Less intense than normal...

[Sydney]

Sushhhhh before Cyn & I create our super elete and exclusive "little people" forum.

Where's the Big People Who Think Little People Are Way Hawt forum?

[Salsero]

Where's the Big People Who Think Little People Are Way Hawt forum

Padre, I never thought you'd noticed!

[Eastree]

Yeah...I gotta admit, the lack of activity today sort of freaked me out. But, hey...we're all multi-faceted adults here. It can't be all tea all the time. I'd worry if it was.

If you want, we can discuss public nudity in my new hometown. This story in the Eugene Weekly has had me laughing all day!

Here ya go, Mary. The sad thing is, he looks nearly IDENTICAL to an ex-coworker.

It's not on par with yours, but in this part of the country, it's about as good as you're going to get.

A touch more on the original topic: ITD has sort of blanded out a bit, but then the forums have changed a lot since I joined. Last summer, the Japanese green tea bug was just starting to catch, puerh was a thing of intrigue (not so much unknown, but more exciting and the place seemed rampant with questions in chat), people's vendor lists were MUCH different than they are now ... The list can go on, but it won't. TeaChat has become something almost other than it was. It's interesting to watch.

[Pentox]

Yeah...I gotta admit, the lack of activity today sort of freaked me out. But, hey...we're all multi-faceted adults here. It can't be all tea all the time. I'd worry if it was.

If you want, we can discuss public nudity in my new hometown. This story in the Eugene Weekly has had me laughing all day!

Here ya go, Mary. The sad thing is, he looks nearly IDENTICAL to an ex-coworker.

It's not on par with yours, but in this part of the country, it's about as good as you're going to get.

A touch more on the original topic: ITD has sort of blanded out a bit, but then the forums have changed a lot since I joined. Last summer, the Japanese green tea bug was just starting to catch, puerh was a thing of intrigue (not so much unknown, but more exciting and the place seemed rampant with questions in chat), people's vendor lists were MUCH different than they are now ... The list can go on, but it won't. TeaChat has become something almost other than it was. It's interesting to watch.

That guy looks not naked to me.

To translate:

Last summer, the Japanese green tea bug was just starting to catch Trans: People realized the awesome amazingness in the true way of tea.

puerh was a thing of intrigue (not so much unknown, but more exciting and the place seemed rampant with questions in chat), Trans: People were experimenting, much like a sorority girl in college.

people's vendor lists were MUCH different than they are now ... Trans: People had not yet found out of the awesomeness that is Lupicia.

[Mary R]

Hah! It was really neat from my end to read your posts, East and Pentox. Earlier today I wrote the following post, but ended up not actually putting it up 'cause I thought I was spazzing. It was oddly comforting to see that a lot of what I had observed wasn't just in my crazy ol' head.

Hrm...I've been sort of pondering ITD's role myself, really.

Back when I did figure out how to make a private forum, the founding ITD members had all made tight, exclusive friendships. That was great, don't get me wrong...but a lot of the in-jokes, life events, and rabid "Japanese Tea RULES!" sentiments that had started in IM conversations were spilling into the forum proper. Of course, there wasn't anything wrong with that per se, but I'd started to notice newer members being alienated by the strong clique-ish feel the forums had acquired.

So making a private forum expressly for the clique seemed like a good idea at the time, and I hoped that it would continue to further the friendships and spawn some tea discussion that "the world at large" just wouldn't get.

I think that's what happened here, to an extent...but something even better happened, too. I think the "world at large" has gotten a lot more aware of traditional teas over the past year. I'm not saying the search for the perfect "blueberry pumpkin chocolate rooibos" hasn't died, but there's tons more interest in good puerh, senchas, oolongs, etc. In my opinion, this has made the big forum a pretty hip and happening place. I also think our clique-y tendencies have mellowed and that everyone here gotten more open to discussing other teas. (How long has it been since the fukamushi gang sign was flashed? AGES!) Likewise, the polar opposite faction of 'teamoms' have discovered their own home in TeaDay and have largely stopped whining to the Squad about the 'snooty Asian drinkers' who 'make them feel bad.'

(Seriously. I've actually received PMs that say that. For the record, my response has been a polite and sympathetic form of 'Grow some stones, woman!')

So...yeah. I don't know. There is still a tension between the gongfu-ers and the tea sammiches set...but they seem to be cohabiting decently.

Should there even BE an ITD now? Should we make a conscious decision to talk more tea here? Should I just stop talking?

[Sydney]

The ITD I see described here is something worth keeping, I think.

[Mary R]

Aw! Big hugs for Padre!

Like I said, I was sort of spazzing when I wrote the post, which is why I didn't put it up. Distance usually brings clarity.

[Eastree]

Mary, do you *typically* save posts you choose not to submit? :twisted: I'd worry more about that than the posts themselves!

[Mary R]

Dude...I may be crazy, but I ain't THAT crazy! This particular one was special. I thought I might work it into something better later on today, so I kept it on a Sticky.

[scruffmcgruff]

Aw, teahugs all around!

I think the whole monthly tasting thing is pretty cool, too. I don't think it would be nearly as feasible in the public forum, so that's reason enough to keep ITD around.

[Chip]

Aw, teahugs all around!

I think the whole monthly tasting thing is pretty cool, too. I don't think it would be nearly as feasible in the public forum, so that's reason enough to keep ITD around.

True...it was intense getting 400 grams of shincha to share. That was really wild.

[Salsero]

It was oddly comforting to see that a lot of what I had observed wasn't just in my crazy ol' head.

Wow, Mary, that sounds so right on (pardon the 60's jargon. That one is prolly not even in Urban Dictionary, try the OED). One of many things I take from your almost post is that the ITD may have been a spawning bed of tea-knowledge and tea-tolerance that has enriched the rest of the forum. I think that is likely true. There is a strong core here that fertilizes the big forum ... that would explain the smell of manure in ITD sometimes!

And along those lines, I am astonished at the Geekgirl, with her oolongs and teaware, and impressed with Russian Soul, with her oolongs and greens. They seem to have come to us all grown up and strong potential candidates for ITD. There are others also, but those two just keep wowing me. Maybe it's just the juxtaposition between them and the adorable, sweet, affectionate, cute, and otherwise often irrelevant teamoms. Don't get me wrong, I love the teamoms and I think having that balance is critical to keeping TeaChat big and alive, but come on ...

I'm with Tree on the twisted issue. It is a little disconcerting, Mary. But then you are starting grad school soon, so I guess we should expect more aberrant behavior.

[Mary R]

I like the idea of us as fertilizers. It's nice and deep in its way, and gives a wonderful opening to all sorts of jokes on our bullshit having purpose. Well done.

I'm pretty impressed with Geekgirl and Russian Soul, too. They're on my mental watchlist of candidates. See, I don't write everything down! But, yeah...I fully expect to go wild in OCD behavior once I get to Oregon. As an undergrad, I developed a system utilizing all 120 Crayola Crayon colors as highlighters for novel notation. Seriously. I could find ANYTHING in one of Cooper's "Leatherstocking" novels in under 30 seconds. It actually got to be a joke among the kids in my AmRev/Ren course that no one could beat me. Only one kid ever did, and he LEAPT out of his chair and screamed "TAKE THAT, RASBACH!" and did a victory dance. Then the prof gave him $20 'cause that's what the "can't beat Mary" pool had gotten up to.

A glorious group of people, they were.

And this story really doesn't do much to establish my sanity, does it?

[Salsero]

Nope

[CynTEAa]

I think the "world at large" has gotten a lot more aware of traditional teas over the past year. I'm not saying the search for the perfect "blueberry pumpkin chocolate rooibos" hasn't died, but there's tons more interest in good puerh, senchas, oolongs, etc.

Thank freakin' goodness!

Dude...I may be crazy, but I ain't THAT crazy!

Hmmm....sure you're not....

And this story really doesn't do much to establish my sanity, does it?

Nope. But we love you anyway. TEAHUGS!