#214 Stefanee Calling

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Kamusta, Kia ora and こんにちは！

Before

Before coming to Obubu, I was a product / UX designer, working with screens and pixels.

I enjoyed the work, but I also wanted to be more intentional with my time and honor the parts of myself that I had long overlooked.

One evening, I made a list of everything I was genuinely interested in. Tea was the first thing I wrote. Without overthinking, I decided to pursue it and give it my all.

I guess the universe loves decisiveness because after that, things started unfurling in a way that kept nudging me in the direction of tea. I started taking tea courses after work, experimenting with tea and Filipino dessert pairings, met people in the tea world, and eventually, I found Obubu.

During

During my time at Obubu, I was lucky enough to step outside of my comfort zone. From harvesting in the tea fields to sharing tea knowledge with groups of people from all over the world, every day offered something new to learn and enjoy.

It’s hard to pick a favourite memory at Obubu because there are so many to choose from. Each one became even more special because of the amazing divas I was with and the delicious cups of tea we enjoyed in between.

I also documented my favourite highlights each week on my ig @slowlysteeping.

Obubu not only taught me more about tea, but it also revealed things about myself that I would have never known, and for that I am eternally grateful.

First tea tour ever with Shannon
Packing tea club boxes with Flor
Hand picking and hand rolling event with Shannon and Nicholas
Weeding Inari tea field with Tran and Mariah
Tasting everyone’s delicious Wakoucha
Harvesting in Ie Mae tea field before my diva death drop from the keitora
Scavenging for broken teaware
Removing a fallen tree with Pau and Mariah
Cleaning the steaming machine after processing akibancha
Wazuka’s Chagenkyo Matsuri feat. Cha Cha-chan
Girls trip to Tokoname
Mariah’s boardgame birthday 🎂
Last Obubu bus trip with Mari and Wakamatsu-san
Dan dan cafe with Nicole and Mia
Making temomicha + graduation day!

Beyond

Tea will never be the same after Obubu. Not only did it deepen my appreciation for tea, but it was the people behind it who made the experience even more special.

I will keep growing my relationship with tea and hopefully create a space where people can learn, share, and enjoy it. There is so much more to explore, so watch this space, but for now, ありがとうございます。

Words of chotto wisdom for the next batch of interns (and beyond):

  1. Never underestimate what you’re capable of.
  2. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to be present.
  3. Lastly, have fun, stay curious, and, as the people at Obubu wisely say, enjoy Japan.

With love and tea,
Stefanee (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧