Leaflet no. 4

This week’s leaflet tea tastes like … spanish omelette, round furniture, rose-infused kaolin, and vinyl

Nov 16, 2022

Hello, everyone.

Tea Leaf Tech is a process in which I brew a cup of the Beobab.tree’s blend (its bark, leaves, its fruit, and a dapple of honey—of course!), which is a way to introduce settling and warmth into the day’s spiral of events. During this time of sipping and slowness, ideas and images collect at the bottom of the cup. The readings of the tea leaves laid to rest on ceramic glaze will be the basis of Wednesday’s leaflets. From here, I invite you to sit with your own cuppa and peruse what sensations this week’s tea blend has to offer.

This week’s blend is fuller-bodied on Sweetness. For media, I realize I have a lot to say about some of what is listed, so for now I invite you to check them out if you have the time & space, and sit easy for when I really do gush about them sometime.

Recommended Media:

“Oni: Thunder God’s Tale” on Netflix (highly, highly recommend)
An ode to Ghibli’s “Totoro” in “Oni”
Sakidila by Pongo, an Angolan-Portuguese artist (Thank you for the recommendation, Alexander!)
Pongo! (capmagellan.com)
Solange Knowles’ interview and peeps of her apt in apartamento magazine
Solange’s apartment (apartamento 2022)

Here is some sweetness:

Inspired by Sally Wen Mao’s poem “Ode to Emptiness”.

Feeling heavenly supported by mentor-figures, friends, and acquaintances
I’ve been really looking forward to group fitness classes on Thursdays, to dancing with music dialed up with several other ladies. We were getting new choreography bounced at us, and I was surprised by how quickly I caught on. The moves made me feel delicate/powerful/sexy/feminine/breathing. Dance is a great way to transform inner chaos (not always negative!) into form.
I had a simple lunch one day: Chinese broccoli in mushrooms and garlic, rice, tofu. It was great. I was aware of every bite and what made each bite so yom like “Thank you, little bit of garlic. Thank you, texture of tofu.”.
11.11.22 I was met with unmatched focused creativity and generated my first ever sound collage using ableton. I didn’t have much patience for watching tutorials, so for a while there I was lamenting over how to get rid of feedback I was hearing. Still, didn’t know what I did wrong to know what to search. Figured it out. Finalized the mix. Sat back and was softly proud of myself.
A kind person I met at a record store invited me listen to him spin at the Allegory, a giggle-inducingly conceptual bar (“The first bar to blend art, literature, social justice, craft cocktails and hospitality.” oookay haha) behind a door that looks like the entrance to a custodial closet (intentionally!). As I was waiting for my friend, I browsed the shelves and found a whole design manual on libraries. While the first DJ spun “Evil” by Earth, Wind & Fire, I was looking at floorplans of incredible libraries I had yet to know existed. The lighting was sultry, people wore things that suited them. Even I felt interesting while I waited.
Associated delight: both DJs were spinning actual records. And I love this because I keep learning how complex and beautifully involved the process is—to work with physicals. To listen, loop and blend with physicals. I love the fact that at the end of the night, the DJ will take his tote or crate (tonight it was a tote) of records back home. Toting all that good music. And in that act, I hope the universe protects the DJ from any slippage or hassle, puddles or fast cars. That the DJ and his tracks arrive safely home.
Sunday Spanish brunch with my budding friend:) The process of understanding one another is nice. And as adults, I feel the mutual understanding of respecting boundaries. Also. The bread had black olives in ‘em: pretty good.
After, I stopped by the mall to get a Lush face mask, and the guy said he liked my shirt and that I could take as many samples as I wanted at the front counter. I hadn’t been at Lush for a while, but this was unheard of. The sweetness here is this: I am excited to travel with these luxe creams and scrubs. Feel seaweed on my face.

Images in the tree bark: