Tea. How many of us have ever tasted tea in our lives? There are many of us, aren't there? Well, drinking tea is known all over the world, especially among the Japanese. In the late 12th century, during the Kamakura period, Matcha, also known as “finely ground tea,” was introduced to Japan from China (Sayre 302). In those days, tea was not just prepared the way most of us prepare it. It was prepared with care and delicacy, especially in Zen temples. The delicate ritual of tea preparation continues today and is usually performed by a master for his guest in a comfortable and relaxed setting. For the Japanese, drinking tea is much more than just drinking tea, it is "a spiritual experience that embodies harmony, respect, purity and tranquility" ("The Japanese Tea Ceremony" par.1) . This careful procedure can last from one hour to five hours (Japanese Tea Ceremony,” par. 29). Here in the West we are not used to taking so much time to prepare a simple tea. That being said, I don't believe that we, as Westerners, are capable of performing these types of rituals, or any other type of rituals that involve this much patience and delicacy. Drinking tea is necessary for me; I drink it three times a day. I find it refreshing and calming, so I drink it often. I speak for myself, and I'm sure many other people do the same; I take little or no time to prepare my tea. For me, the sooner this is done, the better. I don't have the patience to lay out everything carefully and really engage in the act of making tea. That being said, I'm sure there are many people around the world, not just here in the western part of the world, like me. We don't have the time to invest hours into brewing tea, and we certainly wouldn't want to end up in the middle of paper... too quick to even consider wasting their time on things like Japanese tea ceremonies. Works Cited “Japanese Tea Ceremony.” Shibui words. Np, and Web. April 18, 2014. Kang, Sean HK, Robert V. Lindsey, Michael C. Mozer, and Harold Pashler. “Long-term recovery practice.” Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. Psychonomic Society, Inc, April 18, 2014. Web. April 18, 2014.Melnick, Meredith. “American yoga: how many people practice in the United States? The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, December 6, 2012. Web. April 18, 2014. “Present! - Tea ceremony: Urasenke style » YouTube. YouTube, June 4, 2010. Web. April 18, 2014. Rodriguez, Christopher. Personal communication. April 16, 2014. Sayre, Henry. Discovering the human sciences (2nd edition). New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2010. Print “The Japanese Tea Ceremony ».. 2014.