Dathne – Winner of the 9th “Scent of Taiwan” Blending Contest
“I never considered the possibility of actually winning, so it was obviously quite a surprise when they told me I won!” Dathne is an imposing man, standing at 1.8 meters tall, but his youthful joy shines through. The inspiration for his contest entry came from the passing of his father. “We had recently concluded my father’s funeral when I learned of the blending contest – the theme ‘To My Beloved’ resonated strongly with me, and so I decided to transform memories of my father into a memorial.”
Dathne struggled in school as a child. As such, any award was an occasion for celebration, and he’d rush home to his father looking for approval and a congratulatory trip to McDonald’s. In Dathne’s own words, he was a bit spoiled compared to his three significantly older sisters. He was born when his father was nearly fifty, and there always seemed to be a sense of distance because of this. His father was always out busy with work, and preferred playing cards with friends until the morning on his days off. “I felt it didn’t really make a difference if he was around or not. I’d go to my mother for everything because I rarely saw him.”
But when his father passed at the age of 90, fragments and pieces of memories gradually came back. “He taught me how to play Chinese chess, he’d sneak $100NT into my pocket every day so I could buy milk to grow taller, he’d let me sit in the front seat of the car so I might learn to drive earlier…” it was at this point that Dathne finally understood his father’s love and expectations. He remembers his father taking on life’s challenges head on, and how he was always there for his kids when they needed a comforting shoulder to cry on. And so, this warm blend of Rosewood, Orange, Basil, Rosemary, and Benzoin is a fitting tribute to the most important man in his life. The calming Benzoin is a great final touch, sending his father off into the next world peacefully.
Dathne believes his father’s spirit continues to watch over him, and even if he hadn’t won, his wonderful and meaningful creation is certainly one worthy of his father’s legacy.