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STEPHEN TWINING TALKS 300 YEAR TEA
LEGACY AND FAMILY ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Tenth generation
member of the famed Twining tea family, Stephen H.B. Twining lectured
on the art of making the perfect cup of Tea. Throughout history, economic
recession has spawned creative modern innovations and the Twining family of
Gloucestershire embarked on a new path of business entrepreneurship. In
1684, originally weavers and processors of wool, the Twining family moved to
London and established a new domicile at 219 The Strand.
Thomas
Twining broke with the ale-drinking British tradition, and started selling
the world’s first dry teas along with coffee. In 1787,
Richard
Twining installed a grand new entrance, adorned with the golden lion, the
timeless emblem of the company, and two figures to represent China’s tea
place of origin.
After influencing
tea-drinking habits and helping to shape an entire industry for more than
three centuries, Twinings continues to operate their global enterprise from
the UK from the original place of business. Twinings is honoured to hold
Royal Warrants of Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Prince of
Wales
and as the
official supplier of teas to Queen Victoria, Twinings Tea became the
official Royal Tea of England.
Tea
is widely known to be attributed with long-term health benefits. Flavonoids,
naturally occurring antioxidants in tea are critical in maintaining healthy
cells. Moreover, tea is a natural source of fluoride, and helps strengthen
teeth and reduce plaque. As the legendary originator of the classic Earl
Grey Tea, Twinings introduced and trademarked the Lady Grey Tea. Over two
hundred Twinings tea blends are enjoyed in 115 countries. Over forty percent
of the tea gardens are grown and harvested by hand in China, then India, Sri
Lanka and Kenya. No machinery can out do the hand plucking of the delicate
tea leaves, susceptible to temperate climate changes. Stephen Twining
remarked, "The Twinings’ philosophy is simple to be totally committed to
producing the highest quality teas and making them accessible to everyone".
Finest from Leaf to Cup, Twinings is a member of the
Ethical Tea Partnership - a co-operation between many of the largest tea
manufacturers to ensure the tea they use is ethically sourced; that workers
on tea estates are fairly treated and enjoy decent living and working
conditions. Tea Partnerships sustainable business practices works in
collaboration with tea producers to share and develop ideas on how to
improve ethical sourcing. Ethical Tea Partnership is a sustainable
long-term worldwide initiative improving the lives of many in developing
countries.
www.twinings.com
NATHANIEL ROCHESTER COMMUNITY SCHOOL
LEARNS CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
The Rochester
City School District held its first Chinese Culture Expo at Salvation Army
Headquarters for the Nathaniel Rochester Community School’s elementary
students enrolled in the RCSD New Frontier Chinese Language Program.
The 4th and 5th grade students at the Nathaniel
Rochester Community School undergo a rigorous Chinese cultural and Mandarin
language program emphasizing a comprehensive curriculum of speaking, reading
and writing. Cultural programs exhibiting Chinese history, music and the
arts are introduced showcasing artisans from the Greater Rochester Asian
American organizations and cultural communities.
Program
presentations and demonstrations included Chinese calligraphy and painting,
Chinese guzheng zither music performances, history and culture of Chinese
bonsai, and tea. Participants include Wegman's Nature Marketplace and the
Greater Rochester Asian American organizations and cultural communities. The
month of May commemorates national Asian Pacific American month and the
contributions made towards enriching the cultural diversity of America. Our
local U.S. Congressman Frank Horton from Rochester is attributed with
bringing this legislation to the national forefront. The idea is to
prepare students with foreign language capabilities and ready the cultural
skill set for the global marketplace.
Danny Wegman’s
innovation of the Tea Bar at Pittsford Wegman’s Nature Marketplace
provided green tea samplings and arranged a tea education program, courtesy
of Zhena Gypsy Tea Company. Ms. Zhena Muzyka,
founder and business owner of the multimillion dollar award winning tea
enterprise visited Rochester exclusively to participate in the RCSD
Chinese Culture Expo and present the historical and cultural significance of
tea. Moreover, her background and expertise is culled from her earlier work
as an ethnobotanist in Peru. Ethnobotanists are
scientists who study the relationship between indigenous cultures and the
knowledge of how they use their plants.
Zhena's
Gypsy Tea is headquartered in Ojai, California, a pro-active purpose based
brand, whose goal it is to make a difference in people's lives by offering
only premium teas that benefit consumer's health and the health of the
planet. Zhena Muzyka pioneered her socially responsible business with a
commitment to improve the social, economical and environmental well-being of
the world through its offerings of prized and exquisite Fair Trade and
organic teas and herbs. is committed to empowering women around the world.
Entrepreneurs like Zhena galvanized her commitment to serve social and
environmental goals while reinvesting the profits back into social causes.
Zhena's Gypsy Tea formulates and sells a variety of bagged organic, Fair
Trade teas. All of Zhenas tea blends are sourced from Fair Trade, organic
gardens in Sri Lanka, India and China. The company has direct relationships
with its tea growers, the tea pluckers, and the families who depend on the
income from its fair trade purchases.
Muzyka was named in Country Living Magazine’s Women Entrepreneurs,
and featured in Inc. Magazine article on Five Young Entrepreneurs,
Good Housekeeping Magazine, and GreenMoney Journal. Muzyka was
also featured in the book Ladies Who Launch: Embracing Entrepreneurship
and Creativity as a Lifestyle. Muzyka visits the tea estates she
purchases from three to four times each year, so she sees first hand the
impact her decisions have made on the workers who harvest her teas.
www.gypsytea.com
Calligraphy is
considered one of the highest forms of Chinese cultural art. Legendary tales
stem from Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor of China and tell the story of a man
named Cang Jie, who invented the Chinese language. The Chinese writing
system can be dated back to over 4000 years ago with the discovery of the
ancient oracle bone inscriptions called Jia Gu Wen and was considered one of
the earliest records of Chinese characters discovered. Inscriptions were
carved onto tortoise shells and animal bones. The writing system evolved
through many diverse styles and characteristics reflecting the political and
historic trends ruling dynastic China. Renowned artist Dr. Alice Chen,
demonstrated her prolific artistry integrating brush strokes into visual
poetry. Dr. Chen is a faculty of the Creative Workshop at the Memorial Art
Gallery. Born in China, and educated at the Taiwan National University and
London University, Dr. Chen is also an
internationally noted mycologist.
The Chinese
guhzeng has played an important role in Chinese history as one of the most
ancient Chinese instruments recorded in written archived documents. Guzheng
is a plucked string instrument and originated during the Qin Dynasty
(897-221BC) in China. During the Tang Dynasty, the zither was introduced to
Japan, Korea and nearby regions. The guzheng’s horizontal shaped body was
originally crafted from bamboo or wutong wood. Guzhengs are built with metal
strings arched across moveable bridges. The number of strings were increased
from the original thirteen in ancient times to now twenty-six. It is
traditionally tuned to a pentatonic scale, many modern scales range from
combinations of diatonic and semi-chromatic scales. Dr Huoy-Jen Yuh
performed lyrical music compositions as the young audience was mesmerized by
the guzheng’s crystal acoustic quality, elegance and nobility. Dr. Yuh was
born and raised in Taiwan and traveled to the U.S. to pursue her PhD at the
University of Chicago and post-doctoral work at Johns Hopkins University.
Bonsai first
appeared in China over a thousand years ago known as penjing, a
practice of growing single specimen dwarfed trees in basins. Legends
surround Chinese bonsai and the early specimens displayed rugged foliage
with gnarled trunks which often resembled animals, dragons and birds.
Chinese bonsai come from the landscape of the imagination and images of
fiery dragons and coiled serpents. Bonsai was introduced to Japan during the
Kamakura period (1185 - 1333) by means of Zen Buddhism. Over time, the
miniature trees were not confined to the Buddhist monks and their
monasteries, but later were introduced to be representative of the
aristocracy - a symbol of prestige and honor. The ideals and philosophy of
bonsai were greatly changed over the years. For the Japanese, bonsai
represents a fusion of strong ancient beliefs with the Eastern philosophies
of the harmony between man, the soul and nature. Mr. Mark Arpag, an
award-winning bonsai artisan and member of the Bonsai Society of Upstate
New York, and teacher at the International Bonsai Arboretum
provided a lecture and demonstration of the art of bonsai trees.
His award
winning Satsuki Bonsai was designated as one of the
“Best in the U.S.” by the Pacific Rim Bonsai Museum in Washington State.
And foremost,
Chinese believe that the preparation of food is an art. Confucius
established standards for proper table etiquette and for the appearance and
taste of Chinese food. China has its own unique and identifiable cuisine for
over 5000 years. The
students gathered together en masse for a most memorable cultural expression
of good will and friendship as they cheered in Mandarin, Huanying
Welcome, Ni Hao, Hello, Xiexie, Thank You and Zaijian,
Farewell, See You Again. A great tribute to everyone who participated
in the RCSD Chinese Culture Expo and to enriching the cultural diversity of
the Greater Rochester community.
LIZ MURRAY "HOMELESS TO HARVARD"
HONORED AT YWCA EMPOWERING WOMEN 125TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
The YWCA of Rochester and Monroe
County
celebrated 125 years of service to the community by honoring 27 year old
keynote speaker Liz Murray for their second annual 2008 Empowering
Women Luncheon. Determined to overcome obstacles preset in a cycle of
impoverishment, mental illness and hopelessness, Liz Murray triumphs her
stunning personal victory in a vivid recollection of narratives, detailing
her childhood to adult journey of homelessness, adversity and desperation.
Born to cocaine-addicted parents and often with lack of food, dictated the
circumstances and characteristics of Liz Murray’s early childhood and daily
upbringing. By age 15,
Murray’s
mother died of AIDS and she became homeless. She adapted by living on the
streets, riding the NYC subway, and scavenged from dumpsters. Yet among her
despair, she persevered, “I started to grasp the value of the lessons
learned while living on the streets. I knew, after overcoming those daily
obstacles, that next to nothing could hold me down.” Murray
desperately sought education as the key to a new beginning and a hopeful
future. She compacted and earned her high school diploma within two short
years, and garnered a prestigious scholarship from the New York Times and
admitted to Harvard University. Her inspirational story was captured on
Lifetime Television’s Emmy-nominated original film, From Homeless to
Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. Murray was also the first recipient
of Oprah Winfrey’s Chutzpah Award. Her memoir and inspirational story,
Breaking Night, challenges the readers to embrace each opportunity
encountered and make a lasting contribution to another person’s life.
With grace, eloquence and maturity transcending her 27 years, Liz Murray’s
commitment to individual achievement and survival redefine the boundaries of
humanity and social progression. Her inner strength and poise abounds,
reaching student assemblages to business audiences in need of inspiration to
overcome their own obstacles. Audiences are transfixed — and uplifted — by
the tale of her own transformation.
The YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County brings together women of diverse
backgrounds, ages, and experiences to build a community and dedicated to
"eliminating racism and empowering women." Since 1883, the YWCA of Rochester
& Monroe County has provided programs and services to assist women in
reaching their full potential. Through its services and partnerships, the
YWCA inspires women to overcome the most difficult periods of their lives.
Historically, the YWCA has played a critical role via the dramatic
transformation of the Progressive Era in the U.S.
Women of
the YWCA realized that effective leadership translated into activism in
the arena of advocacy and public policy work. YWCA women recognized that
lobbying for minimum wage laws and federally funded housing would exceed
their efforts in merely providing boarding houses and meals. Among its
initiatives and legislative successes were the Fair Labor Standards Act,
child labor laws, protective legislation for women workers, the Social
Security Act, as well as immigration labor standards which influenced
legislation through the International Labor Organization (ILO).
ARCHIVES
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Stephen Twining,
R. Twining and Company Ltd, and Mary Ho, China Millennium Council ,
Enjoy A Classic
Twinings Lady Grey Tea
at the Wegmans
Tea Bar in Pittsford NY.

Twinings Introduced
Tea Drinking Culture
To the World And
Continues Their Venerable
300 Year Family
Business and Innovations
at
the original venue 210 The Strand in London.

China Millennium
Council President Mary Ho
welcomes Zhena
Muzyka, Founder and CEO
of Award-Winning
Zhena Gypsy Tea Company to
the Chinese
Culture Expo in Rochester,
New York.

Dr. Alice Chen,
renowned Chinese Calligrapher
and Artist
demonstrates Chinese Brush Technique
to the Nathaniel Rochester Community School's 4th and 5th Graders at their
Chinese Culture Expo.

Award Winning Bonsai
Artisan Mark Arpag
Introduces
the History and Culture of
the Eighty
Year
Old Bonsai tree elegantly displayed at
the Rochester
City School District's Chinese Language and Culture program.

4th and 5th Graders
of Nathaniel Rochester Community
School Cheer
Greetings in Mandarin as they
hail HuanYing
Welcome and bid Zaijian Farewell
at RCSD's New
Frontier Chinese Language
&
Culture Expo held at Salvation Army Headquarters.

Haley Newman,
Kaitlan Donnan,& Lorissa Schulte
welcome Liz
Murray to commemorate
Monroe County
YWCA 125th Anniversary
at the 2008
Empowering Women Luncheon
in Rochester,
New York.

Sue Emmel, U.S.
Olympic Fencing Champion
Iris Zimmermann, Dr. Alice Chen and
China Millennium
Council President Mary Ho participate
in the 2008 YMCA
Empowering Women Luncheon
Celebrating 125
Years of Community Service.
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