Since every journey has its beginning, this one starts in the cozy shelter of Samovar Tea Lounge in San Francisco, and ends on the streets of India.

Having loved tea with its different varieties since my teenage years in the Czech Rebpulic, it has always been a necessity for me to find a good tea spot wherever I live. So when I moved to San Francisco last August and started my desperate tea search, Samovar was one of the names that came up. I soon realized it was my favorite place to visit, and, yet that if I kept up my student life, I would go broke drinking up my savings!


And  so, knowing well that I loved the environment there, I decided it would be a perfect place to work (and, I could drink all the tea I wanted!) It was always wonderful to cross the Yerba Buena Gardens when going to work, which never really felt like work but rather like a community of people sharing similar values and love for tea. Doing matcha services, smelling the opening leaves of dong ding, hearing the church bells from across the Mission street, joking with my colleagues (who I miss and send my love to)...that all was part of my job which I very much enjoyed.

When the idea of my leaving to India came up, I was, of course, sad to say goodbye to all the tea-lounging of Samovarites and to all the friends I made there within the few months I was part of the TEAm. At the same time, I knew the India experience would bring a lot of joy to my life and to the life of others as well.
My mission in India is  to make a difference, to help other people live their life in a rich and satisfying manner—and I decided to put my educational training (in education) into play by starting a program targeted at helping homeless Indian girls.

In cooperation and with the incentive of this NGO, I planned my second trip to India and designed an educational program for the orphaned girls, which focuses on their personal development. So I packed my bags, bid farewell to the steep streets of San Francisco and with a short stopover in my hometown Prague (where I got some motherly pampering and a good dose of tearoom visits with my childhood friends), I took off in a direction New Delhi.

(Now I kindly ask you to finish whatever tea you are drinking and switch to chai!)

So here I am, just a few days in...writing you from a local pc which breaks down every few minutes, enjoying the humid heat and record temperatures of Indian summer. The girls in the ghar (orphanage) have taken me as a part of the family from the first day and since my arrival keep calling me "didi" meaning "an older sister." 
 
I have a nice room here with a fan (which is a precious thing to have in these weather conditions) and a solid supply of delicious teas plus a cool travel tea cup which I was generously given by my favorite tea vendor in New Delhi...to be continued...