When we encounter any pleasure or tenderness in our life, we cherish that and rejoice. Then we make the wish that others could also experience this delight or this relief. ~ Pema Chödrön
The Encounter
My grandmothers introduced me to the pleasures of tea at a very early age. Using fresh cinnamon sticks, Grandma Lala would brew a sweetened pot of té de canela (cinnamon tea) and serve it to me in a small tin cup. While hers was not a true tea, it was the beginning of my love for tea. Grandma Setsuko would allow me to sip from her o-cha (green tea). I found it to be the bitter opposite of the sugary cinnamon tea, and yet as I grew older, it became my favorite.
Both experiences provided the pleasure and tenderness that tea provides, and ultimately, the foundation for my own cherished tea rituals and traditions.
The Wish
The pleasures of preparing and drinking tea are well known for providing individuals with their own private sanctuary, with time for reflection and nourishment of one’s innermost emotional well being, thereby creating comforting and peaceful moments. One can never know enough about tea. Through Teaching Tea I hope to continue learning about tea, as well as sharing the tea experience with as many people as possible.
On August 12, 2008 I was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer. I relied on my daily tea ritual for relief from the physical as well as emotional effects of cancer and the ensuing chemotherapy treatments. A portion of Teaching Tea proceeds will benefit the Big Island chapter of the American Cancer Society.
Special thanks to Anne Evans, my wonderful tea mentor in Sacramento, CA for passing on her extensive tea knowledge and business model.
About JoAnn
Aloha fellow tea lovers! My name is JoAnn Kawamura Aguirre and I’m a tea educator in my new life! I’m excited about the growing interest and promise in loose leaf teas and especially in native-grown and processed Hawaiian tea on the Big Island. I liken this to the same promise my father and his parents experienced on the sugar plantations of days past.
I’m certified by the Specialty Tea Institute, a division of the Tea Association of the USA, Inc. (teausa.org), and I’ve also enhanced my tea education through numerous venues associated with promoting the awareness and appreciation of tea.
Tea has brought me so much adventure and pleasure during my life. I have had fun organizing and hosting tea-related events such as a 10-year educational scholarship tea program and tea parties for brides, babies, holidays and weddings. I am an engaging, energetic and experienced speaker with more than 20 years of teaching and administrative experience at the intermediate, high school and university levels. I hold a doctoral degree in educational leadership and administration from the University of California (UCI/UCLA). It is my extensive educational background that I rely on to share my joy for all things tea!