The measure of my tastes (March, 2013) - On brewing and drinking tea.

Sitting in the lobby of a posh British hotel at teatime is a good time to meditate on the reason why tea is one of the most sophisticated drinks on the planet.  And it is not just the British who have a monopoly on its appreciation.  There are many cultures which celebrate life and friends and the passing of time with them, over a pot of tea.  This celebration ends up being refined to what might appear as extreme as in the case of the Japanese tea ceremony, or as simple as a desert nomad preparation of a pot of water and tea over a fire of a bunch of broken-up twigs while the cold wind howls all around.  Even now, as I sip an excellent grade of gyokuro Japanese tea which is served in elegant British porcelain china cups, I learn the simple etiquette that a guest may have as many pots of as many different teas as they wish (although British sensitivities would probably preclude asking for more).

The chandelier of the Corinthia lobby in a cup of gyokuro - November 2012

Poem for a 60th Birthday.... (Posted late)

It has been a while
From the time when
I could remember a friend's laughter


Until today