is a brand new book presenting the world of tea in a fresh voice with a distinctly zany approach to history, cultures and spelling. Here, tea has been linked with topics one would NOT normally expect to find in a 'Tea Book': radioactivity, nano-technology, sex, fairy tales, music... and of course the topics you WOULD expect: politics, royalty, monkey-business, trade, health, camels and C(c)hina. If you are an avid devourer of anecdotal history with an interest in East-West relations and an appreciation for puns and relentless dry humour, this book is for you!
Camellia Cha's Curiosi-tea reviewed in The Age newspaper
"If you think the world of tea is a dry affair, you haven't read Camellia Cha's (yes, this is the nom de plume for shakuhachi-playing author Anne Norman) Curiosi-tea. Apart from puns, quirky humour and zany illustrations, this book contains information on the origins, history and cultural associations of tea. The author spent several years, visited many countries and did lot of research to produce this book. Narrated by Norman and her imaginary side-kick Cha, the book tells the story of tea in China, Korea, Japan, Russia and many strange corners of the world, and delves into the lives of royalty (Queen Victoria) and the nobility (Earl Grey, Sir Thomas Lipton). It explains the types of tea and looks at issues such as should you add milk, and what's in a tea bag. Put you legs up, brew a cup of cha and bring some levi-tea into your life."
Mary O'Brien
Food and coffee writer, Book Review in The Age, 10 Aug 2010
Saturday 4th September
Come a buy a father¹s day present and help raise money for
Knoxbrooke - a not-for-profit organization
providing
services, training and employment opportunities for people with
disabilities. Held in the bonsai section '
Sashieda: The Imagination Tree'
9:00 Saikei demonstration
11:00 -12:30 Bonsai clinic
1:00 -1:30 Shoso Shimbo Ikebana demonstration
1:30-1:50 Fuefukuro, Japanese drums and flutes
1:50 - 2:00 Anne Norman - shakuhachi and poetry
2:30 - 4:00 Bonsai clinic
Yarra View Nursery
136 York Road Mt. Evelyn
Sunday 26th September : AFTERNOON absurdiTEA
with Camellia Cha
A delicious blend of poetry with musicali-tea from India, Tibet, China and Japan.
Featuring:
Anne Norman (poetry and shakuhachi)
Tenzin Choegyal (voice and Tibetan instruments)
Wang Zheng Ting & the Australian Chinese Ensemble
Jay Dabgar (Tabla) & Josh Bennett (sitar and guitar)
OzAsia Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre
A 90 minute performance from 2pm in the Space Theatre
OzAsia Festival
Tuesday 28th September
The Joan Saxton Lecture Luncheon Club
Guest of Honour: Anne Norman
Curiosi-tea · absurdi-tea · frivoli-tea · audaci-tea - some of life's necessi-teas
Shakuhachi performer and professional musician, Anne Norman, took to researching and writing a book as a portable project to do between shows while on tour. She chose the unlikely topic of tea, and the result is a humorous and informative book entitled Curiosi-tea. In lyrical language, the historical narrative playfully unfolds through three fictional characters, the dominant being Camellia Cha, the Avatar of Tea. Anne will perform excerpts from her book as well as shakuhachi, and tell of her adventures in China and Japan in her quest for knowledge about tea.
Anne has degrees in music and ethnomusicology from universities in Australia and Japan, and has a serious dependency on sencha green tea, developed between bouts of hyperventilation while studying shakuhachi (bamboo flute) in Kobe in the mid 1980s
Tuesday 28th of September 2010
Time of arrival 11.30am for noon luncheon
Speaker: 1.00pm 2.00pm
The Joan Saxton Lecture Lunch Club
The Gables, 15 Finch Street , East Malvern, Victoria
Bookings: The Gables (03) 9571 6631 by the Friday before
Two course lunch with wine and coffee $45.00
thegables.com.au
Saturday 9th October : 2pm
Camellia Cha reads from her book Curiosi-tea at Borders bookstore
Shop 106, Melbourne Central Shopping Centre
211 LaTrobe Street, Melbourne.
Tel. (03) 9663 8909
Borders
Curiosi-tea Events History 2010
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11th to 13th June : World Tea Expo
Anne performed excerpts from Curiosi-tea and played the haunting shakuhachi, a bamboo flute with connections to the Japanese Zen Art of Tea. There was also Poetry, Music and Laughter at the Author's Circle
-
Saturday 29th May : Poetry reading & shakuhachi at the Bodhi Tree
Anne Norman (aka Camellia Cha) entertains with readings from "Curiosi-tea" and performs Shakuhachi flute in the Café attached to the lovely book shop Bodhi Tree in Perth.
-
Monday 24th May : Nonchalant Bombasi-tea
Anne gave a talk on the writing of Curiosi-tea and her life as a shakuhachi performer and itinerant musician. She will also read some of her poetry and perform shakuhachi (bamboo flute).
-
Saturday 22nd May : Canberra
Absurdi-tea with Camellia Cha. Poetry, incidental music and hilari-tea!
Performers: Anne Norman (poetry, shak), Peter Neville (tea set), Justine
Anderson (soprano).
Entrance free. Your chance to purchase the book Curiosi-tea besmudged by the
Avatar herself.
-
Saturday 15th May at 12:30 : Tea and Zen
A romp through the exhibition with Camellia Cha. Spirituali-tea, Rituali-tea and Frivoli-tea. Discover the hidden meanings of tea with the author of Curiosi-tea. From Tang China through to Tokugawa Japan... and the modern day tea ceremony. The role of the Sangha, the courtesans, the Literati and the ladies of Cha-no-Yu in the changing modes and innuendo of tea. From Profundi-tea to Profani-tea. 30 minutes of thought provoking poetry and enlightening hilari-tea. Have a good strong cuppa before you come!
Tea and Zen Exhibition of Japanese and Chinese powdered tea ceremony artifacts
Exhibition runs from 15th April to Aug 29th 2010
-
Watch an elegant Japanese Tea Ceremony performed by
Adam Wojcinski of the Ueda Soko school of Tea while feasting your ears on music from countries where the bounty of tea is revered: Japan and Ireland; with
Anne Norman - shakuhachi,
Mel Robinson - cello and Liminality -
Cath Connelly, harp and
Greg Hunt, fiddle. Also featured is live performance of large ink brush calligraphy by
Shingo Nozao, and poetry by
Camellia Cha.
-
Friday 5th March at 1:35pm
Radio interview with Sue and Belinda on the Creating Space, The Pulse 94.7fm radio, Geelong.
-
Tuesday 9th March
Anne Norman performed her poem Arty Farty Litera-tea at
the 'Spinning Room¹ gathering of poets at ET's lounge on High st off Chapel, Prahran, Melbourne. She was given the honour of a 'Call Back', where the best poet of the night is invited to return to read another poem. She read Distant Cries of Mountain Beau-teas.
-
Saturday 13th March
An Evening of Absurdi-tea with Camellia Cha
Also featuring Anne Norman on Shakuhachi and poetry, with Jeanette Hajncl
on
recorder. Part of The Christ Church Series at Christ Church
-
Wednesday 27th January : 891 ABC Adelaide
Radio interview on Evenings with Peter Goers
Curiosi-tea Events History 2009
-
a whimsical OPPORTUNI-TEA
to express your GENEROSI-TEA
by giving a COMMODI-TEA
in this season of NATIVI-TEA
A quick thank you to all my friends who have read Curiosi-tea and are now buying 3 to 20 copies to give to friends!
!!!
in
, and
AMN, Camellia Cha, Herstorian and Anne (the whole TEAm)
A merry xmas and fabulous Silly Season to you all
- Sunday 13th Dec
An afternoon of Absurdi-tea
Camellia Cha and friends, with poetry and music performed by Anne Norman (author of Curiosi-tea / shakuhachi musician)
with the very talented pianist / percussionist Steve Richter (Mr. Sister, Taal Naan, and Wu Tao Dance)
and the amazing percussionist / tap dancer Marcus Perrozzi (Tetrafide Percussion).
the Old Bakery - 12th annual teapot exhibition
42 Eighth Ave, Maylands WA
08 9370 3308
- Saturday 12th Dec : Book reading by Anne Norman
Anne read from Curiosi-tea and told tales of her tea journey through China and Japan, and performed on shakuhachi bamboo flute.
The Bodhi Tree book shop in Perth
Cnr Oxford St & Scarborough Beach Rd
Mt Hawthorn WA 6016
(08) 9444 9884
bodhitree.net.au
- Saturday 12th Dec : Chatterbox Christmas Par-tea
Featuring Anne performing shakuhachi and doing readings from Curiosi-tea and a special tea tasting presented by Chigusa Haugen of Wasabi and Green Tea.
Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre
20 Kalinda dve
City Beach WA
hyogo.com.au
-
Monday 7th Dec : Asian Language literacy conference
Anne spoke about Curiosi-tea as a learning resource and performed shakuhachi at the Asian Language literacy conference at the Boulevard Centre, Floreat, Perth
-
Saturday 5th Dec 12:15 : Weekend Score - 3MBS
The Song Company sings 'Tea for Two'.
When did we first put milk in tea?
Why did the British call Chinese tea 'Russian Caravan'?
Who calls Red tea 'Black'?
|
3MBS 103.5FM
Music Broadcasting Society of Victoria Ltd
Presenter: John Sheridan
3mbs.org.au
 Download |
-
Friday 4th Dec : Australia-Japan Society of WA
Anne was guest speaker at the Australia-Japan Society of WA annual Xmas Party at the Lake Karrinyup Golf Club, where she spoke on tea in Japan throughout the ages, read poetry from Curiosi-tea and played
shakuhachi.
- Thurs Nov 26th 11:30am : Published or Not - 3CR
Who is Camellia Cha? The author reveals her personali-tea disorder.
The Tea and Horse road. Varie-teas: 6 colours of oxidation/fermentation.
Anne reads Curiosi-tea chapters:
* Jack and the Tea Stalk: Jacobus Jacobson. Once Upon a Time...
* Promiscui-tea of Nobility: Earl Grey ad and the Duchess of Devonshire
* High Tea Low Tea, anywhere you go tea...
- Wed Nov 25th 11.10am : Morning Magazine - 3CR
From radioactivi-tea to sexuali-tea. Anne Norman speaks to Bruce Miller
- Tues Nov 24th 1pm : Music Sans Frontieres - 3CR
Anne Norman speaks to Therese Virtue on many things tea and in particular on
Musicali-tea, she is joined by Noriko Tadano for a japanese tea cutting song from the 1920's
- Tues November 17th 10:30pm: - King of Nights - 4BC
Does Quali-tea drink tea from a cup? The history of tea, the cultural aspects of tea, the spelling of tea and a glimpse into the dark side of tea.
- November 2009: - TVS - Television Sydney
August 22nd : Music of the Tea Lands
From the subtle. ethereal qualities of the Japanese shakuhachi and the extraordinary birdlike
sounds of the Chinese flute, to the complex and beautiful Carnatic music of southern
India, an exquisite night of music from the lands of Sencha, Oolong and Chai.
Shakuhachi player, Anne Norman launched her new book
Curiosi-Tea with a repertoire of Japanese music and
ceremony, with dancing from Susan Taylor and Philip Flavin
on the Shamisen; bewitching flute playing from Dong
Qiu Ming; and from India the Iyer Brothers played the veena
with mridangam player Sridar Chary.
- September 4th : "Curiosi-TEA and shakuhachi at Beleura House"
A new experience in afternoon tea. Anne Norman read poems and excerpts from her book Curiosi-tea ably hijacked by Camellia Cha in an afternoon of hilarious spontanei-tea, ostensibly focused on tea...
well it started in antiqui-tea, ended in infini-tea and had a great deal of
frivoli-tea and immorali-tea in between...
Readings and tea tastings were interspersed with music performed on
shakuhachi with guest artists and tea friends. Including a tasting of teas
from China, Japan and Taiwan.
- September 19th : Curiosi-tea book reading
Chado Tea shop in Elizabeth St Hobart
In between reading witty excerpts and poems from her book, Anne improvised on shakuhachi with fellow muso and tea nut
Brian Ritchie. Brian (of Violent Femmes fame) also played acoustic bass guitar behind Anne's rapping of Teabag Sucker, delighting patrons, unsuspecting tea drinkers and staff at Chado.
