IG: @chongjun_cj
Before Obubu
Since young, I was always interested in tea. Or rather, I forced myself to be interested in tea. I grew up with a family situation where family gatherings were always something to be dreaded. This made me feel isolated from everybody else and as a result, I was always looking to be part of something larger and functional, to belong to somewhere.
I found out about loose leaf tea when I was a teenager and started to drink it as a spiritual practice to connect to my ancestral roots, to gain a sense of belonging. I bought cheap green teas, brewed them horribly and pretended to enjoy the taste. Looking back, I might not have enjoyed the taste of tea, but I really did enjoy drinking it as it gave me a form of identity which was much needed for my younger days.
Eventually, tea drinking became integrated into my everyday life and, somehow without realizing, I found a sense of belonging within myself, with tea at the center. Drinking tea now had a new meaning, rather than (only) being a crutch for my emotions, it morphed into a sensory, spiritual and intellectual experience to explore and share with others.
Why Obubu
For a long time, I was content with just the surface level dabbling of tea. However, as with all interests, the more you marinate in it, the more you wish to explore. I soon found myself wanting to further immerse myself into the world of tea. In addition, a few years ago, I achieved my long-term goal of obtaining a stable and decent-paying job. The stars aligned and I decided I needed to take a risky move for my own benefit, and so I searched online for tea learning experiences. Obubu was the first result that came up on google. I did a little bit more research on Obubu and decided to apply.
During Obubu
This is the part of the blog that I dread writing. There is so much to include, it is inevitable that some things will not be included and I am afraid that I will come to regret not including something in favor of other things.
The most important thing that I want to say is that I came for the tea but I stayed for the people. Since the first day I have already felt a sense of belonging in Obubu. I still remember Interns Jennifer and Leah kindly showing me around Wazuka on my first day here. From Marusya hosting yoga sessions every Friday (which I tried to go every time but there is just too much to do T_T), to Trey keeping everything running smoothly from the shadows (thank you Trey) and Tran keeping the cafe in working order so that we can make matcha lattes everyday (thank you Tran). Every single soul here has their lovable quirks and are honest affable people. Each person brings their uniqueness to every interaction, bringing life to the phrase “Ichigo (一期) Ichie (一会),” which translates to, “One time, one meeting.” which can be further translated to “each passing moment is a once in a lifetime experience”.
I have seriously never found a place where I wanted to stay as much as here.
My fellow co-interns Liszt, Monica, David, Camille and Donovan made the entire experience memorable. Along with assistant managers Amber, Fiona and my mentor Garance, they supported me throughout these 3 months and I wish and hope I was able to provide the same level of support back to them.
Hopefully pictures do speak a thousand words…. Enjoy photos~
As I write this, I can already think of so many other things I want to include here. Unfortunately, there is a limit to what I can add to this page and so I will leave this as it is. Ironically, there is a sense of Wabi-Sabi to this and I think that is a nice thought to hold onto while bringing this blog to a close.
I suppose it is also nice to keep some memories to myself and share it again when the time is right, similar to pocket-tea.
If you are reading this to see if you will be able to share the same experience as me, you won’t.
By the time you arrive here at Obubu, there will be a different set of people. You won’t meet my beloved co-interns, you won’t meet the same set of assistant managers and staff that I have met. You might not even sit in the same car that I sat in, weed the fields that I weeded, nor wash the dishes that I washed. You will not share meals with the same set of people I shared meals with, nor gaze at the stars with them. And I am glad it is the way it is. It is what makes this moment special and I would never wish to swap the people I met here for other people. I pray that you will not have the same experience as me but that you will have a unique experience tailor-made for your needs and wishes.
To my co-interns and assistant managers/staff still reading this blog, thank you for being you. I wish you could be in my shoes to see how much you guys have impacted my life. Just know that no matter how much I express it outwardly, my feelings would never be able to be fully conveyed.
After Obubu
When I return to Singapore after this internship, I will return to my previous job and return to what I was doing before. I will, however, try to find time to share my tea experience and knowledge to other people, in hopes that they would be able to find something they are seeking, just as I have.
Aaand maybe open a cafe… who knows XD