Yingtai put on man’s clothes, ties her long hair, wears a big hat, and changes herself into a young man. She persuaded her stubborn father, and succeeded in leaving home for Hangzhou, to entering the famous school, Wansong Shu Yuan (Wansong School) for furthur study.

In the school, he met a man called Liang Shanbo, a bookish but kind young man.  They share the same room, help each other in study, and became very good friends. Yes, our Zhu Yingtai feels a kind of love toward that bookworm, but he doesn’t know—-because as he sees, that is Mr. Zhu, not Miss Zhu.

autumn comes and winter goes, soon Zhu recieves a letter from her father to ask her to back home urgently. She says goodbye to her good friend Lung, who apparently do not be apart so soon, and volunteerly see her off.

Zhu feels so remorseful that Liang donot know her love. So in the way of seeing off, she made up her mind to express her feeling for him:

(Next Z stand for Zhu Yingtai and L stands for Liang Shanbo)

Z: Liang Xiong 

L: yes?

Z: See the green tree in front of door, stands couple of birds singing for us

L: Couple of birds stands for couple of brotherhood, singing happily for ur leaving song

Z:  Leaving Hangzhou and climbing the mountains, see the woodcutter carry on back kilos of wood. Liang, who is he cutting wood for? Who are u seeing off for?

L: He’s cutting wood for his bloved wife, i’m seeing off for my virtuous little brother.

Z: Mountains and Mountains I climbed, soon comes to the Montain named Phinx. On the Phinx grows so beautiful flowers.

L: every kind is here i can see, but except the beautiful peony.

Z: if the peony is the one u love, why not come together to my home? in my home grows a blosoming peony, waiting there for u to pick her beauty.

L: Beautiful peony in ur home i knwo, how can i pick from so long way?

Z: Clean Lake here is, see how happy the yuan yang (mandarin ducks ? ) swim in couples. Liang Xiong, would u like to swim here with me if Zhu is a female?

L: Yuan Yang Yuan Yang, so pitable that Zhu would never be a female.

Z: Here we come again to a river, comes two white ducks from the upper way. Male Duck is swimming ahead, with the the female following and calling him “Gege” (brother, same name with “xiong”)

L: The two ducks never open their mouth, how do u differiate male and fe?

Z: of couse u don;t know, u missed that female ducks laughing at u and calls u “dai tou e” (stupid-headed duck, refers to foolish man).

L: since dai tou e i am, so afterwards never called me “Liang Ge ge” please.

Z: ahh, i’m sorry i’m sorry, never happen next time.

L: Never?

Z: never.

Z: here comes to a bridge, so afraid to pass that single-log bridge.

L: Never mind, my little brother, let me take ur hand and help u pass it.

Z: we two now just like “niu lang” and “zhi nv” on that “magie bridge”.

L: ahh, how can two men compared to niu lang and zhi nv?

Z: See the front an old well, how deep would that well measures?

L: never mind the depth, time to leave is the cares.

Z: come, liang Xiong. Let’s look down the well, see how happy the man and woman smiles.

L: 100% man i am, how can u compare me to a woman?

Z: …….ok, go.

Z: miles and miles we goes, until come to a Guanyin Temple.

L: Let’s kneed down before the Guanyin, and pray for the happiness in the life.

Z: may the Guanyin be our matchmake, and witness our marrige here.

L: my little brother, how absurd u becomes, how can two men get married here?

Z:………..

L: see here comes an ox. the little boy sitting on the ox and singing the whistle.

Z: but so pity ox can never understand the music, like u stupid as that ox.

L: ahh, how can u compare to me that ox!

Z: sorry, sorry, my brother, let’s go.

Z: there will always be a time to say goodbye. here to stop, my brother,  and tell me, are u matched?

L: ohh, no.

Z: then my dear borther, will u ahterwards go to my home and make a proposal? In my home, i have a sister called “Jiu mei”. Jiu mei is beautiful and capable of everything, She would be ur best wife, believe me.

L: thank u, my brother, i will.

(this part is called “shi ba xiang song”, means seeing off for 18miles, a famous part in the Yue Opera “Liang Zhu”, u can see the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUwboFWaqao) 

But when back to school, our Liang Shangbo fogets his promise. Spring goes and Summer comes, when suddenly Liang remembers his proposal. He went to Shao xing, Zhu;s hometown, and see a grand house in front of him.

L: i’m here to make a propasal, to Jiu mei.

Zhu’s father: Jiu mei? my 9th daughter, ahh, u mean Zhu ying tai?

L: Yingtai? she;s in fact a female!? So surprised i am, will u, sir, marry ur daughter to this man loving her?

Zhu’s father: so poor a man u are, how can u give my daughter a whethy house and a good living condition. i would never marry my daughter to u, and she has already propased to the richesr young man in our area, Ma Wencai.

like thunder in a sunny day(so strange usage, haha), Liang Shanbo goes back home uncontiously, his soul is taken away by this news. He felt his love when hearing Yingtai’s a woman, but he can never accomplish her in the later life.

when Liang Shanbo back home, he suddenly fell ill. Because he’s so sad, he can not recover this illness, his situation become poorer and poorer, and at last, our main actor…..died.

Zhu yingtai heared this news before she is forced by her father to marry Ma Wencai. She made up, put on the red marrage clothes, covers herself with the marriage cloth, and step onto the palakeen taking her to Ma Wencai’s house.

On the way passing Liang Shanbo’s tomb, she forced the carrier to stop and step down.

Her tears running down seeing Liang’s tomb.

So many days passed in missing u. I still remember embarassment when i call u “dai tou e”, remember ur little anger thinking urself’s compared to a woman. But now, u are lying here quitely in regret! But now, we are living and death apart! My god, MengJiangNv’s tears tearing the Great Wall down, Dou’e's crying cries out Snow in June, please, please hear my pray and tear this tomb apart! Let the Sky be my macthes, let the candles be my lights, let the tomb be our rooms, let my Liang wake up and engage in this marriage, let we be with each other forever!

A thunder comes and light sparks, raining falls down dogs and cars, the tomb really break into two. Without hesitation, Zhu Yingtai bravely jumps into the tomb.

Then, sky clears out and sun comes, grass looks greener and flower more beautiful. at that time, from the tobe flies out two butterfly, up and down, flies so freely in couples. Some say they are just Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, say even the god are moved by their story and turn them into the most beautiful butterfly, being together with each other as time goes by.

Birthday season… 

Starting today our family will have many birthdays. Ankit’s on 8th and mine on 10th December after that on 3rd and 9th January of Dolly and Vicky respectively.

Happy birthday.

Old memories…

Sanyog Tamang yesternight posted these two photos on my Facebook, which stirred lots of memories of yesteryears. First one is of 2006 CFNA group led by Mr. Huang Hanqing and Mr. Cai Jun, which toured Indian tea industry for 7 days. This particular photo was taken at sanyog’s house where we all are sitting with Mr. Madan Tamang.

Second one was taken in Fuzhou in 2007 where we visited Yuan Tai tea house alongwith Mrs. Xiao.

What a fun it was.   

Nanke dream…

In China, there’s a cheng yu (expression with 4 word together, esp. from stories or literature books, like “shou zhu dai tu”, “ba miao zhu zhang” ext.) called “Nan Ke Yi Meng”, somewhat the same like another cheng yu “huang liang yi meng”, today, we are going to concentrate on this “cheng yu” story.

Say one’s there’s a man named A

Near his house there’s a big tree called Huai Shui (pagoda tree )

then one day A’s drank and rest beside this tree

when he wake up suddenly he found himself in a country named “Da Huai An”

He took an examination held by the goverment

and ranked the first in the exam

the emprorer is greatly impressed by his talent and good manner

and so pleased to marry his daughter to him

He become the governer of Nanke province since

honored and respected by his people in the next 20 years

until one day Da Huai An was invaded by the beighbour country

they lost most battles before the emperor remember the great A

So put on the helmet and took the spear

A goes to the front as a great warrior

but our hero is only a learning man

how can he fight in a war like a brave soilder?

he lost the war and escape back to the capital

the emproror is so angry and say:

come! get him out and kill him!

A is so frightened that he shouted out

when he opens his eyes he finds himself still beside that tree

the star’s shining and the moon’s bright

He looks aound and see a big hole full of ants

then he realised this hold is that “da huai an” country

his Nanke province is just part of it

He can;t help himself and sign: 

the 20 years of winning and losing is so short as it is only a dream

whatever honor u have  

it fades away the minute u wake up from that dream

the another cheng yu”huang liang yi meng” is somewhat the same, an illusion dream, just do not so emphsis on money and power, cherish what u have, that is the most important

PS

here’s a knowledge, “huai shu” (pagoda tree ), huai is written like “槐“, a tree in left and a ghost in right. that’s why many ghost stories are realted to this tree.

Another story…