Gung Hay Fat Choy! As you probably know, that's "Happy New Year!" in Chinese, which this year falls on February 9th. It's but one of many notable days celebrating fortune, happiness, luck and love—and honoring the people that help make it happen. Mardi Gras, Buddhist Nirvana Day, Lent, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, President's Day, even Random Acts of Kindness Week—it's all there in February. This short month, we can 'party hearty', ring in a new year, look for good news, be romantic and sleep late—but also make a personal sacrifice, do a good deed, and honor those who make (or made) a difference in our lives.

In this spirit, L'Amyx wants to honor you, our guests. Our tea friends. Our community. We're offering stories, music, people and gifts that speak to a sense of fortunes in hand and those to come, to signs of spring and blossoming of love, to happiness and heritage.
And not least, to gratitude... For the people in our lives. For the histories that shape us. For the prospects that lay ahead.

In heart and hand, we're at your service. And that's understandable in any language.

Toasting the New Year the Chinese Way
-Marcia Lam

The Lunar New Year is a special, jubilant occasion for the Chinese. It involves days, sometimes weeks of celebration, depending on which region one is from.

Preparations begin long before the New Year starts. Families clean their houses thoroughly to remove the 'old', and bring in the 'new'. Budding plum branches, symbolizing rebirth and new growth, decorate homes and businesses. If the buds bloom during NewYear celebrations, it is taken as a sign that the New Year will bring good fortune. That's because the five-petaled plum blossom represents the five blessings of Chinese culture: longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and natural death (i.e., without suffering).

Work takes a back seat to socializing during this time. People welcome a constant stream of visitors to their homes, exchanging red envelopes (usually containing money) and other gifts for good luck. On any visit, the first order of business is a ritual tea ceremony to pay tribute to one's ancestors, and all the gods of Heaven and Earth. For the ancestors,tea is poured into three thimble size cups. For the guests, the servings are slightly larger, but always poured from the best Yixing teapot into matching small cups. In this way, the host offers honor and respect to both guests and ancestors, the old and the new.

(Make your own sweet 'fortune' with Chinese Almond Cookies. Try this…)

Tea Recipe: Shortbread "Tea-Hearts"
-Sue Worthman

• 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• ½ cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 T. loose-leaf tea, crushed fine (try Rose Congu or Earl Grey)
• ¼ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and tea together with an electric mixer. Mix until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour and salt, and stir until just incorporated. Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill until firm (1-2 hours).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut using heart-shaped cutters (or any other shape). Transfer to baking sheets and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until dry. (Do not brown. Cookies will be slightly greyed from the the tea) Cool slightly, then transfer to rack. Sprinkle with sugar, or dip into melted chocolate (dark or milk).

Customer Corner

		Name: Mack City: Oakland Occupation: Software engineer Favorite Tea: Tung Ting Oolong "I grew up in Taiwan. My parents LOVE tea, mostly oolong. It's a daily ritual for them. My dad
used to work with farmers who had tea plantations. Through these connections, we had an almost unlimited supply of tea. Some of those were amazing. One spring we were given an oolong with hints of flower, butter, and honey. I still remember its taste! Now that I'm in the US, good tea is hard to find. Tea bags with fancy packaging pretend to be wholesome. In lots of places, the only tea you can get is Lipton! It's sad. Thanks to L'Amyx, I know where to find good teas. Each morning I'll have a cup of oolong and smell the fragrance that reminds me of springtime. And then I feel a little bit closer to home."