A subscriber told me that he never clicks on my post links. If you’re like him, I invite you to go back and click on the links (they’re usually underlined or highlighted) and then open them in a new window. I find that these links are the most interesting parts of my posts.
Camellia Sinensis is a very charming café in the Latin Quarters of Montreal
where you can buy lovely tea ware as well as teas from all over the
world.
What is interesting about this Tea Salon and Boutique is that it is also a tea school, offering a variety of courses on teas.
One of them is the Japanese tea ceremony.
In this ceremony you learn the procedures and etiquette of preparing a simple bowl of tea, a tradition attached to Zen Buddhism.
Mastering the art of Japanese tea is not to be taken lightly – to become a master it takes five years.
You might already know that It is a sign of respect to slurp your tea, especially the last sip.
It is a way of saying thank you.
“Noisily drinking the last of the tea means that the guest has enjoyed it,” says Shirai Yayoi, a tea master for over 50 years.
So, if your date slurps, don’t be so quick to judge. He or she might just be a tea drinking master.
By now, the health benefits of green tea are well known. Based on conclusions reached by Japanese doctors in a study conducted in Shizuka, Japan, green tea consumption is associated with reduced mortality from all causes, and cardiovascular disease.
This study also suggests that green tea could have protective effects against colorectal cancer.
According to Lao Tzu, “Tea is the elixir of life.”
Now, isn’t that the purpose of a good first date…to keep it alive?
Carol Balawyder 
I PERSONALY LOVE TEA, OWN A GOOD NUMBER OF TEAPOTS OF ALL TYPES, BUT IF I MAY ADD, GREEN TEA IS EXELLENT, BUT LETS NOT FORGET WHITE TEA AND JAMAICAN RED TEA, THESE ARE THE VERY VERY BEST, AND ARE ALSO GREAT FOR YOUR HEALTH.. ALSO MACHA TEA.. NOW THAT IS SPECIAL..
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I MADE A SPELLING MISTAKE, THE LATER TEA NAME IS MATCHA..
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Very funny, the part about not judging a man who slurps his tea ….because he could be a master!
Most men I met preferred coffee to tea, so sometimes you need to meet in a place that has both (though the experience of sipping tea together, especially in the environment you describe, would be wonderful).
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As a tea devotée, I especially enjoyed this piece, Carol. I hadn’t known about the slurping, though :). Going to a tea salon would be a wonderful first, or five hundredth, date–with someone else or alone. A votre santé, xo
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Oh, I like the idea of a date alone in a tea salon. 🙂
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I enjoyed reading this date suggestion, Carol. I like at the end of each post you say or ask a pertinent question. It uses the subject of your date, Tea in this post, and how it enhances love and relationships. You are so creative and original! 🙂
Art and architecture post was another fantastic suggestion, Carol.
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