Drinking tea has been a Chinese tradition for a long time. A pot of tea can be enjoyed by someone alone, and can also be shared with several people together for social contact. Some procedures and methods of making tea have been fixed and developed into a Tea Ceremony named Gongfu tea. From preparing tea, serving tea to drinking tea, it can bring people peace and relaxation. Drinking tea also is my family tradition. I stick to the tradition even after moving to the US. I have a tea set in my new home in NY. I often use it to serve tea for my husband and son. The tea set is made of white china decorated with blue handwrite, including a pot named Gaiwan, three small tea-cups and a round tea tray. I like to use Gaiwan making tea, because it’s good for the tea leaves to unfurl and flavor out. The fragrance of tea is natural and light, it comes out slowly with a few times brewed. The process is a good time to chat. When I use the tea set served for my family, we sit around the tea table while chatting and drinking tea, and the tea scent slowly fills the room. It’s the happy hour of my family.

The tea set also let me remember the past time in my country. At that time, I often drank tea with my big family, including my parents and brothers. There is a big tea set for us in my parents’ home. My parents are very welcoming to us to go home. When we come back on weekend or holiday, they always prepared the good tea for us advance. Everyone sits together in the living room with drinking tea and chatting, we shared not only tea also thinking and life. That was the happy hour has gone.

– J

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant