In many of my tea presentations over the last two decades, I often share this story with my audience. (One couple, also my long time good friends, like my story so much, and they decided to include this story in thier first tea book.)
It was back on my first Englsih class at the junior high in Taiwan. My teacher insisted that every student in his class got to have a western first name for the conversation practices. I don't want to jump into a quick-pick, but seems that whichever I like someone else already took it. At the dinner table, I consulted it with my eldest brother, Jackson. He suggested that since our family's legacy in the tea business goes back in generations, maybe I can try to look for certain name of tea man of significance.
It was back on my first Englsih class at the junior high in Taiwan. My teacher insisted that every student in his class got to have a western first name for the conversation practices. I don't want to jump into a quick-pick, but seems that whichever I like someone else already took it. At the dinner table, I consulted it with my eldest brother, Jackson. He suggested that since our family's legacy in the tea business goes back in generations, maybe I can try to look for certain name of tea man of significance.
Looks what I have found:
- Thomas garway - the first English coffee house proprietor to offer tea.
- Thomas Rawlinson - Founder of Mitre tavern, eventually to become Davidson, Newman & Co.
- Thomas Twining - Proprietor of "Tom's", the first retail outlet for tea to welcome women.
- Thomas Lipton - The irascible Irishman who founded Lipton Teas.
- Thomas Sullivan - The serendipitious inventor of the tea bag.
The list is getting longer...and I made my decision that I want to join the "Thomas Club", a wishful thinking: one day I will have my footprint on the map of tea.
