From the president: Thank you for supporting TAO!
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Dear fellow TAO-ers,
Our TAO newsletter is published quarterly, updating you on future events and what happened in the past with us. If you haven't had a chance to come explore TAO, read through the newsletter and I'm sure you'll be surprised at the wide range of things we do and how awesome and fun TAO really is :] This quarter is actually our very first quarter at UC Irvine! It was quite a journey for TAO cabinet members to put the club together, and if it weren't for YOU, we won't be what we are. Thank you SO MUCH for the support. We had a blast this quarter and we hope you continue to stick around, bring more friends with you and grow with us. Of course, if you haven't been to any TAO events yet, we're looking forward to meeting you!
Love,
Amy
Fall Quarter Spotlight on Tea-A-O Workshop
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On November 19th, 2009 TAOers took the T1 class with tea master Thomas Shu and his wife Josephine Pan. Many were skeptical about how enjoyable this tea workshop would be, but those who came clearly enjoyed themselves. We all became Tea Masters that day after learning how to properly drink Tea, the Taiwanese way.
There were four very lucky volunteers that were able to try some of the most expensive, rarest, and tastiest teas from around the world.
One of these volunteers was Yuko, an exchange student from Japan; she had the Oriental Beauty, the most expensive tea from Taiwan.
“I learned a lot from the tea workshop. I didn’t know there is tea tasting, like wine, it’s pretty deep!
The temperature of water, pouring the hot water, waiting for the leaves to sit – the whole process has reason and is necessary to make the tea taste terrific.”
One of the other volunteers, David Cheng, a first year, had the aged oolong tea which was about 20 years old.
“It was pretty cool; I didn’t know there was that much to learn about tea. I didn’t know you can tell what kind of tea it is by the color of the tea leaves.
For every tea, there is a certain way to pour the water, whether the tea leaves are straight or curled up determines if the water should be poured higher or lower.
You can also tell what kind of a person someone is by how they pour the water, some pour it quickly and some pour it slowly.”
Overall this was an amazing TAO event where we second generation Taiwanese Americans were able to get in touch with our cultural roots. We had over 60 people become tea masters, learning how to properly drink tea, the Taiwanese way. From TAO, we deeply appreciate the tea master and his wife coming to teach us about tea and Taiwan.
Come out to our General Meetings and get informed!
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What is TAO? Who are We?
We are a student-run organization based in UCI (University of California, Irvine) in cozy Southern California. People describe us as fun, spontaneous, informative, and adventurous. We have events that are truly one-of-a-kind (i.e. TEA-A-O Workshop), we have an outstanding board and staff, but most of all, we pride ourselves in our members! People from all around come to visit our club, ranging from UCLA, UCSD, UCR, and even 1st and 1.5 gen people coming out! We generally have weekly events, with general meetings beforehand…
Weekly Meetings include:
- Special interviews with Taiwanese-American figures (e.g. HoChie Tsai!)
- Learning about local and distant Taiwanese American organizations (TACL, NATMA, NATWA, etc.)
- Fun, interactive, enjoyable activities (watching How-To videos, making Taiwanese toys, humorous comedians-KevJumba!)
But most of all, meetings always precede new and exciting events! Take a look at some of our past meetings and events:
- Mid-Autumn Festival (moon cakes! =]) + Balloon Ride in the OC!
- Introduction to Families + Taiwanese Breakfast! Fan Tuan, Dou Jiang, Shao Bing, You Tiao, Mi Jiang, Dan Bing GALORE (pictured below)
- How to make boba milk tea by TAO TV! Afterwards: KTV @ Plush in Diamond Jamboree
Great Food + Great People = TAO UCI
Interested in becoming a TAO Staffer? Apply now!
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Do you want to become more involved with TAO? Do you want to be a part of a team of fun, creative, and passionate people? Do you have skills and talents to contribute, and awesome ideas you want to make a reality? Apply to be a TAO staffer!
We are looking for dedicated, loyal, and enthusiastic TAO-ers of freshman, sophomore, or junior standing who can help TAO grow and expand in the upcoming quarters and years.
Download the application HERE! Please complete and submit it as soon as possible.
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