Travel, tea, photography and me!

Incorporating business ideas into a personal blog about tea and adventure isn't that big a stretch after all.   Nothing compared to my belly at the moment!

From my entrepreneurship course, we learned that the experts agree passion is a big part of succeeding in any business and my blog captures many of the things I love: travel, people, and fine tea.

But not just any tea.  It must taste good, be paired with delicious things, be served in artful surroundings and originate from sustainable sources, fair to the growers and good for the environment.

Chickens hanging out in the tea bushes in China

            Photo: Raymonde Drolet

Being a naturally bookish researcher type, I like to look things up but I'm also keen to see things for myself.  I relish good food and drinks.  I've trained myself with a variety of courses and sought out experiences to recognize quality products.  While I don't fret if I'm unable to procure the finest at any particular time, I truly appreciate good things when I can.

Part of my business model requires informing as many people as possible about the pitfalls that occur while exploring the world of tea.  To that end I've written about steeping techniques, do's and don't's, and shared pictures of the many places I've sampled fine teas(and some not so fine), as well as where they're grown, how they're dried, shipped, etc.  I've met a great many people who are already in the tea business.  That's why I think I could really enjoy the challenge.

Our world has many traditions, some better than others.  The tea world is no different.  I savour taking the time to enjoy a good cup, and as I learn more, to appreciate a good pot of transcendent tea. It's something I see as not just a personal choice(affording me peace of mind and pleasure to be sure), but as something to learn about and share and now even convert into a viable business.

Photo: Raymonde Drolet

I'm keen to pass on my lessons as I learn and do good business, ensuring people are getting value for their money and also that the values I cherish are shared as well.


Follow #StartUpEdu, @rfongtea, @entrepreneurSCS on Twitter to join in on the entrepreneurship conversation.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies Certificate in Entrepreneurship program; however, the opinions provided are my own.

Time (and Rita) Flies!

My, how time flies! Can you believe October is coming to an end already?!  I've been busy traveling, attending food shows, tea events, taking tea workshops and visiting tea shops since my last post.  I've been to Seattle, Vancouver, Montreal and now getting ready to go to Vancouver again for the inaugural Vancouver Tea Festival this Saturday!  And after that, who knows, maybe Ottawa for their tea festival too!

I'm also busy sorting through my Spring China Tea Tour photos looking for worthy candidates to submit for the Tea & Art section for next year's Toronto Tea Festival.

I thought I'd share some of my photos from the travels with you here.

 

 

You might recognize some of the people in these! More details and pictures to come!

Back from China: Return to Cyberspace

I can't believe the month of May is almost over!  The time has flown since my return from China.  It's taken me a long time to get over the jetlag.

Trip was awesome!  Back with even greater appreciation for how much there is still to learn about tea. There's a Chinese proverb that goes something like this...

                 "Reading ten thousand books is not as useful as traveling ten thousand miles."  

Reading a book can tell you how steep the mountains will be, how fresh and sweet the air is in a valley of tea fields, but until you've been there, it's just not the same.  But I'm happy to report that I've been there!

Everyone's asking "can I see your photos"?  Hey, I want to see them too!  I'm working hard at it and I've only made it through half so far!   So, here's a few samples to show some highlights...an appetizer of sorts.

(Image: Donna Sikora)

(Image: Master Zhou)

Master Zhou

(Image: Michaelle McLean)

That's it for now.  Stay tuned, more to come soon!

Wuyi Mountain Dreaming...

In a couple of days I will be off to the original land of tea, China!  It is exciting to think that I will be smelling , touching and seeing the tea plant first hand.  In preparation for my trip and to stir the imagination, here is a documentary by China's CCTV on one of the places I will be visiting, Wuyi Mountain (Wuyishan) in Fujian province.

This video is in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles but it has some beautiful scenic shots, is informative, and gives you a nice overview of Wuyi Mountain.  It is 26 minutes long, does take a little while to buffer, but compared to my 14.5 hour flight soon, that's nothing!

Grab a tea and enjoy the video!
http://english.cntv.cn/program/documentary/wuyitea/