When the peppermint fragrance sweeps your nose and hint of chocolate hits your tongue, it is pure ecstasy. Better Than Sex, a sinfully divine tea, is an earmark of Tay Tea’s ingenuity.
The names of their blends create curiosity. Can Marry Me Again bring out youth and spontaneity? They stir up imagination. Can I be taken away in bliss with A Day in Provence? They engage a thirst for knowing. What is in Tuk Tuk Chai? It’s soo simple yet such an incredibly effective way to establish an emotional bond with customers. This is branding at it’s best.
And behind each name, there is a story. One that has been delicately sculpted by Nini Ordoubadi, tea connoisseur and owner of Tay Tea. Nini’s first tea, Persian Rose, was her way of being taken back to childhood where she spent precious time sipping tea with her grandmother in Iran. In her country tea is ritualistic in nature. It is a way for people to bond, create friendships and heal disease. To this day Nini uses tea to bring people together, stimulate creativity and promote calmness. She has taken an ancient tradition, added her own flare and turned it into urban art.
If there is one thing that makes Nini stand out from other business owners, it is her mastery of self-expression. She’s sassy and doesn’t settle for status quo. She challenges trite mentality with passionate discussions over tea.
“It gets nasty and political in here”, she says with a smile.
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Recent studies indicate a correlation between dental disease and cardiovascular health. The common strain of bacteria in dental plaque causes blood clots, which can prompt a heart attack. According to a study by the University College London, people who reported poor oral hygiene also tested positive for bloodstream inflammatory markers such as fibrinogen and C-reactive protein.
“Our results confirmed and further strengthened the suggested association between oral hygiene and the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Richard Watt, DDS, of University College London, says in a news release. “Furthermore, inflammatory markers were significantly associated with a very simple measure of poor oral health behavior.” (Olivera, C. BMJ, published online May 27, 2010)
In order to reduce the risk of disease linked to dental bacteria, good teeth maintenance is essential. Wonderful dentists and dental hygienists at the Cupertino Dental Group recommend the following:
* Sensodyne toothpaste
* Johnson & Johnson Reach waxed floss (My dentist says the floss must be waxed in order for it to pull food out from between the teeth.)
* Gum Soft-Picks (Cleaning with these picks feels really good on the gums.)
* Act Restoring mouthwash (I feel this mouthwash kills good bacteria and shouldn’t be used every day. I got a canker sore from repetitive use.)
If you are looking for an electronic powered toothbrush, consider the Oral B toothbrush by Braun. The battery lasts forever. And the round shape enables the brush to get to hard to reach areas.
Isn’t my toothbrush sexy? You have to love your dental supplies or teeth maintenance becomes a chore.
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The oldest of seven, Maria is motivated to make things happen for herself. Her dad passed away in 2006, leaving her mom and siblings questioning how they were going to survive on their own. Maria has responsibilities that most sixteen year olds have never fathomed. Yet that doesn’t stop her from conquering her dreams. She wants to be a political leader and own a modeling agency.
This summer she spent one month at Stanford where she immersed herself in political courses held by Junior Statesmen of America (JSA). Every day she had class for five hours and at night was involved in debates. According to Maria it is a difficult process to be accepted into the JSA summer program. She had to submit an application and was interviewed in front of an executive board. Only 100 out of 800 applicants made the cut.
The most inspiring part is that Maria
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Fashion designer Emily Dureault opened my eyes to a new way of thinking about clothing. Her philosophy is that we can preserve the environment and reduce our carbon footprint by using pre-existing resources. After graduating from uni with a degree in Textiles and Clothing, she started a company that takes used and donated clothes and turns them into stylish garments.
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There are no pearly gates at this Heaven but it sure does feel like a transcended place of pure goodness.
Heaven is a bakery in Bovina Center, New York. The physical location has closed but still deserves recognition, as it left a positive imprint on me and other locals who stopped by on weekends for fresh baked goods and coffee or tea.
The owners, Taylor and Joshua, created a space where people felt at home. There were always candles lit and steaming hot baked goods being served straight from the oven. Customers could choose their own one-of-a-kind vintage tea cup and saucer which made it feel like having a heartwarming drink at granny’s. The long community table in the main room was the place to be, where friends, business professionals and families exchanged stories and dreams.
read more Post a comment (7)Gold reflector, speedlight and softboxes. What a difference they make to a photo shoot! Two weekends ago was the first time I did a photography session in a studio. Gerika is beautiful to begin with and the extra equipment added a real depth to the photos.
Shooting with a good lens is also important. I used a Nikon 105mm, thanks to eRwin for letting me borrow his. He says if you want to purchase such a lens, make sure the f/stop is 2.8 or lower. One of the advantages of a low f/stop is that it creates less depth of field. The lower the f/stop, the larger the opening in the lens and the easier it is to blur the background.
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Cal Berkeley without the Naked Guy is like spagetti without meatballs. The flavor of activism is not as spicy now that he is gone. He was the highlight of academic news in the ’90s. Was it a coincidence that the same year he led a campus “nude-in” social repression protest, UCB astronomers developed the world’s largest telescope?
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Dancing satisfies a longing people have to feel connected to one another. When people dance, everything becomes simple. There are no barriers. Different ideologies drop and what is left is pure enjoyment.
This past weekend I met a free style dancer, Khalilah Ramirez, who uses dance as a way to encourage people to reach their potential. Dancing in busy areas around the nation, adults, teenagers and children are drawn to watch her. “It makes people smile,” she says. It’s true. While shooting photos of her I watched serious faces turn soft. She is a natural at connecting with people through movement.
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Daissy could see the site she wanted and had spent years looking for someone to create it for her. She worked with two designers before finding me. At last she has a website she loves. It’s a one-of-a-kind, and carries the essence of who she is.
Meet beautiful Daissy…
Meet Jonathan.
This is his first trip to America, where there are trees, one story homes and WalMart.
Jonathan is from a small town in Hong Kong where he lives on the 32nd floor of a thirty-five floor building. Everything in Hong Kong is vertical and compact. If it takes longer than 15 minutes to walk somewhere, it is too far. Everything is calculated by the second not by minutes, hours or days. (No pressure to pump out this article fast!) Everything is faster in Hong Kong. Actions are always calculated beforehand. When Jonathan rides the subway, he considers miles before his exit how he is going to position himself to get off. There is no tolerance for inefficiency or delay. “Someone will cut your throat if you hesitate,” says Jonathan.
Got it. Hong Kong is not a place for the intellectually impaired.
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