The Hand that Picks

Woman's Hand, showing me the tea she's just picked

Huo Shan Village, Yellow Tea

Dear blog friends,

Wow - this re-entry thing is taking longer than I had anticipated.  I'm finally rested and sorting through all kinds of things: laundry, treasures, gifts, memories, happiness to be home, sadness that the trip is over.  And on top of that I'm integrating into my daily life, not-so-eagerly anticipating the return to work, sharing concerns of family and friends, etc. 

I don't know where to start or how to piece this trip out, and I'm not one usually prone to writer's block.  So I will begin with what is most vivid in my mind, and that is the lives of the people who work the tea fields.  The photo above is among my favorites.  Notice the dirt under her fingernail, the pretty silver band she wears, the lines in her hand, the vibrancy of the green leaf.  It's all there - the hard work, the beauty in it, the struggle, the love, the tea that sustains this community.  It was a privilege to be taken to these fields and see, for a brief moment, how these people connect with me.  They pick the teas that I drink.  That I will never, ever forget.