Friday FreDay TeaDay 9/11/09

[Chip]

FreeDay TeaDay! Please visit often and share what is in your cup throughout the day.

I needed a break today, so, have fun and let the TeaRoom discussion take this TeaDay to uncharted TeaWaters.

[Salsero]

I'm not sure I am able to boldly go into those uncharted waters. Let me have a sip of tea and think about it for a while!

[skywarrior]

Drinking Aztec cocoa tonight. Tried the Black Dragon Pearls. The trick is to figure out how many pearls per pot. 3 for my tetsubin seems right.

[Herb_Master]

The British Press has featured several articles this week about the disparity between supply and demand.

Several countries have had worse than usual harvests, but apparently Kenya has been by far the largest supplier to the British market and the Kenyan supply is disastrously low. Political and economic turmoil in the wake of the (election problems and riots) have greatly destabilized the Kenyan tea trade which has then been hit by the worst drought in decades.

The articles have mainly been in the financial pages, which have gone onto reflect, that unlike many commodities there is no futures market for tea. The lack of a futures market is held as the sole reason that tea prices have not yet rocketed.

I (selfishly) hope that should a huge price rise arrive it will be only in the everyday teas, and will not appear in the premium Chinese teas.

Is anyone going to start hoarding ctc teas?

Here is 1 article not from the financial pages
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/e ... 823979.ece

The world’s key export auctions are in Mombasa, Colombo in Sri Lanka and Calcutta in India, but all are reporting a reduction in volumes reaching the world market.

The Kenyan drought is being felt by British shoppers who may soon have to pay more for their tea

I had naiively assumed that India and Ceylon provided most of our tea, the article corrects my assumption.

Where does America source most of it's tea?

[Drax]

No poll? I feel withdrawal shakes coming on...

Ahh, seriously though. I've been looking forward to this morning. I've cracked into the American Hao 0904, which is probably one of the more expensive young cakes I've bought. It has very strong flavors, but not in the way that some sheng can just be almost chemically overpowering, this does it in a way that seems more "natural" -- yes, it's all still chemicals. It's an odd thing.

It's hard to believe it's Friday already! I guess that's what having Monday off does for the week. That, and slaving away over the same frickin' paper the entire week. I am going to submit it today and BE DONE with it!

[CynTEAa]

Ooo! FreeDay, what fun! Rest well, dear Chipster! Thanks for all your Hagi efforts.

Yunnan Gold as usual this morning and now I'm eyeing Black Dragon Pearls. It's cool, breezy and a bit rainy here in the rolling hills of Connecticut this morning. This tends to draw me to China black teas.

Later I need to cup some more Assams. Looking forward to it!

Happy FreeDay!

[Chip]

I had Poll Posting Withdrawl Syndrome, and almost posted one as I was reading the 9/11 articles today, but perhaps it is coincidentally timely to not have one today. It is hard to believe it is 8 years later. I am sure many of us remember it like it was yesterday.

Had I done the poll, it would have been, has your life changed at all by 9/11, now 8 years later?

Began this TeaDay with Hatsumi, just breaking open a new bag. SweeTea pondered the new tea while Gandalf and Pyrit pondered treats.

[brlarson]

I had naiively assumed that India and Ceylon provided most of our tea, the article corrects my assumption.

Where does America source most of it's tea?

Hi Herb,

According to Michael Harney's _Guide to Tea_ (published 2008), ``over 40 percent of the tea drunk in Great Britian comes from Kenya, while about 40% of the tea drunk in America is grown in Argentina.''

Jing's Tie Luo Han is in my cup this morning.

[leiche2]

Love the colors in your pic, Sal! They're so bright and happy. It's a welcome sight on this chilly, gloomy, and windy morning.

Drinking some Irish Breakfast this morning (as usual) and trying to summon up the motivation to get ready for a day spent studying.

[gingkoseto]

It's a free day for me, all day for tea and horsing around, no work!

I guess my life received quite some impacts from the political changes as aftermaths of 9/11. But it's nothing compared with those who were impacted directly and much more severely by this tragedy.

[gingkoseto]

My current Kenya CTC tea is very inexpensive and surprisingly good for its price. And I only drink it few times a month. So I guess the price rise won't affect me much

[Intuit]

African subregional drought and large-scale land disturbance have been linked previously to dramatic changes in precipitation patterns. Lake Chad is a good example.

Reduced export to global markets has a lot to do with increasing domestic consumption in producer nations, too. Sri Lanka has been augmenting its domestic consumption with Kenyan teas. Ooops.

English breakfast blend in my cup. Am ordering Yunnan teas to start mixing it up a bit at breakfast.

[geeber1]

Had I done the poll, it would have been, has your life changed at all by 9/11, now 8 years later?

I wouldn't say that I've been personally affected by 9/11, as in losing someone close to me, but overall I feel that our country is much less safe and secure than it used to be. Mostly I still feel sadness for all of the people who were lost and their families, who will never really recover.

Nilgiri Chamraj in my cup this morning. This is okay, but not like my fave Nilgiri Glendale. I kinda wish I hadn't ordered 4 oz. of it!

[depravitea]

It's a good day.
Just ordered some Black Dragon Pearls from Adagio, and I won my Dragon Tea House auction on eBay for a sheng beeng.
No complaints today.

As far as Herbmaster's question on hoarding crush/tear/curl, I may grab a few boxes of some old standbys: PG Tips, Tazo Awake... Not too worried about it though, most of my teas are Chinese and I like it that way.

This morning, Assam Harmony.

Oh, yesterday's poll inspired me to attempt a list of all the teas I've had, luckily I keep my receipts and empty tins and bags. I'm sure I may be missing one or two, but I'm confident I've got 99% of them written down (typed down actually.)

[Chip]

My outlook on how safe are we really has changed since 911. Given Bin Laden's desire to make each attack bigger than the last concerns me greatly. Like everyone else, I try to just not think too much about it I guess, while trying not to be apathetic in the process, a tough balancing act.

Nothing in my cup currently. In my bowl however, mmm, oatmeal with some brown sugar and cinnamon. I recently began making oatmeal more days than not. And on a rather coool and very rainy day, it is even better.

What tea will be next ...