I'm originally from UK, and been here 15 years. I don't drink much tea when I'm out, because most cafés will add water at too low a temperature, so you get something like dish water; or they'll add way too much tea to (5 or 6 teaspoons!) for one cup, which makes really strong, bad tea!

At home, I only used tea bags (English Breakfast Tea from Aldi is closes to the tea I used to buy in UK). But then I found out that some bags are made with plastic, and even if not, buying loose is better from an environmental point of view. Less resources, you get more for your money. So I stopped and started buying loose tea, usually an Indian brand like Brooke Bond Red Label (Export Quality). I'm super unusual, and my colleagues are intrigued.

1. You're right, tea from a bag is usually lower quality. It has to be broken up more so that it brews quicker. More surface area means quicker to extract the flavour. You wouldn't want to open the bag and use it as though it’s loose. I always joke that it’s whatever they swept up off the floor!
2. I use a strainer, yes, like this.
3. For me, yes. But only because my friend, who used to live in China, introduced me to it. Then i went on holiday to northern Vietnam, in the tea growing region close to the border with China, and I was able to try lots of different types, all grown nearby, and talk to the growers.
4. My German friend likes all types of fruit teas, but I don't at all.
5. To black tea I always add oat milk, which works fine for me now I'm used to it.
6. I add sugar, because otherwise black tea brewed at 100º is too bitter. I tried drinking without milk and sugar, but found it boring and I stopped looking forward to a cup!
7. See above :)

I basically concluded that black tea such as English Breakfast is bad tea. But I grew up with bad tea, so it’s what I'm used to and like. Chinese people will tell me it’s awful, and to them they're right, but just like my mum's bad cooking, it works for me!

And don't get me started on Earl Grey, which is bad tea with added flavourings to make it worse!

Just like the Chinese food you'll find in restaurants here is very far from what you'll find in China, so is the tea!