TEA CEREMONY.pdf

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TEA CEREMONY

by Niamh Schönherr

ABOUT THIS GAME

I have a Chinese tea set my brother (who lives in China) gave me one year. Most of

the time, it stays in its boxes on top of my bookshelf, but sometimes when guests visit, I

bring it down and set it up in order to serve them tea.

I think when most people hear "tea ceremony," they expect the kind of elaborate and

somber affair you might experience if you go to a formal Japanese tea ceremony. But what I

do for friends, and what this game is about, is not that. However, I also don't want to say it

isn't still a ceremony. It very much is, in its own way.

It's a ceremony in the way that buying your friend a drink at the bar to celebrate is a

ceremony, or getting coffee with a friend you haven't seen in a while is a ceremony.

So this game is an attempt to capture a small ceremony I perform for friends who visit

from afar. And perhaps I'm performing it for you again here by giving you this game. I'm

laying the tea set out for you not as an assortment of vessels and utensils, but as a system

of rules. I'm asking you to be my audience and my guests, to sit and take part in something,

and in the process come away with a new experience.

Maybe in the process you will learn something about me and how I view the world.

Maybe in the process you will have a chance to show something about yourself, too.

If you play this game, thank you. Feel free to pass it on, to change it, to let it grow. It

is still a prototype, and I hope it will become something more than it is right now. And of

course, feel free to contact me—I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at

bumpnlevelgrind@gmail.com

, or contact me on Twitter at

sjontofa

SUGGESTED NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3–5

There is no exact limit here, other than that you should probably all be able to sit

comfortable around a table and speak freely to anyone else at the table.

GETTING STARTED

Equipment:

To play this game you will need a tea set. This game was designed with

a Chinese tea set in mind, but it can be played with any set provided the pot is large enough

(and the cups small enough) for everyone playing to get at least 1.5 cups of tea per pot.

Although to be honest, you don’t even necessarily need a tea set. If you don’t like

tea, or can’t have caffeine, you can still play! Any beverage will do, just as long as there is

some sort of larger vessel that the Host can use to pour into everyone’s cups. So for

example, you could share pitchers of lemonade instead.

Oh, and it might be nice to have some snacks set out too. Everyone likes snacks.

Roles:

One player will be the Host and all other players will be Guests. The Host and

Guests have different roles to play, which are detailed in the two sections below. Who gets

to be the Host? This is sort of up to you. Just go with whatever makes the most sense for the

group. The Host just needs to be someone who is comfortable making tea and serving it to

everyone at the table, and is comfortable talking.

RULES OF THE GAME — HOST

So you’re the Host! You have two main tasks during this game: Serving tea, and facilitating

conversation.

Start the game by brewing a pot of tea. When it is ready, pour everyone a cup of tea,

pouring your own cup last. This is the beginning of the First Pot.

Once everyone has a cup of tea, pick one Guest at the table and ask them to talk

about a dream they have for the future. At this point, that Guest is now the Dreamer, and the

conversation should focus around whatever it is they have to share. If they have trouble, you

can help prompt them by asking questions or for further details about some aspect of their

dream that seems interesting.

Now, while the other Guests are also allowed to speak, the conversation should stay

relevant to the Dreamer’s dream. Keep the conversation focused on the Dreamer, and if

anyone else seems to be monopolizing things, try to gently encourage them to listen more.

They will have their turn later! There are two main ways to do this:

1. If their cup is still full, encourage them to drink some.

2. If their cup is not full, fill up the cup for them.

(And if they still aren’t getting the hint, maybe you can tactfully say something.)

Of course, you should also just make sure no one’s cup is ever fully empty. So watch

people’s cups, and fill them up as necessary.

Once the pot is empty, it’s the end of the First Pot. Try to wrap up any loose ends of

conversation as people finish drinking their cups and begin to brew a new pot. Once the new

pot of tea is ready, it is now the Second Pot. Pick another Guest and, again, ask them to talk

about a dream they have for the future. This Guest is the new Dreamer, and again, you will

be pouring tea while keeping the conversation focused on the Dreamer’s dream until the

Second Pot runs out.

Continue making pots of tea and picking new Dreamers until every Guest has had a

chance to be the Dreamer. Sorry, Host, you don’t get to be a Dreamer. That’s okay, though.

Sometimes it’s nice to just step back a little, and help someone else tell their story. And of

course, maybe next time, someone else will be Host.

Once each Guest has had their turn, the game is officially over, but please feel free to

continue to converse with each other and even drink more tea if you want.

RULES OF THE GAME — GUESTS

Hello, dear Guests! Welcome to the Tea Ceremony. Please make yourself comfortable and

enjoy the company around you.

There are a few matters of custom you should be aware of, though, to make sure you

are being a good Guest, and the first thing you should be mindful of is whether you are

currently the Dreamer or the Audience.

Dreamer:

hen the Host asks you to talk about a dream you have for the future, you

are currently the Dreamer. Now is your time in the spotlight! Try to be genuine and open,

and talk about something you are really interested in or passionate about. Remember to

enjoy your cup of tea while you talk, but don’t get too hung up on it. Most just pour yourself

out for the people around you. Then, once everyone has finished their tea, and it’s time for a

new pot of tea and a new Dreamer, let go of your dream. At least for right now, abandon it,

and let yourself be free to listen to the next person.

Audience:

If you are not currently the Dreamer, then you are the Audience. First and

foremost, your focus while you’re the Audience is to relax, listen, and enjoy your tea.

Pay attention to your cup of tea, and whenever the Host pours more tea into it, take a

moment of stillness to be quiet and mindful. Stop, even if just for a few seconds, and

appreciate the fact that you are here with other people, enjoying some tea and conversation.

Take a deep breath, smell the warm vapor drifting up from your cup, and savor the taste.

And of course, do still talk with the other Guests while you’re the Audience! In fact, it

would be very nice if you have something meaningful and pertinent to bring up, but please

be courteous and thoughtful. Try not to talk over anyone, especially the Dreamer, and

avoiding making it about you. As the Audience, your role is to slow down, relax, and try to

just be there. You will have your chance to be the Dreamer. For now, just be a good and

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