Tea with Mr. Tau

Mr. Tao is the Dean of Students as well as a math teacher at the Experimental School. He is a very kind, soft-spoken man and appears to interact well with the students. He has excellent posture! He is our go to person when we have questions about logistics. He speaks no English, so all communication with him must go through one of the English Teaching Assistants.

Yesterday, he invited our group of teachers out for tea. He picked us up at the Business Hotel at 6:00 pm in the school van, and drove us into old Yuyao.







I have been wanting to go into one of the tea houses along the river, and that is exactly where he took us. Located on the oldest street in Yuyao...

Red lanterns hang along the front entry and inside the wood is dark. Along the back walls there are glass covered shelves with a variety of tea sets. Going upstairs, we were seated in a private room with windows overlooking the street/river. A round table, a huge piece of glazed petrified wood and a number of chairs completed the decor.

A woman appeared with a plate of sun flower seeds and Mr. Tao proceeded to order four kinds of tea, each from a different area. There was a traditional black tea, a green tea, something called Dragon tea and a 4th from the local region. As each tea was brought, Mr. Tao served us each a tiny cup. There was a large thermos of hot water. He would use this water to replenish the tiny pots when they were empty. Loose tea leaves filled the tiny teapots, so it didn't take long for the water to have flavor... they do not steep tea for as long as we do in the states, perhaps because the leaves are much more pungent and fresh.


This was the first time that we had all been alone with Mr. Tao for an extended period of time. Through Tracey, who has become our constant companion, we were able to ask him many questions about himself, his work and his family.

Mr. Tao grew up near Simmi Mountain which is outside of Yuyao. His father was a farmer. I'm not sure where he was educated, but I got the feeling he has been a teacher for 30 years. Today he is 49. His wife is a doctor who runs her own clinic in a village 30 minutes outside of Yuyao where they also live. She works seven days a week from 7:00 am until 9:00 pm every day. She takes a day off when she chooses to do so. She does not deliver babies... women go to the hospital. He has one daughter Aki. Aki has spent time with us, and she looks just like her Dad. Her English is excellent. I get the impression she is a stellar student.

When asked about teaching and discipline.. Mr. Tao said that parents are still the best teachers. In China today, as elsewhere, money talks. Parents who are more wealthy are more demanding and less forgiving of the system. However, to get into the best schools, test scores are still the ticket regardless of how much money you make.

All in all, it was another window into the life of the Chinese. Mr. Tao has a wonderful laugh, and I wish I were able to communicate directly with him. Lucy Liu is of no use in these situations!!

Before going back to the hotel, I shared a bowl of beef noodles with Elizabeth!

Zai Jian,
Joan



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Location:Old Tea House on Oldest Street in Yuyao