It’s been 5 months since I tasted this Oolong! Wow that’s a long time!
I almost forgot it was in the Happy Lucky’s bin and then…I was looking for a trio of tea’s to share with Fr. Evan today and saw this one. Ah ha, that was the one for sharing with him, I thought!
Since I’m still car-less, Fr. Evan said he’d come by my condo on his way home to the wife and kids for our regular chat. When we visit we go on and on talking about Food and Faith. (His family owns one of the oldest and most famous restaurants in Denver)
I had already warned him to leave lots of time for drinking tea.
First, there would be this Oolong, then a nice malty Black Pearl Tea and last a Shu Pu-erh. (All three his first tastings of those kinds of tea’s ever.)
I set up my wooden gonfu tray, two gaiwans and glass cups (shouldn’t show off but I did anyway).
The Oolong was not what he expected. Fr. Evan likes Black Tea best and grew up drinking Greek Chamomile Tea with lemon and honey.
This was delicate and slightly floral with a little vegital background that he enjoyed. "I like this tea and would drink it which I didn’t expect, " he said. Of course I nodded in a knowing manner. (I thought he’s like it because it’s a very tasty tea!)
Next the Black Pearl delighted him since he loves a malty black tea.
But…the winner was…the Pu-erh! I’m the one who made a convert out of my Priest!!! Ha! (Now I have to buy some Pu-erh as a gift for his Church office tea set-up!)
We had such a lovely time sipping our tea and talking about how tea relaxes you and brings a person into the ‘present’ where you are able to be still with God. He understood why tea has meaning for me and how it is helping shape and heal my life.
He noticed at one point that I have a small beeswax candle on my icon shelf shaped in the form of a beehive.
“Where did you get that?” he said with some excitement in his voice.
“At the honey store by Terry Lake”, I replied.
“Did you know that the architect for Hagia Sophia modeled the great dome of the church after a bee hive…that’s how it was created and why it has remained all these century’s?”
“Wow, I had no idea!”…(I always learn something new from Fr. Evan)
What a kind man.
