Hiking around tea plantations (种植园) in China. John Smagula used to carry his instant coffee flask (瓶). But something happened one day switched his faith from the dark, strong coffee the fine, refreshing fragrance of green tea.
There came turning point that motivated him to taste and test Chinese tea, and more (deep) explore Chinese tea culture. "I would go to a tea store and hear the stories behind each tea, It's interesting and (provide) the cultural background," he said.
Smagula recalled (connect) different types of tea with different impressions of the brew (煮; 泡) using his imagination. "It is a way of connecting with distant places in a meaningful way, the people who were there, I remember those experiences and they give me a (great) appreciation for the tea."
"There's something about that environment where we have exchange of ideas, which will then allow us (cross) our national boundaries and eventually create a dialogue. It has been a great way of bringing down (wall) and barriers that may have existed," Smagula said.
