Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

One of the intentionally aged teas, Pu-Erh has a loyal following.


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Oct 9th, '12, 10:52
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by jayinhk » Oct 9th, '12, 10:52

Just bought this mug: looks like it has a little age on it. The reclining girl sold me on it.

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Oct 9th, '12, 10:55
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by MarshalN » Oct 9th, '12, 10:55

Oh dear

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Oct 9th, '12, 11:01
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by jayinhk » Oct 9th, '12, 11:01

MarshalN wrote:Oh dear
:wink:

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Oct 9th, '12, 12:24
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by davelcorp » Oct 9th, '12, 12:24

MarshalN wrote:Black shop = places that cheat you and mug you.
People will actually get mugged by the store's operators?

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Oct 9th, '12, 14:17
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by jayinhk » Oct 9th, '12, 14:17

davelcorp wrote:
MarshalN wrote:Black shop = places that cheat you and mug you.
People will actually get mugged by the store's operators?
Not literally in most cases--it can happen north of the border (in China), but it's unlikely. You can get ripped off though, and again, that's much more likely in China.

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Oct 13th, '12, 10:18
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by jayinhk » Oct 13th, '12, 10:18

Just got into Manila and spotted a "Hong Kong Tea House" i wanted to try on my way to the hotel. Checked in and headed out, but couldn't find the place. Ended up finding another Chinese restaurant down a side street and went in. The decor was positively garish (pink everything, and flaking paint on the furniture). I was handed a menu and noticed a lot of Cantonese-style dishes on there. I asked the waitress what kind of tea she had, and she said jasmine. I asked her if she any pu erh, or bo lei, and she said no, just the jasmine.

SInce she used the Canto name for pu erh, I casually told the waitress I was from Hong Kong. She was Filipina, and actually spoke a fair amount of Cantonese since her boss was from HK.

The jasmine tea didn't taste like jasmine tea at all: in fact, if they'd told me it was bo lei I would've believed it (just at infusion 20 or so).

Ordered a few things and the food sucked--absolutely the worst Chinese meal I've ever had, and it was expensive too. I asked for more tea and never got any either, and the boss didn't come over to say hi, even when the manager told him I was from HK. He was too busy watching videos on his laptop. No wonder the place was empty on a Saturday night! The best things about the experience were the free wifi and the cold beers. :/

I haven't had any tea (aside from bottled iced tea and the terrible jasmine) since I got here. Time to break out the kettle and gaiwan!

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Oct 13th, '12, 10:53
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by jayinhk » Oct 13th, '12, 10:53

http://mojoimage.com/free-image-hosting ... MG0709.JPG

My portable kungfu rig...tea, gaiwan, cup and stainless kettle. Brewing the first shu I bought with local distilled water. Smells like it did the first time I tried it...wet.

After two long, hard days...this shu tastes like manna. Sweet, sour and plummy, although the 'storage' taste is much more evident in the gaiwan. I miss my yixing. :(

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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by ethan » Oct 13th, '12, 12:05

I have become immune to insults etc. I do & say what I think is moral, right, kind, etc... & don't worry.

Once in Hong Kong at an outdoor food-court in a neighborhood devoid of tourists, I asked a vendor a ? in English about his food, only to get a vitriolic reply in Chinese & a finger pointing for me to go away. A neighboring vendor signaled for me to come to him, sold me large portions of delicious food & then while laughing waved my payment at the man who had shouted at me.

A week later my Filipina girlfriend was walking w/ me at the same food-court; went to the "angry" vendor; & as was her way, stuck her nose very close to each of his offerings to choose by their aromas. The vendor did not get angry.

24 years later when in Thailand I'm w/ my lady, Nit, who due to a brain tumor has lost her sight, most of her sense of smell, & misfires when speaking. When Nit orders food servers get angry when nonsensical words come out of Nit's mouth; yet, the same people don't mind her sticking her fingers into condiments that are shared, her spilling things, etc.

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Oct 14th, '12, 11:58
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by jayinhk » Oct 14th, '12, 11:58

Thanks ethan, you're right, there are a lot of idiots in this world and life is too short to worry about them and what they have to say. Admittedly working down in one of the lower-income parts of HK has been good for helping me develop a thicker skin. I've started giving people the same back when they start it and it leaves them speechless. It seems a lot of people in HK like to make snide comments in passing; if you beat them to it it messes them up. :lol:

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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by ethan » Oct 14th, '12, 19:26

jayinhk, Manila is a challenge. 1990 a few times I stayed at the Hyatt on Roxas Blvd. (fairly close to airport) (paid for by employer). Room service was a better deal than their restaurants! Tea & coffee came in silver pots that held about a quart. The price was 40 pesos (then about US$1.50) per person not per pot. (Order a pot w/ one cup 40, 2 cups 80, 3 cups 120 pesos...) Was perfectly prepared & delivered quickly. (Standard black tea) At night could order for next morning... happy start before braving the traffic etc.
I cannot remember being served a decent cup of tea or coffee later when I was staying elsewhere & paying w/ my own limited funds (over a 4 year period).

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Oct 14th, '12, 19:59
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by tinols » Oct 14th, '12, 19:59

How's the Philippines so far Jay? Been 5 years since I've been there.

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Oct 15th, '12, 10:31
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by jayinhk » Oct 15th, '12, 10:31

Just drank two Pale Pilsen and finishing off my halo-halo after dinner. :) Supposed to fly to Palawan tomorrow, but I have too much work to do, so I may just head back to Hong Kong in the evening.

ethan, Manila has changed a great deal since 1990. I've been in and out of the Philippines since I was two years old. I didn't visit for around 13 years between 1995 and 2008 (I was in the US for much of that time).

You can get Taiwanese oolong to go at the mall now. I haven't tried any yet since I brought my own tea, but the bubble tea craze has hit the Philippines hard. There are also speciality coffee shops opening up, but they're few and far between. Starbucks is in every major mall in Manila now.

Two things I haven't had much of since I've been here are homebrewed tea and vegetables. My diet in the Philippines seems to consist of beer, soda, pork, eggs and rice. It's hard to avoid if you're eating local and on the move.

Aside from drinking some gaiwan-brewed shu that I later added to my thermos for the road, this is the tea I've been drinking:

Image

The red one (apple) is sold on long distance buses in the Philippines, so I've had three or four since I've been here.

Ten years from now, the Philippines is going to be a much different place than it is now. Glad to be able to watch it grow, although life is still incredibly tough for most people here. I need to buy less crap, work harder and chill out on the tea obsession when I get back. As always, traveling deep in the heart of the Philippines countryside is always eyeopening and food for thought.

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Oct 18th, '12, 01:06
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by jayinhk » Oct 18th, '12, 01:06

Back in Hong Kong: these arrived while I was away.

http://postimage.org/image/cgoniqvhj/

http://postimage.org/image/4ont6wly3/

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Oct 18th, '12, 05:11
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by jayinhk » Oct 18th, '12, 05:11

Interesting, this teapot looks almost exactly like mine:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/108733288/c ... ad-ceramic

Can anyone translate the stamp(s) for me?

Oct 18th, '12, 05:34
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Re: Thoughts from a new Hong Kong bo lei drinker

by ethan » Oct 18th, '12, 05:34

The reclining female on the mug is alluring. Good find.

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