January 24, 2010 has really been a remarkable day for me that’s why I have to share this with you.
My association with tea is always material because it is my bread and butter. Marketing, writing, promotions and trying to prove myself seemed so small from what Tea gave me this day. I received two great ‘Darshans’.
Yes, Jason you are right on ‘Spirituality of TEA’.  Tea brings you closer to Grace.
Mr.Nielsson, an elderly man, a retired professor of Chemistry from Copenhagen visited our Shangrila tea room, in Goa. He has been drinking and enjoying tea for more than 50 years.
While we were brewing and tasting he became ‘very very’ emotional about a particular variety. The Margarets Hope Muscatel variety. He revealed that he had tasted such quality after a long time and his emotions really touched our soul.
This was just another sale for me but later when I put myself on his boots I found out how important this experience was for him. Mr.Nielsson had blessed us which we realized only after he left.

This blessing came in disguise and almost instantly after a few hours. Swamijee Rajneesh parked a huge car in front of our parking lot and headed straight to our shop to buy some gifts for a friend who was leaving for South Korea.

This was a real…. blessing. Swamijee also blessed us. He filled our small store with grace.
My wife and I were immensely touched by Mr.Nielsson. With utmost regards to him, we are not posting any of his photographs to respect and honor his privacy.
Many Thanks, Mr.Nielsson. With all due respect, I know you will be back in Copenhagen few days from now. This post is dedicated to you.

Launch of FreshDarjeelingtea-online store and Thanks Giving.

More than a blog this is a letter of thanks and a dedication to all the people who have been an inspiration and somehow made me feel good about whatever I am doing online besides what I do normally with my business.

I never knew or had the slightest notion that social media networks would bring us so close that we can now share, exchange, promote ideas and put across views to people living in far off continents, share the same passion and above all, be recognized.

I was born in a small tea village in Namring and lived a blissful childhood in a serene place, Sikkim, and then, pursuing a career in tea, nothing was thought about or organized – it all happened like a rolling stone. I still feel like a child sometimes and compare myself with my 13-year-old daughter, but time flies away so fast as you must know my friends. I am writing this because now I have the opportunity to thank you on two counts, firstly, it is Thanks-giving times and secondly, to thank you for your compliments on the launch of our online store.

I started this blog from 25 March 2009. Before that I didn’t know what a blog was, and to be very honest, till very recently, I had no inkling that promotion was even possible through a blog. I just started with the intention of sharing my thoughts with the few people whom I thought knew something about Darjeeling Tea.

To begin with, I would like to thank Stephen, author of ‘Beating Cholesterol’, who hopped into my store in Goa and said, “Sonam, you need to start writing, so, where is your online presence?” Then my beautiful customers, mostly ladies, who savor my white teas always questioning me, “Sonam, can I buy online after I return home?” To my Russian friend Alex who took the pain to cover and feature me on a Russian Daily newspaper.

To my Darjeeling Tea planter friends and tea masters or ‘bros’, in our local lingo. Thanks to people in the Nepal Tea industry namely, Suraj Vaidya and Ram Limboo of Guranse Tea, Dilli Baskota CEO of Himalayan Tea Producers Association, Sumyash Agrawal of Accord International. My child hood friend Sonam Goperma.

Then Steven Knoerr of 39steeps whom I met on Facebook, who wrote me a letter (so long that it took me months to organize) which became an inspiration, and I am still religiously following his suggestions. Our Facebook fans Twitter followers. Nancy Overbury who always Retweets my blog posts. Forgive my omissions, if any – I hope I have covered all.

I admit I am not very tech-savy, but Kriszha, my consultant in Internet Marketing and my developer, made my foray into the Internet marketing bandwagon a smooth one. I appreciate him for bearing with me.

To associates of Kriszha, David Hudson from Indonesia, OS Commerce coder, Antonius Madhya from Indonesia, Wordpress coder for the Blog, Le Manh Cuong from Vietnam, Agustín Garassino from Argentina, Wordpress coder for freshdarjeelingtea-online store and an avid tea drinker himself.
To my Grandfather, now 87 years of age and residing in Tukdah-Darjeeling, Mr.Harish Mukhia now 76, Mr. BrijMohan of Tea promoters India all pioneering Darjeeling Tea planters and my GURUS.
I will risk heartaches by not mentioning my daughter Rowena who patiently waits for me for dinner and my wife who never makes me feel that I exist single and my late mother who did not survive cancer.
Sincere Thanks to God and thanks to everyone once again.