January 14

Today was a free day. It was a day for us to relax and explore the city on our own.

A few days ago I received this quote it reads “I believe that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.” This is exactly the way I describe the woman in the teashop. As Gillian and I were walking down Hollywood Dr. we looked into this teashop window. We were running a little late to where we wanted to be, but there was a force that pulled us into this little shop. We met a very nice woman and her husband. They welcomed us into their home. They showed us around the small shop and offered us tea, but we were in a hurry. We both fell in love with these tea sets and decided we would buy them when we came back later to pick them up. Once we finished all of our errands we went back to the teashop. We went inside and her husband was there. He was a very quiet man but his wife told us later he is afraid to speak English because he doesn't know it very well. Anyway we were taught how to brew our own tea, the meaning behind each of the flavors. She explained that ginseng is for digestion, memory, energy, and Chinese medicine. Jasmine is a type of green tea, with antioxidants. It is a nice fragrance and is very relaxing. We were shown pictures of her children and grandchildren. We were welcomed back into her home on the weekends for tea and to meet her grandchildren. The most memorable line that she said to us is this: “The first time I see you I will say, nice to meet you. If I meet you a second time, I will say nice to meet you again”. This visit was very touching.