The 3rd Tea and Coffee International Symposium, Chiang Mai

I just returned from a meditation retreat a couple days ago, enjoyed my tea art and Qi Gong practices, and attended the Tea and Coffee International Symposium today. I met Mr. Kenneth, the owner of Monsoon Tea; he was the guest speaker on stage, I am excited to see him again after New Year and glad more people can hear his voice about protecting tea trees and the reforestation program. A brief meeting with Ph.D. Lee Jolliffe, the editor of several tea and coffee books. 

Coffee and tea are both beverages that unite and connect people and cultures. They are two of the three largest beverages in the world. Both coffee and tea contain caffeine. It is called caffeine in coffee and theophylline in tea. Therefore, both of them can achieve a certain refreshing effect. In addition, caffeine has many functions. So when you search for the efficacy of coffee and tea, there are amazing similarities between them in many aspects, and coffee and tea both can bring people together. 

I don't drink coffee very often; I can count the number of times I drink it in a year on one finger. But I began learning more about coffee through my interest in coca today. I love chocolate and drinking cocoa. They shared with me their spirit of sustainability and love for the land was shared by other indigenous farmers, be it fruits and vegetables or coffee and tea.

What is truly important, beyond the crop, is our intention and stewardship of this beautiful land and planet we coexist on. The question becomes not what we can consume but rather what we can give back.