This one-hour Tea Talk is a demonstration of how I prepare tea to experience spaciousness in the midst of busy-ness. Supplemented by a reading from the Tao te Ching, intimate family stories, tea lessons in my business decisions, and followed by Q&A, we will examine how this practice is applied to making calm and strategic choices in personal and professional areas of life. 

You will be introduced to my favorite tea and watch my steps in steeping. We'll enjoy a moment to ourselves set to music and apply tea lessons to daily decisions. To be clear, I am not a professional tea purveyor or sommelier, just a humble, at-home tea enthusiast. So while you will be introduced to loose leaf tea steeping, it is not meant as a lesson in tea origins, craftsmanship, ceremonial methods, or flavor notes, but rather applying tea lessons to life. It is a great practice for those who haven’t clicked with sitting meditation, Taiji or Yoga, but crave centered moments in your day - along with a good cup of tea!

Based on principles of spaciousness and Yin Yang philosophy, I incorporate my own stories of making new choices: anything ranging from where I buy groceries to birthing new creative work, this Tea Talk offers an alternative way of working to the non-stop, back-to-back days - a calm oasis in busy lives that invites curiosity and joy through the simplicity of leaves transforming hot water.

Private location will be shared upon registration.

Register $48

In collaboration with it’s fall exhibit, Spirit House (that features Southeast Asian American artists), the young performers of the Berkeley Thai Temple will be featured as part of the Cantor Center’s Family Day. Both the show and the museum are free and open to the public. VC Tang voice recording featured in virtual tour of the exhibit.

The Moonlight Collective was born out of the universal desire for human connection - and is a platform to discover hidden gems and talents nearby. This experience emphasizes getting to know tea through the senses and is an introduction to the gong fu cha style of steeping loose leaf teas with an emphasis on oolong varietals.

The Tea Tasting will take place on a private outdoor patio overlooking the Bay in San Carlos, CA.

$37 Reserve

This one-hour Tea Tasting Flight is a demonstration of how I prepare tea to experience spaciousness in the midst of busy-ness. You will sample my favorite teas and watch steps in steeping. To be clear, I am not a tea purveyor or sommelier, just a humble, tea enthusiast. So while you will be introduced to loose leaf “gong fu cha” steeping, it is not meant as an in-depth lesson in tea craftsmanship, ceremonial methods, or flavor notes, but rather getting to know tea through our own senses. It is a great practice for those who crave centered moments - along with a good cup of tea!

This tasting experience offers an alternative to non-stop, back-to-back days - a calm oasis that invites curiosity and joy through the simplicity of leaves transforming hot water.

Space is limited. Priority for Art Bias artists. Reserve your spot.

Art Bias is a lively place and the largest collective of artists housed under one roof on the SF Peninsula. You can barely walk down the halls without stopping at a studio to say hi. :) I had the pleasure of hosting a tea tasting there a couple weeks ago, and am excited to return. This month the gallery features the clean, contemplative, and vibrant collage work of Maricris Briones Hansen in her exhibit, Reconfiguring.

The Four Reigns “See Pan Din” is a historical novel that was published in 1953 written by Kukrit Pramoj, of Thai nobility, who was also the thirteenth prime minister of Thailand. It recounts the life of a young woman, Ploy, sent to live in the royal court in from 1868 to 1946 thus spanning the reign of four monarchs from Rama V to Rama VIII. The novel was adapted as a stage musical in 2011 in honor of beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 7th Cycle 84th Birthday.

The story takes place during a delicate time when Southeast Asia was, like many regions, under threat of European encroachment - and through careful negotiations and territorial secessions by monarchs of the time, Siam was not politically colonized by a Western power. The kingdom, instead, underwent a period of infrastructural modernization that brought trains, highways, telegrams, and telephones to its citizens alongside social reforms such as the abolition of slavery.

As a result, when much turmoil swept the globe since the late 1800s, this period of Thai history is often paired with a love, gratitude, and devotion for king and country that mirrors what musical’s narrator Ploy experiences in her decades working and living in the royal court – a life that is not without its own struggles and hardships, but a spirit that overcomes them because she is inspired her monarchs and their dedication to the land, to the people, and to the kingdom.

This presentation of The Four Reigns covers the first half of the original novel, spanning the reigns of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) from 1868 to 1925.

Tickets $50 pp includes dinner and show at Pinole Valley High School Performing Arts Center

At the convergence of Earth Month and Asian Pacific Heritage Month, come experience Tai Chi at sunset. Wind down in rhythm with the day with movement, tea, and story. Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art that promotes healing and vitality. Evolved over generations who lived Taoist philosophy, ancient martial artists had a keen understanding of the natural world and embedded this understanding into the movement. Gathering at sunset synchronizes our activities with nature rather than scheduling nature into our human calendars. Orange Memorial Park has a picnic area next to a magnificent willow tree to accompany our practice.

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This program is a part of the City of South San Francisco Cultural Arts program.

A multidisciplinary showcase for Asian American Pacific Islander musicians, singers, writers, poets/spoken word artists, and visual artists who live and/or work in San Mateo County - from high schoolers to elders, from seasoned creatives to first-timers looking for a low-key stage to share your art in community. Co-presented with Chopsticks Alley.

Ways to get involved and support:

1. Refer an artist or sign up yourself (preference for artists living and working in San Mateo County). Deadline March 22. Send this sign up form to a Bay Area artist you know or sign up yourself - from high schooler to elder, from seasoned creative to first-timer.

2. Become a sponsor. Artists and the production team are compensated for their time. Sponsorship opportunities available in tiers of $100, $250, and $500. Make donations via PayPal to vctang@stirfrystories.com or Venmo @stirfrystories. Reply to vctang@stirfrystories.com with instructions for making a tax-deductible donation. 

3. Save the Date and Attend! Free and open to the public. Registration required.

Produced with support from the Redwood City Parks and Art Foundation and the Redwood City Arts Commission.

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I have been craving a chill way to celebrate API Heritage Month - so I’m hosting a chill, morning picnic. ("Cheew cheew" as the Thai way of saying chill and low-key.) While many arts and cultural events occur midday or evening, I've always admired how elders get all the good stuff done in the morning. Come join me for a morning of Taiji, Tea, and Storytime set against the backdrop of the SF Bay. Dim sum buns & bites, tea, and other comfort foods will be available. Please RSVP here for food count. Space is limited.

I am encouraging sitting on the floor if you are able, so please bring your picnic mats and lawn chairs, layers of clothing, your favorite morning beverage/hydration, and other supplemental foods should dim sum buns be insufficient for your family members. The agenda will be "loose," and you may flow in and out as you please.

9:30 Taiji exercises that we can do to loosen and open our joints, then demo a full Taiji form

10:15 Tastings of my favorite teas, and readings of new stories inspired by this past year of becoming a creative inspired by Asian ways. Q&A and "cheew cheew" discussion.

Be prepared to listen and chat about sci-fi and food! Elders, children and pets are welcome, and in my experience, they love staring at Taiji! There is a playground and walking trails around the park for you to enjoy at your leisure as well.

Free and open to the public. All are welcome.

This event is made possible by the support of the Very Asian Foundation’s Creator Micro Grant.

Hosted by the San Mateo County Libraries

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I will host a virtual cook-along of Tom Yum with the accompanying recipe and story from my book. I look forward to sharing tips and tweaks of this well-known sour soup with you in honor of API Heritage Month. Attendees will receive the recipe ahead of time, so you can cook-along if you choose or have whatever dinner you choose as you enjoy a live, storytelling cooking show!

Presented by the United States of Asian American Festival: Reimagining Horizons

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During a virtual storytelling cook-along, VC Tang reads vignettes from her Thai cookbook memoir in which she reconciles the difference between home and motherland – and then weaves in new writings about her Asian and Latinx friendships forged in food and travel that birthed a new recipe: the curry tamale. It is the meeting and reunification of new ingredients: first, the chili pepper that circumvented the globe via Spanish colonization and Aztec exploration, making its way to Asia; and second, a pocket of masa steamed in a banana leaf – a scent of home in many tropical cultures. Furthermore, this particular curry relies on one particular brand of canned sour, brined bamboo that is little known and obscure - apart from mainstream Thai food. The convergence of familiar and foreign flavors via familiar techniques returns us to our roots and sends us into a shared future.

I’ll read stories from my cookbook over tea and small bites in the serene backyard of the friendly, neighborhood Blackbird Bookstore. I spent my teenage and college years in this neighboorhood and dreamed of hosting a reading here as my book was being put together. I’m happy to be a local voice and share stories from the San Francisco Sunset neighborhood.