1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?
This is the first time for us to make such website like this; due to the unfamiliarity, we were not able to complete our project efficiently. However, with the software and other technical tools, we got to know more about the right way to make those things done. Our computers use WindowsXP operating system; Microsoft Internet and Mozilla Firefox 3.0.5 for web browser. We also use Photo ImpactX3/Photo Impact10 to modify pictures, GIF Animator5.05 to produce animations, Microsoft Frontpage2003 to make website, and Microsoft Word2003/ Microsoft Word2007 to edit main article and do word processing. In addition, we use Canon S95, JVC GZ-HD500BU to take our photos. Most of our information resources come from our oral interview; we took notes and photos, and later recalled our memories of those knowledge and information we need when making our project. And, of course, the greater part of our project was completed using computers and Internet. Photo ImpactX3/Photo Impact10 and Microsoft Frontpage2003 were the most helpful and were used most frequently. Art designing and website content editing were all done by them. We made good use of our resource and worked together to finish our website!
2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.
At first, we didn't like to drink tea just like everybody else. But after some interviews with tea farmers and doing tea harvesting; some inquiries with tea traders and making tea; some visits to the masters of tea and tasting and brewing tea. During the researching time, there were a lot of people sparing no efforts helping us. After a day of the special experience, each of us obtained a bottle of tea as reward from the proprietor and proprietress. We were even invited to have meals together! From the first foreign contact to becoming friends, not only did we gain a lot of knowledge but we also learned many skills of consulting and inquiring with an open mind. The way to communicate and interact with professionals and exploring the deeper areas of layer -- these extra gains will definitely benefit us in our future. Due to accepting this assignment, people around us, from family to friends have been fascinated by tea. Different chemical reactions caused by different viewpoints have made the researching procedures much more fun. 'Tea' is a magnificent and profound knowledge; we hope that from this exploration would let much more people inherit the ancient culture and through the internet would arouse more people's attraction. We are thankful to those who taught and guided us; after all, we hope that every youth like us can brew a pot of hot and healthy tea instead of having a pearl milk tea in his or her hands.
3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?
We knew nothing about tea before this project. However, we not only assimilated knowledge about tea, but also learned about skills of interaction between people. We had arranged a great deal of interview questions and answers in our content of our project. Those are the priceless gifts derived from those days we got along with tea dealers, tea growers, and the master of tea. From being totally unfamiliar with each other to becoming friends, we exchanged our opinions and stories with one another; what we shared were not simply about 'tea.' During our producing, we stayed at school for hours and hours at night, thus caught the attention from other teachers in the office. They were concerned about our progress and gave us some helpful suggestions. The progress of learning was not all purely about ourselves; our friends and relatives were actually followed our step to explore in this fascinating kingdom. Even now my father, who loves brewing tea all the time, also asks and discusses the knowledge with me. Of course we also directed our wrong thoughts to the right way. We introduce almost everything in our website, from the basic knowledge of tea to the process of making tea, hoping that users of our website can begin from this and gain more interest to search for 'tea culture.' It is our purpose to lead more and more people sharing this traditional culture and inheriting from one generation to another.
4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?
We visited many tea shops, such as Xing Hung, Yi Ming, Hsu, Yao-Liang, the master of tea Chou, Deng-Feng, and etc. We experienced producing, packing, and even sale in tea plantation of the possessor Hsu; in Yi Ming tea plantation, not only did we solved our problems and corrected the stereotypes, but we also harvested tea tips to become the beginner of tea growers. The tea growers helped us friendly and paid close attention to our project at the same time. As for the master of tea, he was actually a ceramic artist. However, he had studied tea for over ten years and had his own reflection. Also, he is a friend of our leading teacher. It was said that he seldom received strangers, but he begun to like us after we visited him over and over again. He taught us how to taste and brew tea; while we were chatting happily together, the master even shared his 'number one tea' for us. Because of the numerous visitors, we had our pleasure meeting many friends with different ages and careers. We were thankful to the tea dealers and tea farmers for their sharing and kindness. We had to appreciate our teachers for teaching us in such a busy harvest season, too. In addition, the master taught us not only knowledge about tea but also his attitude of life. Last but not least, we definitely had to show our highest respect to our leading teacher, for his guidance of taking us to visit around during his onerous work tasks. And, of course, the long-term spirit support of our parents gave us the biggest motivation. We hope that the journey we went on can eventually achieve the goal and present the excellent fulfillment to deliver our deepest appreciation.
5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)
Compared the short-term experience to the daily works tea dealers have to do, we were able to realize how toilsome the jobs are, as well as how mellow the taste derived from the hard-work is. We traveled the world of tea, from its fascinated history to its geographic knowledge, and got to know more about it. From the first understanding, along with visiting every single tea shop, to brewing a pot of tea that is almost perfect by ourselves, we learned step by step, and all of these are not easy at all! Before getting the opportunity of making this research, most of us must had heard about some rumors as a child, such as knowledge about tea. After we visited a couple of tea plantation and interviewed some of the proprietors, all we thought was supposed to be was actually totally wrong. While learning the processes of making tea, something interesting happened. A bus arrived at the plantation unexpectedly, and the boss got his hands full! To our surprise, we became probationers and helped to take care of guests and visitors; as for our teacher, he became like a real master of tea to brew hot tea to the guests! “Tea” is really a magnificent and profound knowledge; though we merely explored a tiny part of it, we were able to understand the cultural history, the fantastic taste, and the organic property of Oriental Beauty. It is worth to be cherished and has infinite potentiality. We hope every youth like us can brew a pot of hot tea instead of having a pearl milk tea in his or her hands, since the after-taste is colorful and wonderful cultural history!
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