These Lovely Tea Things

The gifts keep coming in all forms! Meals, coffees, bakes, drinks, handmade beauties, et cetera. The friends are making February a fantastic birthday month. Then, there're all the precious cards with handwritten messages that I'm keeping for as long as the paper doesn't disintegrate. I've moved across five cities and many apartments, and admittedly, many got lost and uh heartbreakingly thrown away. I last moved in 2007. So I've got quite a chunk of cards from then.

Two friends who don't know each other bought me gifts totally matching in color combination, and to a great extent, complementing each other's intention. A stylish tea towel from Sweden and a unique briny pack of sencha from Tokyo's superbly elegant Uogashi-Meicha (うおがし銘茶). Quite amazing. I've never been so tickled by random coincidences. Had to take them out together one afternoon to brew a cup of tea, and take a photo. The friends are getting very clever in the choosing of tea-related gifts for me. Only close friends are this brave to buy me tea paraphernalia. I keep my tea table simple and free of clutter. It's really difficult finding items that I like and will bother to use.

'When I wish upon a star', and by the grace of God, I'm duly blessed with the warmth of friendship. And often, fabulous teas. Thank you.

A mellow cup of Pre-Qingming 2013 Shifeng Long Jing.
(Lion's Peak Dragonwell; green tea.)