[lahikmajoe]

You know, I should really save this for a blogpost, but since I’ve been mentioned by name, I’ll go ahead and share my experience.

I have had success. It’s been one of the best parts of this teablogging lark. Although I’m not keeping a tally, there’ve been tens of people who’ve become tea drinkers…partly as a result of what I did, but not entirely.

Simply put, each story was unique.

Barbara said she didn’t drink tea, and I insisted that she would when I got through with her. It worked, but I have no illusions that such a direct approach would work with everyone.

One advantage I have with this is that I see a lot of people in my daily life. I offer tea to my clients when it’s appropriate, and I make a real show of the Gaiwan when I think they’ll appreciate it.

Had a client this morning who was really honoured at the very thought of me lugging my tea gear to her office. Little did she know I was luring yet one more person over to the leaf-side.

Blogpost on that experience coming soon.

[lahikmajoe]

I’ve read a lot about this lately, but like you say, I’m not a bubble tea fan. So, I’ve considered writing about the many pieces in the press here about how unhealthy this stuff is.

The city of Munich has even done some public service announcements warning citizens about the things you mentioned. High calories in general and a choking hazard (the Tapicoca pearls) in particular. 

Still not sure I want to write much more about it. It’s a tea blog, after all. And bubble tea really has little, if anything, to do with tea.

[lahikmajoe]

Not entirely sure how to answer this, which is interesting because I almost always have an opinion.

Despite its whimsy and sometimes haphazard appearance, I take my teablog rather seriously. Soon after I started, someone told me that blogs were best when they were updated daily (if not multiple times in a day). 

I kept that up for a while, and it was great fun. In some ways, it was both a challenge and a pleasure to come up with content so regularly. As I’ve so often said, I like to get as far away from tea as possible and it still be tangentially about that often brown, nearly always delicious beverage. 

I suppose if I had to come up with a ‘hardest part’, it’d be finding something to say/write about that’s really worth saying. One of the reasons I’ve slowly veered away from tea reviews is that I just didn’t like how bland my descriptions were. Though I could come up with creative ways of doing tea reviews (Geoff’s immediately come to mind), I find myself focusing on other aspects of all of it.

So, I periodically find myself looking at a half-written blogpost and think to myself, ‘This isn’t worth continuing. It just doesn’t say anything that really needs to be said.’ Some of you are probably thinking, ‘He should do that more often.’ 

Yes, you’re probably right.

Interesting topic. I reserve the right to come back and pontificate further on this one.

[lahikmajoe]

First of all, just the thought that this thread will soon be locked has sent me scrambling to have my say. Let’s see if I can do my little part to get it shut down.

As if I even had that in me. Really.

I’ve always veered as far from tea as one can possibly manage and still make it about tea. It’s an envelope I like pushing. Very much so. Even though I like blogging about various other things elsewhere, I find it a personal challenge to pull other themes and ideas into the conversation about this often brown and delicious liquid.

Having said that…if I really thought someone was waiting on the sidelines to decide what was kosher, I’d be perplexed and even a bit irritated.

Personally, Robert is one of my favourite bloggers (and people) here on Tea Trade. I wish I knew Tommy better, but there’s thankfully more time for that.

The thing is that when things similar to this have come up, I’ve done all I can to stay out of it. Above the fray, as it were. Weirdly, I’m in a position here to say something that maybe others feel they can’t or shouldn’t.

Please be nice to one another. If you feel the standards of tea blogging need to be upheld, go uphold them on your blog and mind your own business. Are there situations where a page needs to be moderated or scrutinised?

Perhaps.

I’m really grateful that that’s not my concern. We care about this community. It’s something we’ll fight for and disagree about. But don’t be a jerk. It’s less than becoming.

[lahikmajoe]

I’m going to attempt not to rant here, but it’s not easy.

Why do tea shop owners do that? Of course a person who’s new to tea won’t know many things about tea, but why that condescending look? Why talk down to your customer?

It’s the sign of a really petty person. *sigh*

And I agree with yaya said about the name ‘tea bar’. What a weird term. How about ‘tea hut’? Or ‘tea lounge’? Or ‘tea brothel’?

Well, actually…I like the sound of that last one.

[lahikmajoe]

You know, this is an intriguing question. One that really deserves a blogpost. Thanks for the idea Jackie.

I was recently in a tea shop, and the tea shop assistant mentioned an introductory class the owner was giving on green tea. Immediately after her words left her mouth, she said, ‘Oh, but you know too much about tea for that to be of any use to you.’ Quickly, I assured her that it wasn’t the case.

I’m also fascinated with how to better bring people to tea, and would’ve been just as eager to see how the introduction was presented.

Before I began my blog, I was quite intimidated by the far more knowledgeable tea people online. It actually made me hesitate longer than I care to admit. Then a friend assured me that this could actually be used to my advantage. That I could write the blog as someone ‘on the path‘ of discovering tea.

It’s all the encouragement I needed.

I live in a culture (Germany) where blogging is eyed with great skepticism. Many people here wonder first of all how serious one can be if the work is thrown up on the web without any obvious financial gain. Secondly, the question posed is, ‘How knowledgeable is this person, anyway?‘

Some people know a lot more about tea than I do. I suspect that it’ll always be true to some extent. I’m much more interested in the exchange of ideas than in proving how brilliant I am when it comes to tea. Does that mean I reject learning more? Clearly not.

One of the nicest things about this tea community in particular, from my perspective, is that any ‘putting on of airs’ would be rather transparent. Quite quickly I’d think.

[lahikmajoe]

I know a few Japanese phrases, and have always wanted to know more.

Thanks for posting this.

[lahikmajoe]

For the most part, this has been one of my most consistent years of tea when it comes to my taste.

I’m still partial to high mountain Oolong and decent Darjeeling.

I drink quite a lot of the tea that Jackie mentioned, and I can’t imagine starting the day without a hearty Assam or Nilgiri.

Xavier actually brings up my bigger problem. I need to drink the tea I have before I go out looking for new tea. Easier said than done, eh?

[lahikmajoe]

Yes, I just saw it. Gorgeous. 

Now I want to go back.

[lahikmajoe]

This is beautiful. Exactly the sort of thing I was aiming for. Maybe I need to add another post with additional photos and impressions. Thanks for adding this.

[lahikmajoe]

Hey, thanks for doing that Jackie. It’s been a pleasure writing about things other than tea over there. 

Having said that, I’m far more comfortable writing a teablog and tying everyday things into my tea narrative. It’s a matter of comfort zone, I think.

[lahikmajoe]

This is such a great story Peter, and I’m seriously considering talking about it at length when I write about ‘chifir’. I’ve only had ‘intense headaches and tachycardia‘ when drinking coffee, but I guess if you prepare tea the way it’s mentioned, then you might get surprising results.

Am daydreaming about how much I’d enjoy being in the scenario you described. This isn’t the last you’ve heard of ‘chifir’. Not by a long shot.

[lahikmajoe]

This stuff is so interesting Pete, and I’ve been following your comments as you’ve made your way through this course.

Can’t wait to pick your brain about more of the ideas before I start my tea-related empire.

[lahikmajoe]

I’m sure @Xavier (@teaconomics) will find this interesting.

If I could stay focused on the data, I would too. It’s late in the evening after a busy weekend. I’ll have to look at this more carefully another time.

[lahikmajoe]

Thank you so much Jackie for including the @teapages video.

Love it.

[lahikmajoe]

Is Indonique still around. 

He was one of the first people I was in contact with in my early days of teablogging.

Really nice guy.

[lahikmajoe]

I’m really curious about this topic, as well.

Hope a lot of noise is made about any developments.

[lahikmajoe]

This is wonderful. Be sure to watch it till the end.

[lahikmajoe]

I’d heard of these forums, but hadn’t yet made the short journey over here from Leafbox Tea.  Better late than never.

Am looking forward to some great discussions here.

[lahikmajoe]

Was a coffee drinker when I married.

At first, I brewed tea for my wife, then I’d periodically take a sip, and finally I’d share a pot.  Now I’m the tea obsessive here, and she relies on me exclusively to make the tea recommendations.

[lahikmajoe]

Thanks so much for making me now want to go immediately to China.  I didn’t need this today.

[lahikmajoe]

I love this sort of thing.  Thanks for posting it.

[Author]

Posts