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Saturday, Nov. 9: Pt. Townsend (ad hoc)

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Seattle International District | New Century Tea Gallery

Wet weather and cool temperatures made it challenging to find a comfortable spot with good vantage points in Seattle's International District.  I was sitting under the gazebo at Hing Hay Park when a smiling Buddha behind the storefront window caught my attention.  Near the corner of Maynard and King, I stumbled upon a tea shop called the New Century Tea Gallery.

Inside the shop, massive jars filled with assorted teas line the walls all the way up to ceiling.  I asked the storeowner (Dafe) if I could draw inside and he invited me to sit down at this beautifully carved wooden table. As I sketched, he treated me to a traditional Chinese tea ceremony - sampling various types from green, to jasmine, to oolong, and aged pu-erh.

Two quick watercolor sketches, an education on Chinese tea tradition, and two 1/4-lb bag tea purchases...
Not bad for a rainy Sunday afternoon.



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