It was last minute. It was hastily planned. But in the
middle of a jam-packed schedule, three fellow tea enthusiasts hopped in my car
with me and indulged in an afternoon tea service aboard the Queen Mary. This
particular group of gal pals chats in some form or other nearly every day. Our day jobs are as varied
as our home towns. I’ve known these
ladies for 3, 4, 5 years or so. And yet, I can count on one hand the number of
times I’ve seen any of them in person.
Nicole Martin, Tegan Woo, Me and Nicole Schwartz Super Secret Underground Tea Syndicate Conclave |
Nicole Martin, of Tea For Me Please and I started blogging around the same time in
2008. She was one of my first introductions on Twitter. Nicole Schwartz of The Devotea USA fame, my Persian Princess supplier. And Tegan Woo, Amoda Tea founder, a tea entrepreneur from Canada who we basically kidnapped for an afternoon tea last year in Las Vegas at our last World Tea Expo and have not let go.
This is the beautiful thing about what I call the
Underground Tea Syndicate. Whether on
Twitter, Facebook, blog posts or Google+, there are ongoing conversations,
discussions, trading of information or recommendations about a subject we all
find interesting. Tea.
The opportunity to sit face to face and exchange these
conversations is a rare treat, and strangely... natural. We’ve skipped the back
story. We’re all vaguely aware of each others,’ but it has little bearing on the
subject at hand. These relationships that have flourished online have allowed
us to live truly in the moment and hear what’s happening right now. The "right now," happily, was aboard the Queen Mary, right next door to the Princess Di exhibit. #Winning
Conversation in this lovely venue that allowed us to gaze
out over the harbor, drifted from workplace quirks - to convention kinks - to tea
venues we wanted to visit - to other members of The Syndicate who could offer
advice on certain conundrums - to brainstorming a tea business expansion. A lot
of ground was covered in an hour and a half. Time very well spent.
I’m afraid I can’t tell you about the tea sandwiches they
served, the scones or the sweets. I can’t even tell you what tea I drank,
though I’ll bet it was the English Breakfast. They were a beautiful backdrop to
the moment we were in. Because that’s really the thing. The Moment. The best ones are those that are
shared.
Enjoying the Moment |
Hours: open daily 11AM – 4PM
Parking: $7 with Tea Room validation (up to 3 hours)
Dress code: casual attire
Reservations: recommended (call 562-499-1682)
Parking: $7 with Tea Room validation (up to 3 hours)
Dress code: casual attire
Reservations: recommended (call 562-499-1682)
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