There have been posts about a tea cup with a infuser and a lid. I think
you called them a Ga-wan.

I went looking for one. I tryed a street with 12 asian markets. I found
lots of them.

The touble is that I live in minnesota, about as far from china as
possible.

I tried to get someone to tell me the chinese name for these cups, so I
would beable to pronouce it correctly.

90% of the workers in these markets were mexican! The asians I found
were not chinese. I found one chinese guy about 19, but he was born here
and talked like someone from the movie Fargo!

They all agreed " Its a tea cup"

I think no one will care if I don't know the chinese word for it.


tom

:-D

[Tom on Gaiwans]
> I tried to get someone to tell me the chinese name for these cups, so I
> would beable to pronouce it correctly.
>
> 90% of the workers in these markets were mexican! The asians I found
> were not chinese. I found one chinese guy about 19, but he was born here
> and talked like someone from the movie Fargo!
>
> They all agreed " Its a tea cup"
>
> I think no one will care if I don't know the chinese word for it.



Tom,

Why so pale and wan, guy? You are undoubted right in your final assessment:
Not only will nobody care whether you know the Chinese word for it, but most
people will go to great lengths to prevent your knowing it. If you do learn
it, they will most likely change it. That is my experience with gaiwans in
shops. Draw one. That works. Nothing else will, despite what people tell
you. Also, the words "lidded cup" sometimes bring a smile of recognition. I
should mention too that it sometimes depends -- if you're like me -- on the
Chinese dialect you're butchering.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Michael

Technically a Gai-wan is a bowl with a lid that fits inside the rim.
It will have a seat that mates with the corresponding saucer. It won't
have an infuser or handle. Tea mugs with handles, infusers, lids and
missing saucers are common as you maybe suggest. But what's in a name?
I haven't came across one Chinese merchant yet who understood Gaiwan.
I think it is for Occidentals who like to buy things with labels.

Jim

curly mustache wrote:
> There have been posts about a tea cup with a infuser and a lid. I
think
> you called them a Ga-wan.
>
> I went looking for one. I tryed a street with 12 asian markets. I
found
> lots of them.
>
> The touble is that I live in minnesota, about as far from china as
> possible.
>
> I tried to get someone to tell me the chinese name for these cups, so
I
> would beable to pronouce it correctly.
>
> 90% of the workers in these markets were mexican! The asians I found
> were not chinese. I found one chinese guy about 19, but he was born
here
> and talked like someone from the movie Fargo!
>
> They all agreed " Its a tea cup"
>
> I think no one will care if I don't know the chinese word for it.
>
>
> tom

check out www.shanshuiteas.com
they have a variety of different tea accessories-
there are pictures of items so that u can c the different tea cups, etc

Technically a Gai-wan is a bowl with a lid that fits inside the rim.
It will have a seat that mates with the corresponding saucer. It won't
have an infuser or handle. Tea mugs with handles, infusers, lids and
missing saucers are common as you maybe suggest. But what's in a name?
I haven't came across one Chinese merchant yet who understood Gaiwan.
I think it is for Occidentals who like to buy things with labels.

Jim

curly mustache wrote:
> There have been posts about a tea cup with a infuser and a lid. I
think
> you called them a Ga-wan.
>
> I went looking for one. I tryed a street with 12 asian markets. I
found
> lots of them.
>
> The touble is that I live in minnesota, about as far from china as
> possible.
>
> I tried to get someone to tell me the chinese name for these cups, so
I
> would beable to pronouce it correctly.
>
> 90% of the workers in these markets were mexican! The asians I found
> were not chinese. I found one chinese guy about 19, but he was born
here
> and talked like someone from the movie Fargo!
>
> They all agreed " Its a tea cup"
>
> I think no one will care if I don't know the chinese word for it.
>
>
> tom