Lavender and vanilla are usually a win for me. See previous/original comments on this tea.

Today was another day that I v entered out with intentions to go to the beach for a walk after running some errands. I live in a residential neighbourhood, but now there are several condominiums in various stages of construction. And my neighbours—insert vile curse word here—continue to wake me up and keep me awake with whatever silent electronic/microwave/radiating/technological or who even knows what devices from 3 am onwards every night.

Yeah, I am beyond done. I really needed some soothing nature to look at and be with. Something away from the dust and traffic and construction. That was the plan.

By the time I finished my errands, my feet were tired. I was tired. Well, I am always chronically tired-but even more so. And I was hungry.

No beach today. I ended up going the other way and picked up a couple of treats as self-bribes. I did manage to sneak in walks through lush well-forested neighbourhoods while taking care of things. I also had a bit of a rest on a park bench and visited with pigeons and squirrels until loud energetic children scattered them.

And it’s a sipdown!

#long time ago internet hiatus sipdown

Leafhopper

Construction noise is the worst. They replaced all the water mains along my street a few years ago and it was miserable. I also work from home, so I didn’t get a break. I hope you can get some noise-cancelling headphones or something to block it out.

Evol Ving Ness

Ugh! Thanks, Leafhopper! This has become an every summer-fall-spring thing now. I have almost become immune to the noise now, almost. It is the bed shaking violently at 7 am after a sleepless night that gets to me. That and whatever it is that they use to cut tiles. I need to get psychologically prepared to move.

Evol Ving Ness

And also, how is it possible for the humidity to work itself into cooler days?

Leafhopper

I don’t miss the vibrating furniture! I was actually worried about my teaware during the worst of it. (Priorities!) :)

And yes, the humidity has been awful this summer.

Evol Ving Ness

Ha! Priorities indeed! :)

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Leafhopper

Construction noise is the worst. They replaced all the water mains along my street a few years ago and it was miserable. I also work from home, so I didn’t get a break. I hope you can get some noise-cancelling headphones or something to block it out.

Evol Ving Ness

Ugh! Thanks, Leafhopper! This has become an every summer-fall-spring thing now. I have almost become immune to the noise now, almost. It is the bed shaking violently at 7 am after a sleepless night that gets to me. That and whatever it is that they use to cut tiles. I need to get psychologically prepared to move.

Evol Ving Ness

And also, how is it possible for the humidity to work itself into cooler days?

Leafhopper

I don’t miss the vibrating furniture! I was actually worried about my teaware during the worst of it. (Priorities!) :)

And yes, the humidity has been awful this summer.

Evol Ving Ness

Ha! Priorities indeed! :)

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A monk sips morning tea

A monk sips morning tea,
it’s quiet,
the chrysanthemum’s flowering.

- Basho

(1644-1694)

Note to self—-you do not actually need any more tea.

My real tea obsession began in February 2015.

Not, sadly, when I had been living and working in China, though I very much enjoyed sampling a variety of teas during my travels there as well. No, no, that would have been far too sensible.

I am a reformed coffee drinker. I still enjoy a long double espresso with a good quantity or milk or cream from time to time, but for now, tea is my thing. All day.

*note—this is way out of date, so if we are doing a swap and you are checking to see what I like and dislike, mostly never mind what you find below. One of these days, I will update this. In the meantime, check what I’ve been drinking and use your own judgement. I like all the teas. Well, I am open to trying all the teas.

I tend to drink black, green, or oolong tea in the morning to early afternoon. Rooibos or
Honeybush or herbal in the evening. And perhaps some sort of sleepy-type tea in the wee hours.

This year, I’ve been discovering flavoured teas, so it may look like that is all I drink although that would provide a false impression.

Not a big fan of chocolate or mint in teas, but I will try them and, from time to time, have been pleasantly surprised. Also, usually I dislike a prominent cinnamon flavour, if untempered with other things, in teas. Again, I say usually, because there are exceptions.

Also, please note that haven’t quite gotten into the habit of updating my tea cupboard on Steepster, and it is unlikely that I will do this on any kind of regular basis.

I drink my tea black and unsweetened. If there comes a rare moment that I add something to it, I will mention it.

Finally, while I thank large and successful tea companies for tantalizing and beckoning me to the world of tea, I prefer to support independent ventures with real people, real enthusiasm and commitment, and real dreams.

Currently, I am researching monthly tea subscriptions. Perhaps it will keep me out of tea shops.

And here is Shae’s rating scale— which I am using with permission, of course— which more or less describes the way I have been rating teas. I am going to make more of an effort to stay very close to these parameters now.

Rating Scale

1-20: By far, one of the worst teas I’ve tasted. I most certainly will not finish my cup and will likely “gift” the rest to my sweet husband who almost always enjoys the teas I dislike (and vice versa).

21-40: This tea is not good but if I mix it with another tea or find another steeping method I might be able to finish it.

41-60: This one is just okay. I might drink it again if someone were to give it to me, but I probably won’t be buying more for myself.

61-75: This is a consistently good tea. It’s reliable but not necessarily special.

76-90: This one is a notch above the rest and I would gladly enjoy a cup of it any day of the week. I’ll likely be keeping this in my cupboard, but it isn’t one of my all-time favorites.

91-95: One small change and this tea would be perfect. I’ll definitely have a stash of this in my kitchen if you come over for tea.

96-100: No words can describe this tea. It’s an experience, an aha moment. Closed eyes, wide smile, encompassing warmth. Absolutely incredible. Perfect.

Location

Mostly, but not always, Toronto, Canada.

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