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老桑说
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希望你可以读读《蜂鸟巷茶女孩》这部小说。你将会进一步了解普洱茶，探索阿卡族的独特文化，并且体验在南加州的华人的生活状态——当然，还能够练习英语。我相信你会像我一样，在读完这本书后，会迫不及待地想煮一壶普洱茶尝尝，并计划前往云南旅行！
巧合
故事
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「 朋友，你好，我是老桑。 」
南糯山茶园风光
普洱茶是中国六大茶类之一，你能快速告诉我另外五种茶类是哪五种吗？
点击下方空白区域查看答案
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白茶、绿茶、黄茶、乌龙茶和红茶，第六类则是黑茶，也就是普洱茶隶属的茶类。
黑茶是发酵后的茶叶，普洱茶则是产自云南的一种黑茶。
普洱茶成名已久，许多茶叶爱好者一直在收集普洱茶的茶饼。一些专家则更甚，他们只对来自特定村落种植、特定季节收获的茶感兴趣。有些人喜欢生普，而有些人喜欢熟普。于我而言，我两种都很喜爱，夏天喝生普，冬天则喝熟普。
普洱茶
2001年，在我第一次去西双版纳的时候，我打好背包从景洪一路走到猛龙镇，穿过茶场和橡胶树种植园。我住在曼栋村的一家村民的房子里，以便更好地了解当地傣族的特色文化。后来我又参加了一个傣族婚礼，在田野里散步，并且喝了很多茶！
在那时，我从来没有想过普洱茶会在之后变得如此出名。我真的后悔当时没有收藏几块茶饼，不然留到现在一定价值连城，是一笔极好的投资！
雷莲达与版纳茶庄
普洱茶专家雷莲达是我的好朋友。我最近去了她在洛杉矶附近的家中拜访，和她愉快地谈论了她师从茶叶大师陈国义的有趣经历，以及她在美国的普洱茶业务。她的公司版纳茶庄（可点击文末【阅读原文】查看）是美国最知名的普洱茶供应商之一。
我建议大家可以在了解普洱茶的过程中提高自身的英文水平。在我之前的文章《提高英语的五个方法》中，我提到大家可以通过阅读英文小说原著来改善自己的阅读兴趣、提高英文水平，你可以先从儿童读物开始，比如《夏洛特的网》，循序渐进。
当然，你也可以阅读那些关于中国文化的英文小说。因为你已经对其中涉及到的一些背景知识有所了解，所以书中英文内容可能更容易理解。
雷莲达的朋友，作家Lisa See （邝丽莎）曾写了很多中国主题的小说。她写的故事《Snow Flower and the Secret Fan》（雪花秘扇）在中国和美国都非常流行，也被翻拍成了电影。此外，她最新的一部小说《The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane》（蜂鸟巷茶女孩）是我读过的第一本以普洱茶为主题的小说，令人印象非常深刻。
作家—邝丽莎
《茶女孩》这部小说围绕着云南勐海县的阿卡族女孩Li-Yan（李燕）展开。她在南糯山的一个生产古树普洱茶的村庄长大。这个故事通过介绍阿卡族（哈尼族的一个分支）丰富多彩的信仰与习俗，向读者们展示了普洱茶从古至今一直是茶文化的精髓和珍宝。
李燕在当地一个农村学校上学，而且并没有参加高考。在经历了曲曲折折的生活后，26岁的她成功加入了云南农业大学的普洱茶学院。随着她的不懈努力，后来她成为了广州的一名茶叶企业家，并嫁给了一位商人，搬到离洛杉矶不远的加利福尼亚州的帕萨迪纳。
在进入大学之前，李燕曾有一个被她抛弃的私生女，后来她的女儿被一个美国家庭收养，改名为海莉·戴维斯，并在帕萨迪纳长大。然而她们并不知道彼此就是邻居，李燕和海莉不断地相互寻觅。最终，他们在一个最意想不到的，也是最具有象征性的地方重聚。
南糯山的村庄
在小说中，李燕的个人发展始终与普洱茶市场的发展同步。起初，茶叶是她的文化教养的一部分，是阿卡族传统的象征。她说：, “I grew up learning that rice was to nourish and tea was to heal. Now I understand that tea is also to connect and dream.” （“我以前只知道米饭养人、茶叶愈人，现在我明白了，茶也是梦想和传承。”）
正如她所说，普洱茶是你与朋友的连接，是你通向梦想的桥梁。
我真的非常喜欢这部小说，在这里我想与你们分享一些我从中收获的启发。
蜂鸟巷茶女孩
01
/ “你不爱茶，便永远也做不出好茶” /
我经常被人问到：“泡茶的最佳方法是什么？”
实际上，在我参加的茶道培训中，我的确了解到一些关于泡茶的技巧。比如不同的茶需要不同的冲泡技术才能最好地发挥其口味。这些技巧在一定程度上是科学的，正如水温的调整和容器的选择。
除此之外，你也需要根据茶种类的不同来进行判断。正如我在北京东方国艺文化培训中心的熊智慧老师教我的那样，“要看茶泡茶”。
当然，由于茶文化的本质是一种精神，所以关于泡茶的技巧还有更多。在我多年与茶打交道的过程中，我认为对茶的热爱是成为一名出色的茶艺师最重要的特征。这些茶艺师们热爱茶叶、茶艺和茶文化，这些对茶的热爱最终会转化成茶叶市场上的精品。
在这部小说中，李燕的茶叶老师告诉她：“一定记住，如果你不热爱茶，那么你永远也做不出最好的茶。”
泡一壶好茶
02
/ 为什么要喝普洱茶? /
喝普洱茶对健康的好处是众所周知的。
当李燕在广州芳村茶叶市场开普洱茶叶店时，她有三位老客户经常一起喝茶。在一次对话中，他们各自解释了为什么要喝普洱：
林先生说：“茶叶大师陆羽曾说，茶可以减轻肠胃阻塞，缓解情绪忧郁，消除脑部疼痛、眼睛刺痛和关节肿胀。他说茶就像是天上的甘露，自然且美好。”
周先生说：“茶能够帮助我们高效思考，减少瞌睡，行走轻便，明目养神。”
关先生补充说：“普洱茶是传统中医的一部分，它可以提高免疫力，平衡人体体温的高低，降低血压和血糖，还能帮助消除宿醉，预防肿瘤。”
众所周知，邝丽莎对她自己的每部小说都会进行非常细致的研究。在这部小说中，她通过这三个角色的对话将普洱茶的这些好处表现了出来。
事实上，她曾专门拜访雷莲达，并在雷莲达的导引下在普洱地区进行了十分深入的研究考察，为这部小说做好充分的研究准备。
雷莲达与邝丽莎
03
/学习一门外语，就像开辟一种新的生活方式/
李燕从小一直讲阿卡族的语言，并在一个农村的单间学舍上学。学校的张老师是从北京被分配来的，是这个村子里唯一的老师。张老师逐渐教李燕学会了说普通话，后来李燕又学习了英文作为第三语言。
在学校的时候，张老师经常鼓励李燕要好好学习，他对李燕说：“学习一门外语，就像开辟一种新的生活方式。”通过学习说普通话，李燕得以继续深入学习，并且在中国建立自己的企业。通过学习英语，她又有能力将业务全球化，并将普洱茶引入世界。
出于相同的原因，我经常鼓励我的学生积极学习外语。这不仅不仅让你拓展思路，享受更加丰富多彩的人生经历，也能够为你的职业发展和文化交流提供更为广阔的平台。
雷莲达与纽约茶专家Jeni Dodd
04
/ 没有巧合，故事便是不会发生 /
“不是巧合，也不是故事”是一个阿卡族的谚语，寓意是每一个好故事必然有一些巧合的元素。
在《蜂鸟巷茶女孩》小说中，有很多精巧的巧合推动着整个故事剧情发展。比如，海莉被帕萨迪纳的一个家庭收养，而后来李燕又恰好搬到相同的地方。
同样，我们的人生都会经历各种各样的巧合。正如我们常常说一些事情meant to be （就是缘分）。举个例子，当我身边发生一些非常偶然的事情时，比如在地铁上碰到一个失联已久的朋友，或者书店里偶遇一个曾经的学生，我都会思考这种不期而遇背后是否会有更深的意义。
无论哪种方式，巧合往往会给我们的生活带来愉快。它们可以创造巧妙的故事，也在提醒着我们，我们正在创造更加伟大的故事。生活中的巧合，往往也正是可以用来书写你的故事的机会。
南糯山的采茶女
My friend，我真的希望你可以读读《蜂鸟巷茶女孩》这部小说。
你将会进一步了解普洱茶，探索阿卡族的独特文化，并且体验在南加州的华人的生活状态——当然，还能够练习英语。我相信你会像我一样，在读完这本书后，会迫不及待地想煮一壶普洱茶尝尝，并计划前往云南旅行！
正如李燕的老师所说：“外面的人总是向往来到云南，是因为这里街巷宁静，空气清新，生活安宁。所有这些，都是普洱茶所带来的文化和价值。”
南糯山的普洱茶
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谢谢收看《老桑说》。
给你启发，激励你上进，陪伴你坚持。
敬请期待下一集。
No coincidence, no story
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「 Hello, my friend,
I’m John Smagula.」
Pu’er tea is one of the six basic types of Chinese tea. Quick…can you tell me the other five?!
White, green, yellow, oolong, and black. The sixth type is dark tea, of which Pu’er is one form. Dark teas are fermented, and Pu’er teas are dark teas from Yunnan province.
Pu’er tea has been growing in fame, and tea enthusiasts have been collecting the cakes for years. Many specialists prefer certain teas from certain villages, harvested from specific years. Some prefer raw and others cooked. I like both, drinking raw in the summer and cooked in the winter.
On my first trip to Xishuangbanna in 2001, I backpacked from Jinghong to Menglong County, walking through the tea fields and rubber tree plantations. I stayed with a family in Mandong Village and learned about the Dai Culture. I attended a Dai wedding, walked the fields, and drank lots of tea!
At the time, I had no idea that Pu’er tea would become so popular today. I sure wish I had collected a few cakes back then, as they could have become great investments!
Pu’er Tea Master Linda Louie is a friend of mine. I recently visited with Linda at her home near Los Angeles, and we had a great time talking about her journey studying with Tea Master Vesper Chan as well as her U.S. Pu’er tea business. Her company, Bana Tea Company (see link below), is one of the most well-recognized Pu’er tea vendors in the United States.
Here’s a suggestion to help you learn about Pu’er tea while improving your English. In my post on How to Improve Your English, I suggest reading original novels. You can start with children’s novels, such as Charlotte’s Web, and then work your way up.
You can also read novels in English about Chinese culture. You will already be familiar with some of the background context, so the English may be easier to understand.
Linda’s friend, author Lisa See, has written many novels with Chinese themes. Her story Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is well known in China and the United States, and also has also became a movie. Her most recent novel is The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, the first novel I have ever read that includes Pu’er tea as a central theme.
Tea Girl centers on Li-Yan, a woman from the Akha tribe in Yunnan’s Menghai County. She grows up in a village on Nannuo Mountain that produces ancient tree Pu’er tea. The story relates some vivid examples of Akha (a branch of the Hani) beliefs and traditions, of which tea culture has long been a key part—from well before Pu’er tea became famous.
Li-Yan went to a rural school and never took the college entrance examination. After some heart-wrenching life experiences, at 26-years-old she manages to attend the Pu’er Tea College at Yunnan Agricultural University. She later becomes a tea entrepreneur in Guangzhou, marries a businessman, and moves to Pasadena, California, not far from Los Angeles.
Before college, Li-Yan has a daughter out of wedlock and gives her up. Her daughter is adopted by an American family, becomes Haley Davis, and grows up in Pasadena. Even though they are unaware that they are neighbors, Li-Yan and Haley constantly search for each other, and they finally have a reunion in the most unexpected and symbolic of places.
Li-Yan’s personal development grows alongside the growth of the Pu’er tea market. At first, tea was a part of her cultural upbringing, embodying many Akha traditions. She says, “I grew up learning that rice was to nourish and tea was to heal. Now I understand that tea is also to connect and dream.”
Pu’er tea can be a bridge to connect with friends and access unfulfilled dreams.
I really enjoyed the novel, and here I share with you some of the practical wisdom from the story.
01
/ If you don’t love tea, you can’t make good tea. /
I am often asked, “What’s the best way to brew tea?” In my tea training, we learned that different teas require different brewing techniques to bring out their best flavors. To some extent it is scientific, such as choice of water temperature and steeping vessels.
You also have to exercise judgment, based on the particular tea. As my Beijing tea school director and teacher Xiong Zhihui taught me, you have to study and know each tea before brewing it.
Yet there is more, as there is a spiritual essence to tea culture. In all my years of tea training, I think the love of tea is the most important trait of the best tea masters. They have a love for the leaf, the artistry, and the culture. This passion for tea always leads to the best tea on the market.
In the novel. Li-Yan’s tea master tells her, “Always remember If you don’t love tea, you can’t make good tea.”
02
/ Why drink Pu’er tea? /
The health benefits of drinking Pu’er tea are well known. When Li-Yan opens her store in Guangzhou’s Fangcun Tea Market, she has three regular customers who stop by and drink tea together. In one conversation, they each explain why they drink Pu’er:
Mr. Lin says, “Lu Yu, the great tea master, wrote that tea can alleviate the stoppage of bowels, relieve melancholy, and remove aching of the brain, stinging of the eyes, and swelling of the joints. He said that tea is like the sweetest dew of heaven, so naturally it can only do us good.”
Mr. Chow says, “Tea helps us think quicker, sleep less, move lighter, and see clearer.
Mr. Kwan adds that Pu’er tea is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, saying that it can “boost the immune system, balance the body’s hot and cold temperatures, lower blood pressure and blood sugar, and help melt away hangovers as well as tumors.”
Lisa See is well known for conducting careful research for her novels, and she brought these Pu’er tea benefits to life through these three characters. In fact, as part of her research for this novel, Lisa did an extensive study tour of the Pu’er region, led by our friend Linda Louie.
03
/ To learn a different language is to learn a different way of living /
Li-Yan grew up speaking Akha and learned in a rural, one-room schoolhouse. Teacher Zhang, originally from Beijing and sent to the countryside, was the only teacher and gradually taught her Mandarin. Later on in life, Li-Yan learned English as a third language.
Back in school, Teacher Zhang encouraged Li-Yan in her studies, saying, “To learn a different language is to learn a different way of living.” By learning Mandarin, Li-Yan was able to continue her studies and build a business in China. By studying English, she was able to globalize her business and introduce Pu’er tea to the world.
For this reason, I regularly encourage students to study a foreign language. Not only does it allow you to expand your mind and enjoy a wider variety of life experiences, it also provides a broader platform for professional development and cultural exchange.
04 / No coincidence, no story /
This Akha aphorism, “no coincidence, no story,” implies that there must be some element of coincidence to a good story. In Tea Girl, there are many coincidences that drive the story. That Haley was adopted into a family in Pasadena, where Li-Yan later happened to move later on, is just one.
Likewise, we all experience coincidences in life. We often say that some things are meant to be. For example, when a coincidence occurs, such as running into a long-lost friend on a subway or a former student in a bookstore, I reflect on whether there might be a larger meaning to the encounter.
Either way, coincidences can often be a delightful part of life. They make for great stories and also remind us that we are part of something much larger than ourselves. Use them as an opportunity to reflect upon and write your story.
My friend, I invite you to read The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. You’ll learn about Pu’er tea, explore Akha culture, and experience the lives of Chinese Americans in Southern California—all while practicing your English. And if like me, you’ll finish the book wanting to brew up some Pu’er tea and plan a trip to Yunnan!
As Li-Yan’s teacher says about outsiders, “They long to visit Yunnan, because the streets are quiet, the air is fresh, and the day-to-day life is peaceful. All of that has become embodied in, of all things, Pu’er.”
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Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you.
See you next time.
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老桑说
John Smagula
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