Taiwan Oolongs Workshop in Budapest (9/19/2009)

This is my first tea workshop in Europe!
"Better Lucky than Good" - I think so. I am just so lucky to have all these good friends to help me out. Then I have the best partner to travel together. Josephine and I arrived Budapest on the 9/15 evening. We were treated like King and Queen since our landing, and "Here we are ! Budapest and the Danube River!"

We know we have plenty time to enjoy walking around the beautiful Budapest. Our mission to here is still the first priority. So we did check out the venue for our event the second day after our small city tour around the famous Vaci Street and both ends of Chain Bridge. We met our hosts and working team: Robert, Oliver, Carol and the restaurant's manager for certain details of set-up and agenda... Again, we are lucky to have these people here in town to work with. We were told that RSVP shows a great response and expecting a house-packed activity...I know my high school pal, Stanley, Taiwan's Rep in Hungary, the honorable Ambassador Kao, well enough to rest assured for all the details. Indeed, all I need, just show up there to present it.

Interesting enough, I was told that no much tea experience, especially Taiwan Oolong in Budapest. However, right on the morning of 9/19, we encountered two young ladies who were having their Tea Serving and display on the back yard of East Asia Museum...while Josephine and I visited that garden...they were serving: Taiwan's Tung-Ting Oolong....(please see the story on our posting:
http://ponfoncha.blogspot.com/2009/09/encounter-tea-display-at-budapest.html )
I took this surprising incident as a special message that I should be Very Humble to all my Hungarian audience...(which I should always be...read on....)

All the guests are VIP to us, their participation is what this event for. Josephine and I both agreed that we got the honor to meet with first class audience on that evening. The slide show herewith will be great memory for two of us. It will be also great that you can tag your name for us when you see yourself in those photos.

We are grateful to the three organizations who are sponsoring together for this tea event:
Hungary-Taiwan Amity Association (HUTAA)
Hungarian Friendship Club of Taiwan’s ICDF
Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Hungary

In addition, I must specially thank the four volunteers who helped me to accomplish my workshop smoothly. Facing the audience, from left to right, they are:

Amb. Adam TERTÁk
Reprentative, Hungarian Trade Office in Taipei
(brewing: Aged Oolong)

Dr. Eva HEGEDUS
Head of R&D Office, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Research Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science
(brewing: Oriental Beauty)

Dr. Mihály SIPOS
Senior Counsellor, Department of Knowledge Based Economy, Ministry of National Development and Economy / Chairman, Hungarian Friendship Club of the Taiwan’s ICDF
(brewing: Alishan Oolong)

Mr. Nobert LABUNDY
Journalist, Diplomata Magazine
(brewing: Wenshan Pouchong)

Together, we've completed a journey of enjoying fine Taiwan Oolongs:
1. History of Taiwan Tea
2. Meet with the World’s most unique Oriental Beauty !
3. Formosa Pouchong: luscious aroma seized before its taste.
4. Why these tea gardens moved up to high mountains in Taiwan?
5. How smart Taiwan tea masters create new Aged Oolongs!
6. Hands on brewing and sipping fine Taiwan Oolongs

Again, this is my first experience in Europe. I love it!
Hoping we just don't get spoiled. Maybe some time, some other cities, soon.....!

(About this restaurant...)
After our trip back, our friend, Dr. Mihaly Sipos shares with me the following story about this restaurant:
...By the way: how did you enjoy the design of the restaurant Nimrod? I think it is very funny: a taiwanese food restaurant with hungarian pictures o the walls. The name of the restaurant is coming from he Hungarian mythology: Nimrod was a kind of god of hunters and in the same time one of forefathers of our nation. Because he was a great hunter even today we use his name for naming some hunters' associations or as a restaurant's name where game dish is served.