Yes. At work, for example, I make a cup in the morning about 10AM and then keep refilling and drinking until about an hour before quitting time.

I get it straight from a collective representing the farmers in Liubao. There are some Internet vendors who sell it, though, so you don't have to move to China. I can't vouch for any of them though since, well, I don't use their services.

You don't. You finish your cup, you put the leaves back in, you pour hot water over top.

I cycle among these four randomly:

I don't know. This one looks a bit sticky!

Converting $20 to local currency, I'd probably go with this:

This is so-called "Liubao Tea", a kissing cousin to pu'er tea. I did a review of my first batch(es) and it has rapidly (literally with one round of brews) reached the top of my circulation in teas.

The depicted tea is one aged from 1991 (the one I reviewed was tea stems from 2003) and is of one of the higher grades. A 100g package will set you back about $15 or so at today's exchange rate. 100g is about 15-20 servings, and each serving can be brewed multiple times (even my tea stems can be brewed four times without loss of flavour), so it's quite the bargain.

Save it for a time when you really need something warm, rich, and comforting. It will last forever as long as you store it in a cool, dry, dark space. And personally I think it's a bargain at 15 bucks.

I narrate what I'm doing in a voiceover.

Huh. Interesting. This makes our family joke even funnier, IMO.

🐘 ♟

My grandfather taught me the sublime joy of fresh bread smeared with fresh butter, wild honey, and garlic powder.

Most people I told about that would start singing that old Sesame Street song: 🎶 three of these things belong together... 🎵 after giving me side-eye and realizing I wasn't joking.

My dumbest joke is actually a family joke that has built up over the years. Unfortunately it works only in German.

Basically when I was very young I mispronounced a key word in a Christmas carol and hilarity ensued that dogged me to my father's dying day. It developed over the years into this:

Es ist ein Ross entsprungen
Aus einem Stall so alt,
Wie uns die Bauern sungen,
Das Ross entfloh mit G'walt.
Es ist ein kluges Pferdchen
Aus altem Stamm gezeugt,
Das mitten in der Nacht dann
Sich aus dem Staub gezeugt.

Das Ross, das ich nun meine,
War flink und voller Mut,
Es sprang mit einem Male
Hinaus in die kalte Flut.
Mit Hufen, stark und kräftig,
Fand es den Weg hinaus,
Entkam dem Stall ganz leise,
Und rannte schnell nach Haus.

(I apologize to any German speakers for the terrible lyric verse.)

My favourite symphonic power folk metal band's latest album is gracing my ears right now.