莫急: Because I care, I rushed
On aging and the timelessness of an unhurried approach
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My meditation this morning was anything but calm.
I was eager to get on with today, complete house chores, start writing and expand on some ideas I have been stewing. Thankfully, after a 1/2 hour of silent sitting, absorbing all that is to take in - cool calmness of the rain, peaceful sound of the chirping birds, living pulse of Toji temple from its incense, thoughts that came and left, I felt a tad more composed.
Initially, I was hoping to write about the surprising similarities I find between Kyoto and Kathmandu, from their stunning chariot parades to unique cafe culture (Well, we’ll save that one for a future post)!
Decidedly, I am detouring off a slight tangent for this blog piece today.
The Idea of Not Rushing
When it comes to things I am interested in OR once I set my mind to somethings, I have a tendency to rush. It comes from a place of care, from a genuine eagerness to dive deeper into it before the ripe moment vanishes.
Of the 2 years that I have been living in Kyoto, I have continued to be intrigued by this city’s strong valuing of not rushing 莫急. Lately, people I’ve came across spoke about it and so this idea is fresh in my radar.
It is very unlike what I was used to growing up as a Malaysian Chinese. The inherent business acumen, wanting to get out of poverty, and the strong Chinese influence of ‘scale it til you make it’, running intensely to turn things flashy and profitable. Hurry, don’t linger, and be quick about it.
Here in Kyoto, they take the opposite stance it seems. I’ve touched on this briefly in my very first post.
Tea, Aging, Continuity
My progress of learning the Japanese language has been rather slow and gradual. But wanting to delve deeper into Japan’s spirituality and culture is what drives me in learning Nihongo. Hopefully, I will get to a more proficient place someday.
So far and fortunately, I have been able to communicate in Mandarin with some interesting Japanese tea people who specializes in Chinese teas.
It’s good if the tea turns a profit, but it’s also okay if it doesn’t. - 7T+ in Chagocoro’s interview
I met Kenji Nakano, founder of 7T+, during my recent visit. 7T+ is a charming cozy tea place in Kyoto selling a wide array of teas from China, Taiwan, Japan. His love for tea shines through in our conversation, albeit brief since there were other customers.
He was genuine in his sharing so I will make return visits to try his recommended black tea from Shizuoka and hear more of his thoughts on Japanese teas.
Aging is an important concept in Chinese teas. Unlike Japanese green teas which prioritizes first flush, the freshest and newest teas to reflect seasonal changes.
Ironically, Kyoto businesses do not focus on newness given its ‘keep small, remain steady, long-term orientation’. Their goal is not to go after the trendiest, nor to be the biggest at scale then sell for profit. Rather, it operates on the sake of maintaining continuity, aging gracefully, passing the baton to the next generations overtime.
Aged teas 陈茶 reveal complex and interesting characteristics - essentially, further drawing out the essence of what makes tea striking in the first place. Hence a high-quality tea will churn out to be better teas when aged.
Pu’er comes to mind for aged teas. And the same for white teas, Wuyi oolong rock teas, Guang Dong dancong oolong teas, all of which are capable of developing into beautifully aged characters.
Aged Pu’er
“No need to hurry” is the repeated advice I learned from Masataka Fujimoto, Pu’Er Tea Expert with a decade of experience living in China. The oldest Pu’er he has tried is a 1940s vintage brew. See his Instagram here.
Throughout the morning, we sipped and discussed aged teas - from tasting water at its purest, waking up tea leaves, sourcing water, fermentation process, health properties of teas, storage, tea wares, to comparing various aged teas. But it was most fascinating to hear his lived experience and journey into tea since the 2000s.
He is passionate and deeply knowledgeable about teas, with a specialization in Pu’er 普洱, having lived and farmed tea leaves in Xixuang Banna 西双版纳 in Yunnan 云南.
Natural aging in tea is important to transform complex and unique elements in tea overtime. Aging is also a key factor in defining tea pricing. In the world of tea, time is the prize.
So how does one age gracefully?
This concept of aging in tea naturally makes me wonder how I can adapt it towards living and aging gracefully.
I just saw a quote by Kevin Kelly this morning: “Your 20s are the perfect time to do a few things that are unusual, weird, bold, risky, unexplainable, crazy, unprofitable, and look nothing like success.”
It’s true. I did that - living dorm to dorm, from one uncertainty to the next, meeting different people, the crazy adventures of working and living in multiple countries with no regrets.
And I also think getting into the ‘unprofitable and look nothing like success’ endeavor is an ongoing journey that does not have to be solely confined to our youthful years.
It is mind-boggling that our current society is moulding an anxious middle-age generation who struggle about, juggling in between work, family priorities, and various responsibilities. With no time for taking things slow, enjoying activities for the sake of pleasure and hobbies, rather than the pursuit of money-making and status-gratification.
Fujimoto san spends at least 30 minutes to heat water in his iron kettle through a charcoal fire stove. I guess, why the hurry if you want to enjoy a good cup of tea.
I am just so thankful that tea came into my life this year and hope it continues to develop into an everlasting affection - not one that runs out of steam but with more interesting and flavorful notes to look forward to overtime.
Love the expression of "aging in tea." I like white tea and Pu'er a lot, especially drinking them with my grandma and father. Tea seems to have a magic power to make you slow down and take things easily.
Hello! :) The idea of not rushing is very pertinent in my life right now. In Hong Kong, not rushing is equated to being slow and sometimes, deliberately making an effort not to rush is like an act of rebellion itself, a force I need to fight against. It must be lovely to stay in an environment where it’s revered! Also, the next time I come to Kyoto I’ll definitely be checking out the tea at Nakano-san’s shop!