秋 Autumn

‘佈朗山普洱’

 ‘Pu‘er from Bulang Mountain’

 

  春天時收到老師寄來的佈朗山普洱茶磚，2008年的老磚壓得很緊實，看起來有點固執。初試茶時它濃厚複雜的香氣和強烈滋味讓我覺得這茶非常霸道，讓人難以親近。

  最近工作與雜事的堆積以及蠢蠢欲動做點什麼的浮躁心情，讓我在麵對陳放了七年的老茶磚時顯得有些天真，有些心不在焉。我經常泡泡這款茶，感到受挫，於是又不耐煩的放下。就這樣來回的擱置了幾個月，轉眼已到秋天。

  今天陰，我十分想要喝點口感厚重滋味樸實的茶。於是終於又拿出這包普洱來泡泡。

  In spring, a parcel arrived from my teacher - inside, a tightly compressed Pu'er tea from Bulang mountain, pressed in 2008, aged well.

  The first brew was overpowering: bold aroma, intense flavor - too domineering to feel close to.  

  That season, my life was cluttered. I met this Pu'er with a scattered mind, naive and unready. I brew it, felt frustrated, then impatiently set it aside. So the tea remained waiting, and I kept delaying. By the time I noticed, it was already autumn.

  Today is a cloudy day, I find myself craved something earthy and full-bodied. So I reached for this Bulang Pu’er again. 

 

  這段時間我跟很多朋友討論茶，討論泡茶技巧也討論茶文化。我開始觀察不同文化以及不同人群對茶的理解和呈現。我的一些朋友十分喜歡草藥學，所以茶帶來的體感和中醫理論對他們來説非常重要，另一些朋友喜歡冥想和呼吸法，所以他們把練茶當修行。當然我無需強調泡茶的基本 - 茶湯。

  所以，茶包含了太多東西，很複雜，也很有趣。

  至於我呢，我是先愛上器物再學習茶的。好玩兒的是，我髮現會喝茶的陶藝家做出來的茶器是不一樣的。也許是因爲他們懂茶，也會根據自己喜歡的茶的口味去選泥料，設計茶壺形狀，所以用他們的壺泡出來的茶更好喝。

  那時我經常覺得很睏惑，我髮現有的陶藝家根本不在乎茶湯的味道隻追求好看的視覺，有的陶藝家卻需要緩慢的摸索出合適的泥土和工藝。於是我就這麼糊裡糊塗的開始學習茶和陶瓷了。這些年我學習泥土，原石，草木灰，矽砂等，對陶瓷的了解倒是比茶多得多。我問自己，我到底想泡一盃怎樣的茶，又想做一個什麼樣的茶壺呢？

  I had many conversations with friends about tea lately - brewing techniques, tea culture and its long history. I started noticing different intentions and ways people approach tea. Some of my friends are into herbal medicine, so they value the physical sensation of tea and its connection to Chinese medicine. Others are drawn to meditation and breathwork, seeing tea as a part of their spiritual practice. And of course, I don't need to mention the fundamental thing for countless tea brewers - the tea soup. Tea encompasses so much, each cup holds a world.

  For me, my tea journey began with the love of ceramics. And curiously, I found that potters who truly knows tea made their teaware differently. Perhaps it is because they study tea - so they choose their clay and the shape of teapot accordingly. As expected, their teapot simply makes better tea.

  Back then, I was often confused. There are potters cared only for the visual presents of their tea wares. And there are other potters spent years searching for the right clay, the right craft, to brew the tea they love. And so, without much intention, I stumbled into both tea and ceramics. Over the years I studied ash, metals, feldspar, silica...to be honest, I now understand clay more than I do tea. But it made me asking myself: what kind of tea do I want to brew? And what kind of teapot do I want to make for it? 

  今天我泡這盃普洱的時候，我開始意識到對我來説最重要的是這盃茶是一盃幹淨且誠實的茶。這些年我越來越強烈的覺得，茶是沒有邊界沒有局限的。它曾是山上的一片葉子，它如今在我手裡也還是山上的那片葉子。以這樣的心態，我才能安心泡我的茶。

  至於茶器的材料，那隻能去試驗了吧。我想一個真正會泡茶的人會挑選出最適合茶器的茶葉。

  回到今天泡的這盃普洱，它的茶湯依然很霸道。但這樣挺好，我反而喜歡它的霸道了。

  練茶就是練心，來日方長。

  As I brew this Pu'er today, I begin to realize what matters most to me is - that the tea I brew is clean and honest. I have come to feel that tea has no borders and no limits. It was once a leaf on the tree, now in my hands, it still is. With this in mind, I can brew in peace. 

  As for tea ware materials, I know I have to take my time to experiments. And, a true tea brewer will choose the right tea leaves for my pot.

  Today, my tea soup of this aged Bulang Pu'er is still intense - still domineering. But I do like it now. 

  To practice tea is to cultivate the heart, Lai Ri Fang Chang. 

  感謝你的閱讀，秋天愉快。

  Thanks for your reading and I hope you enjoy the Autumn. 

copyright by ciwacha