Testimonials about "TOST" Programs

From 2017 TOST:

ADAMSON, Simone
ALEIDAN, Ahmad
ANDERSON, Chris
HAYDON, Chris
PEDROZA, Fabio
RAZZALL, Rebecca
RICHARDS, Paul
RIJAL, Sushil
SMITH, Marisa
STACY, Tania

 
From 2016 TOST:

BENSON, John
BENSON, Lynn
COWAN, Wesley
CROW, Diana
GOO, Byron
GREENFIELD, Jonathan
HAMMOND, Suzette
NELSON, Ryan
PERRYMAN, Andrew
LO, Shih-Hung
Mr. Lin (Lin Wang Tea)
Johnny Tu (HGT)
Norman Shu (SKT)
Josephine Pan 
Thomas Shu
 
From the Group of 2014 TOST 

Susan Kilian
Eric Bidault
Lisa Baughman
Tania Stacey
Jeni Dodd
Lynn Benson
Victoria Boyert
Patti Harrison
Bob Krul
Sonny Manzo
Jerry Liu
Aya Lin
Shih-Hung Lo

From the Group of 2013 TOST 
Chris Anderson  
Robert Comins
Wendy Ho  
Susan Kilian
Nancy Lisicki 
Thomas Lisicki 
Julia Matson 
Terry Morrison 
Jeanne Sielaff 
Tania Stacey 
William Wertheim 
Robert Williford

From the Group of 2012 TOST

Chris Anderson
Robin Baker   (IMS, Ltd.)
Robert Boewe   (The Spice Merchant)
Jeni Dodd  (Jeni's Tea)
Jeffrey Lorien   (Zhi Tea Gallery)
Michele Savage  (IMS, Ltd.)

From the group of 2010 TOST ----

Bill Waddington   (Tea Source)           
Bob Krul  (CTC Brewt Corporation)
Daniela Cubelic   (Silk Road Tea)  
Elise Scott  (Pearl Fine Teas)               
Judith Krall-Russo   (Judith Krall Russo, LLC)
Hoda Paripoush   (Sloane Tea Company)
Karen Hartwick   (Tea Leaves Tea Tasting Bar)
Ken Rudee   (Rudee Enterprises, Inc.)
Linda Villano   (SerendipiTea)
Lisa Boalt Richardson   (Lisa Knows Tea)
Lynayn Mielke   (Lighten Up Teas with Lynayn Mielke)
Melissa Wawrzonek  (Clipper Ship Tea Company)
Michelle Rose  (Cloudwater Farm)
Newman Johnston  (Teas Etc, Inc.)
Robert Boewe   (The Spice Merchant) 

Another year, mission accomplished!

During the TOST trip, we always have tea-sense in our minds, agree or disagree over a cup of tea... from different point of view... that is "group learning" all about!

Even at the last moment before our Closing Ceremony, Johnny has driven from his Lishan factory to join us since very early morning., Norman 許正清 has rushed himself from Hsinchu to share with our members two ways of his cupping practices... Mr. 林耀精 called to send regards; Master Steve Huang and Hung-Chen Wang... rushed to have the Alishan Milk Oolong that #TOST2017 hands on making to make sure our members will head home with them... 

Love and Passions about Taiwan Tea filled up the spirit for TOST program, and we just can't thank enough. Most importantly, our TOST friends: you are the reason we have this program. Another year, mission accomplished!

These are 4 links that CNA has interviewed Josephine and me right before my departure from Taoyuan Airport back to Los Angeles on 10/30/2017. (*First two are in English, and the last two are in Hanji version.)
http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201711120004.aspx
http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201711120003.aspx
http://www.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/201711120041-1.aspx
http://www.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/201711120042-1.aspx

As Paul Richards has said it well, we now will have more Ambassadors out there to get ready to celebrate our "Formosa Oolong 150 (1869-2019)" in year 2019!

Cheers!

2017 TOST - Opening Ceremony

#2017TOST finally is here.
We are very excited that this is our 10th Anniversary for this program.  Back in 2007, when I was invited by Taiwan Tea Manufacturers' Association to be "Ambassador of Taiwan Tea", and to carry out a mission to promote Taiwan tea and tea culture in Northern America.  Taiwan Oolongs Study Tour (TOST) is the program that I have launched for this mission.  With Josephine's super talent and capability to organize and coordinate year after year.  We are proud to have TOST program successfully executed.
Welcome our members of 2017 TOST, we will have 8 days 7 nights to study and learn together.

2017 TOST - Wenshan District and Taipei City

#2017TOST begins with Wenshan Tea District to study Pouchong tea.  We select a good friend, Jacob Bai's ISO22000 certified factory to visit.  Due to the heavy raining, we cannot walk in the garden, but we do get to see how they remove the moisture and skipped the outdoor withering...  All their Spring 2017 Pouchong sold out, and so funny that our friends actually enjoy buying Mr. Bai's 40 year old Aged Pouchong that his parents offer for tasting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we return to city, we visit a place that has so many tea shops and tea bars in one floor of a department store... Our friends get to stop by each one and do a little research of their own...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also stopped by Yung Kang Street, where recently many tea shops are popping up there... After we visited Wand Der Chuan, the famous tea shops chain that creates librarian style tea display and labeling designed by our good friend, Lynn Wang.  Lynn has offered us her new product, sparlking oolong in bottle besides a few Taiwan Oolongs that our members asked for...