teakkurim

iyar 29 5781   i finally felt good about paying a chunk of money for puer. usually i feel constant economic and political dread when participating in capitalism; especially when buying something that comes from super far away). but this time, my purchase finally aligned with my values. i bought tea from a stranger on reddit (aka: mrmopar).   why does this make me so happy you ask? this is who i want to give my money to- someone who is doing this out of the joy of their heart. they are not running a business. they are not trying to meet certain margin goals. they are someone who enjoys helping fellow western puer fiends have access to good, hard to get puer, at a good price. it’s like that friend of yours who would sell you weed at the buddy rate because they were only dealing to cover their own cost of smoking.   from this person’s reddit posts i could tell i liked their style, i liked their taste preferences, and i also liked the content of what they would post. addition...

14 shvat 5781   my landmate asked me why do i like tea. it became a complicated answer.   why do i like tea? am i drinking it now for pure enjoyment? honestly, no. sometimes yes, but sometimes, no. presently, i spend a lot of time studying tea. i am judging it. i am evaluating it. and sometimes, i am disappointed by it. this certainly doesn’t sound fun and makes me sound like a jaded parent. so why am i doing this to myself?   i will get optimistic first before i dive into my personal existential hole of skepticism.    during the summer i would sit out in the yard on a blanket, pour tea, watch the birds, occasionally read from a book, and bask in the sun’s warmth. i was very happy doing this and i was enjoying myself. my gaiwan looked elegant and graceful sitting atop the hewn stump. the leaves glistened under the sunlight and the liquid sparkled as i poured it into my cup. as the weather grew drearier, i would sit inside drinking pour after pour and spend lots ...

8 shvat 5781  ah business. it helps supply us with tea and helps lighten our suppl of money. economics. capitalism. supply and demand. other word$. the tea trade is a business and it is a pretty big one in China. with the growth of Chinese tea consumption in the west and also the growth in China's overall domestic economy, the tea trade has become an even bigger business. this brings more money into rural villages hopefully also brings an improvement in quality of life. but these tea companies are not magnanimous do-gooders no matter how much they advertise all the 'good' they are doing for tea farmers. they are trying to make money. and that’s fine, don’t let me stop you from getting your bags (unless you do so underhandedly and by deceiving people. then screw you).     some of these companies are run entirely by well-to-do westerners and they are aiming their marketing at other well to do westerners. some of these companies are run by people from Yun...