tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77378952010-04-21T16:17:40.584-07:00Mellow Monk's Green Tea BlogBrew up a cup. Sit back. Relax.Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.comBlogger2205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-18099118353024508842010-04-21T16:17:00.001-07:002010-04-21T16:17:40.652-07:00This blog has moved<br /> This blog is now located at https://blog.mellowmonk.com/.<br /> You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click <a href='https://blog.mellowmonk.com/'>here</a>.<br /><br /> For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to<br /> https://blog.mellowmonk.com/feeds/posts/default.<br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-1809911835302450884?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-50343745200879911692010-04-20T14:14:00.000-07:002010-04-20T14:14:00.339-07:00Sakura flower<a target="blank" href="https://img707.imageshack.us/i/flowerssakura2.jpg/"><img src="https://imgur.com/Z40DF.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-5034374520087991169?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-32588111671148218932010-04-18T16:07:00.000-07:002010-04-18T16:07:00.289-07:00Optimism and self-controlOptimism — maintaining a positive view of the future — can not only improve your mood but also your health by <a target="blank" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/optimism-boosts-immune-system-100325.html">boosting your immune system</a>.<br /><br><br />Also associated with positivity in life is self-control, which all of us can find in short supply sometimes. But studies are finding that you can get an immediate boost in self-control <a target="blank" href="https://www.spring.org.uk/2010/03/self-control-instantly-replenished-by-self-affirmation.php">through self-affirmation</a> — simply thinking about your own positive traits. <br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aso06.JPG"><img src="https://imgur.com/yzVAE.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>Whenever I drink green tea, I reflect on how it connects me to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/labels/Aso.html">wonderful place</a> where it is grown. And that fills me with positivity — and optimism and good health.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-3258811167114821893?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-56262632020408835462010-04-16T15:52:00.000-07:002010-04-16T15:52:00.538-07:00Japanese art at Scholten<a target="blank" href="https://www.scholten-japanese-art.com/">Scholten Japanese Art</a> is a gallery offering art both old and modern, both two- and three-dimensional, from <a target="blank" href="https://www.scholten-japanese-art.com/prints.php">prints</a> to <a target="blank" href="https://www.scholten-japanese-art.com/netindex.htm">netsuke</a>.<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://www.scholten-japanese-art.com/printsV.php?printID=612"><img src="https://imgur.com/9H0xd.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>Scottish artist Paul Binnie's <i>Asa ni Namida</i> (Morning Tears).</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-5626263202040883546?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-82308119574638662102010-04-14T16:19:00.000-07:002010-04-14T20:02:32.545-07:00Baachan and her catMiyoko Ihara's <a target="blank" href="https://whitemanekicat.p1.bindsite.jp/nitinitikorekouniti.html">photos</a> of <a target="_blank" href="https://livedoor.blogimg.jp/whitemanekicat/imgs/e/c/eca79022.jpg">Fukumaru the cat</a> frolicking with Ms. Ihara's grandmother, Misao, have been published as <a target="blank" href="https://www.rokkor.jp/photobook/201001/">a collection</a>.<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://whitemanekicat.p1.bindsite.jp/nitinitikorekouniti.html"><img src="https://imgur.com/NjeTz.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-8230811957463866210?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-41246077462867537482010-04-12T15:49:00.000-07:002010-04-12T15:49:00.215-07:00Where the stardust twinkles online<i>Kira kira</i> means "twinkle" in Japanese, as stardust does, and <a target="blank" href="https://wonderfl.net/code/30f64a32af82b0e351be56946125de0b1b2846ea/fullscreen">KiraKira Waypoints</a> is your own personal canvas where colorful stardust dances as you direct it — perfect for a green tea break.<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://wonderfl.net/code/30f64a32af82b0e351be56946125de0b1b2846ea/fullscreen"><img src="https://imgur.com/G6MTv.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>You drag the small circles to redirect the flow of stardust.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-4124607746286753748?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-78344759118990490102010-04-10T15:18:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:37:33.938-07:00Yaezakura<a target="blank" href="https://img684.imageshack.us/i/flowersyaezakura2.jpg/"><img src="https://imgur.com/kH0Wu.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-7834475911899049010?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-81418485776991024542010-04-08T15:55:00.000-07:002010-04-08T15:55:00.076-07:00Green tea cookies and cream<i>Delicious</i> magazine has a "tried & tasted" <a target="blank" href="https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/green-tea-ice-cream">recipe for green tea ice cream</a> and <i>Seattle Weekly</i> a <a target="blank" href="https://blogs.seattleweekly.com/voracious/2010/03/recipe_fresh_flours_green_tea.php">recipe for green tea cookies</a>. Both recipes, incidentally, call for <a target="blank" href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm#matcha">matcha</a>, not tea bags. <br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://blogs.seattleweekly.com/voracious/2010/03/recipe_fresh_flours_green_tea.php"><img src="https://imgur.com/7qfoO.jpg" width="450"></a><br /><strong><small>We would love to see pictures of the <i>fruits</i> of your culinary labors.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-8141848577699102454?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-17610643911856878192010-04-07T16:27:00.000-07:002010-04-07T16:27:00.528-07:00Seven Cups cruises the canals of NanxunSeven Cup has posted some <a target="blank" href="https://www.sevencups.com/2010/04/seven-cups-green-tea-tour-day-6/">wonderful photos</a> of their trip to the ancient city of <a target="blank" href="https://www.shanghaifinance.com/attractions/zhejiang/nanxun/nanxun.php">Nanxun</a>, China.<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://www.sevencups.com/2010/04/seven-cups-green-tea-tour-day-6/"><img src="https://imgur.com/9n9Ci.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>A house situated on the city's famous canal.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-1761064391185687819?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-43742209273509891432010-04-06T15:44:00.000-07:002010-04-06T15:44:00.159-07:00Secret path to a private hangoutNow this would be a wonderful day: taking a leisurely walk through the forest to a cool, quiet seaside hangout. So here are the visuals you need to make that journey virtually during a nice leisurely green tea break. <br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/channel/2/extra/new/display/14367700"><img src="https://imgur.com/SXfUa.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://a1350.q.twdx.net/forum/gallery/albums/july07/aae.jpg"><img src="https://imgur.com/GeLYy.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-4374220927350989143?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-27707999939237609702010-04-05T17:54:00.000-07:002010-04-05T19:35:05.858-07:00Kokura Castle in a cloud of sakuraWe just received this — a photo of <a target="blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokura_Castle">Kokura Castle</a>, previously misidentified as Kumamoto Castle.<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://img708.imageshack.us/img708/6175/kumamotojosakuraemi.jpg"><img src="https://imgur.com/X3Q2w.jpg" width="550"></a><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-2770799993923760970?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-36906232581605424922010-04-04T20:25:00.000-07:002010-04-04T20:41:10.213-07:00Green tea, flowers, and scones<a target="blank" href="https://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4985/teasconesflowers.jpg"><img src="https://imgur.com/Qw35R.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-3690623258160542492?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-88115663281542414672010-04-02T00:10:00.000-07:002010-04-02T00:10:01.017-07:00The wait is over — matcha is back!We have just received a shipment of our <a target="blank" href="https://mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm#matcha">Matcha Style Powdered Green Tea</a> from the grower in <a target="blank" href="https://mellowmonk.com/labels/Kumamoto.html">Kumamoto</a>.<br /><br><br />Our deepest apologies for the wait. We appreciate your queries asking when it would be back in stock and your comments on how much you enjoy the tea. That really filled us all here with good feelings. <br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm#matcha"><img src="https://mellowmonk.com/images/tea_matcha_505.jpg" width="400"></a><br /><strong><small>Back by popular demand.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">buyGreenTea.htm</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-8811566328154241467?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-78064448963079265752010-04-01T16:46:00.000-07:002010-04-01T16:46:00.371-07:00Photos galore—nature and JapanGreg du Toit's <a target="blank" href="https://www.gregdutoit.com/index.php">nature photos</a> are simply amazing, especially if you like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gregdutoit.com/index.php?page=photo_anomaly">animals</a>.<br /><br><br />And some of the shots in <a target="blank" href="https://www.freephotoresources.com/24-amazing-photographs-of-japan/">this collection</a> of Japan photos are wonderful, too.<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjustin/4026390770/sizes/l/in/set-72157612082030490/"><img src="https://imgur.com/KizEQ.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>A lovely photo from James Justin's <a target="blank" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjustin/sets/72157612082030490/">Japan 2009</a> collection.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-7806444896307926575?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-85950059315550672282010-03-31T17:21:00.000-07:002010-03-31T17:21:00.591-07:00Frost-fighting fan in a tea fieldThis photo, taken in the orchard of one of <a target="blank" href="https://mellowmonk.com/ourGrowers.htm">our tea artisans</a>, shows a fan that protects the leaves from frost. <br /><br><br />The fans rotate slowly, generating only a slight breeze, but that is enough to stop frost from forming on budding leaves.<br /><br><br />This is especially important in early spring, when the daytime warmth wakes the plants from their winter slumber, but temperatures can still drop low enough for frost to form in the wee hours. <br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://img706.imageshack.us/i/teafieldfan.jpg/"><img src="https://imgur.com/2kOVS.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-8595005931555067228?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-2493439811768700762010-03-30T21:45:00.000-07:002010-03-30T21:58:50.543-07:00"Tea thief" author interviewedNPR has an <a target="blank" href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125237353">interview</a> with <a target="blank" href="https://sarahrose.com/">Sarah Rose</a>, author of <a target="blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670021520?ie=UTF8&tag=mellowmonkcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0670021520"><i>For All the Tea in China</i></a> — a truly fascinating-looking book that I <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/2010/03/two-bookstea-espionage-and-gardens-of.html">mentioned recently</a> — as well as an excerpt of the story.<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125237353"><img src="https://imgur.com/89P6U.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-249343981176870076?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-68260566076052796302010-03-29T16:53:00.000-07:002010-03-29T16:53:00.084-07:00Clever and creative tea packagingCoat hangers, origami, and cigarettes are not items one normally associates with tea, but they can be found in <a target="blank" href="https://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2010/01/27/clever-and-creative-tea-packaging/">these clever ideas</a> for tea packaging.<br /><br><br />Still and all, <a target="blank" href="https://imgur.com/dkn4l">this innovation</a> may be the cleverest of all.<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2010/01/27/clever-and-creative-tea-packaging/"><img src="https://imgur.com/hVtvI.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>After brewing, you may feel pangs of conscience about throwing Mr. Birdie into the recycling bin.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-6826056607605279630?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-12589349211534361052010-03-27T16:45:00.000-07:002010-03-27T16:45:00.067-07:00There will be peace in the flowery valley: two mellow photosI stare long enough<br />and I am in the valley<br />warm green tea in hand<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://www.photosight.ru/photo/alone/3094743/"><img src="https://imgur.com/24TZi.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://crephoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Paintbrush-Columbine-and-Orange-Sneezeweed-Sneffels-Range-Colorado_51087.jpg"><img src="https://imgur.com/vW00t.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-1258934921153436105?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-86904772285441430072010-03-25T16:30:00.000-07:002010-03-25T16:30:00.168-07:00Hiroshige galore!<a target="blank" href="https://www.hiroshige.org.uk/">Here</a> is a large, well-organized repository of woodblock prints by the amazing <a target="blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshige">Hiroshige</a>.<br /><br><br /><a target="_blank" href="https://www.hiroshige.org.uk/hiroshige/tokaido_hoeido/images/13_Numazu.jpg"><img src="https://imgur.com/aq8jM.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>Illustration 13, "Namazu," in the <i><a target="_blank" href="https://www.hiroshige.org.uk/hiroshige/tokaido_hoeido/tokaido_hoeido.htm">Hoeido</a></i> edition of the <i><a target="_blank" href="https://www.hiroshige.org.uk/hiroshige/tokaido/tokaido.htm">Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road</a></i> series.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-8690477228544143007?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-30242274206413149642010-03-23T21:19:00.000-07:002010-03-23T21:43:10.271-07:005 years for O-CHA and a Cali tea field for Imperial<a target="blank" href="https://www.ochateabaronline.com/">O-CHA Teahouse</a> of Greenville, SC is celebrating its <a target="blank" href="https://www.worldteanews.com/index.php/20100323908/Tea-Rooms/Survival-of-the-Smallest.html">5th anniversary</a>, while in California, Roy Fong of Imperial Tea Court has just <a target="blank" href="https://camelliasinensisblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/beginnings-of-tea-farm-in-california.html">acquired a farm</a> where he plans to grow tea.<br /><br><br />Tea in California—I think that is wonderfully bold, and I wish Roy the best of luck.<br /><br><br /><a target="_blank" href="https://blog.alfiegoodrich.com/index.php?showimage=628"><img src="https://imgur.com/ghd4v.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>And now for something completely different: Winter Wonderland in Japan, courtesy of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.alfiegoodrich.com/">Alfie Goodrich</a>.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-3024227420641314964?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-6236197684358857702010-03-21T15:59:00.000-07:002010-03-21T15:59:00.203-07:00Two books—tea espionage and the gardens of JapanRead a <a target="blank" href="https://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EHRP4G0.htm">review</a> of <i><a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670021520?ie=UTF8&tag=mellowmonkcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0670021520">For All the Tea in China</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mellowmonkcom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0670021520" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></i>, which chronicles the tale of an Englishman who stole the secret of tea from China in the 1800s.<br /><br><br />Another book you may find interesting is <i><a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0711229716?ie=UTF8&tag=mellowmonkcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0711229716">The Gardens of Japan</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mellowmonkcom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0711229716" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></i>, which is reviewed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/7367368/The-Gardens-of-Japan-earthly-paradise.html">here</a>.<br /><br><br /><a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0711229716?ie=UTF8&tag=mellowmonkcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0711229716"><img src="https://imgur.com/oZFUB.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>A landscape at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/e/index.html">Adachi Museum of Art</a>, which is one of the many featured in <i>The Gardens of Japan</i>.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-623619768435885770?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-12604348205289128082010-03-19T17:11:00.000-07:002010-03-19T17:11:00.032-07:00Tea fields surrounded by the Mt. Aso caldera<a target="blank" href="https://img715.imageshack.us/img715/5971/teafieldgairinzan.jpg"><img src="https://imgur.com/Kmtim.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>In the background is Gairinzan, which <a target="_blank" "https://imgur.com/Kmtim.jpg">means</a> literally "outer rim mountains," as in the outer rim of a crater. Technically speaking, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/labels/Aso.html">Aso valley</a> is a <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldera">caldera</a>, not a crater. In fact, the area's volcanic soil is one of the secrets of its delicious <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/ourTea.htm">green tea</a>.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-1260434820528912808?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-63758719038658674282010-03-17T16:00:00.000-07:002010-03-17T16:00:00.693-07:00The spring tea forecast—looking good!Our tea artisans in <a target="blank" href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/labels/Aso.html">Aso</a> report that the winter there was a typical one climate-wise, and the tea plants are emerging from their dorman period in excellent condition—healthy, vibrant, and ready to yield up their succulent leaves for us soon.<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://img130.imageshack.us/img130/4148/fieldandnekodake.jpg"><img src="https://imgur.com/6dQcX.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>That's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21812746@N00/4152031390/">Nekodake</a> in the background.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-6375871903865867428?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-80565085052938197312010-03-15T17:33:00.000-07:002010-03-15T17:33:00.284-07:00Happiness and the two selvesWhat your in-the-moment self considers happiness is entirely different from how your reflective self defines as happiness. The latter decides whether you consciously feel satisfied with your life, but it’s the former that determines whether you are truly happy deep down.<br /><br><br />That is the conclusion that Daniel Kahneman <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgRlrBl-7Yg">suggests</a> from his research into how we can feel very differently about an event when looking back than how we actually felt while experiencing the event as it happened.<br /><br><br />For instance, have you ever looked back fondly on some past event or past era in your life and thought that you were happy but didn’t realize it at the time? That you wish you had lived more thoroughly?<br /><br><br />Conversely, have you ever enjoyed an experience but then looked back on it, focused on some negative aspect, and then begun thinking of that formerly “good time” as a bad time?<br /><br><br />This is what Nobel laureate <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman">Kahneman</a> calls the conflict between the “experiencing self” and the “remembering self.”<br /><br><br />This certainly dovetails with the concept of mindfulness—focusing on the here and now—which is a fundamental part of the Philosophy of Tea. In other words, if our in-the-moment self is the one who truly determines our happiness, then would not focusing on the here-and-now as much as possible make us happier? <br /><br><br />This is something worth contemplating over a cup of green tea—or would that not be in the moment?<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://www.nadula.info/images/Wallpapers/NatureWide/Double%20Rainbow%20Over%20Kauai,%20Hawaii.jpg"><img src="https://imgur.com/jGdxY.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>You do not need to be in a place like this to be completely in the moment, although it definitely helps.</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-8056508505293819731?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737895.post-65421773692980465252010-03-13T20:16:00.000-08:002010-03-13T20:16:01.926-08:00Memoirs of a Secret EmpirePart of the PBS series <a target="blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/empires/"><i>Empires</i></a>, the three-part "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001KNHSQ?ie=UTF8&tag=mellowmonkcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0001KNHSQ">Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mellowmonkcom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0001KNHSQ" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" focuses on the rise and fall of the Tokugawa shogunate.<br /><br><br />Part 3, "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPFKIIBTOts">The Return of the Barbarians,</a>" chronicles how the country's reluctant opening to foreigners revealed the shogunate's — and the nation's — technological backwardness, eventually leading to the shogun's overthrow and the beginning of Japanese modernization.<br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPFKIIBTOts"><img src="https://imgur.com/5TiSU.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br><br /><a target="blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPFKIIBTOts"><img src="https://imgur.com/FyTI3.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><strong><small>Re-enactment scenes from part 3, "Return of the Barbarians."</small></strong><br /><br><br />—Mellow Monk<br /><p><br /><a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/atom.xml" title="Subscribe to my feed, Mellow Monk's Green Tea Blog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">blog feed</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mellowmonk">facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/press.htm#reviews">reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm">teas</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mellowmonk">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mellowmonkgreentea">videos</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7737895-6542177369298046525?l=www.mellowmonk.com%2Fblog.htm' alt='' /></div>Mellow Monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10598551232550837532noreply@blogger.com0