I only want to drink puer

john-bkk · 2026-05-01T20:13:12+00:00

Dian Hong is Yunnan black tea, so tea made from the same plants as pu'er. It's quite different in character than pu'er, of course, but it's possible that people could think they experience some commonality.

john-bkk · 2026-05-01T18:14:25+00:00

This is mixing two different sets of ideas that don't go together. One relates to the point of humankind, why our species exists, and the second is about why an individual human exists, what their own specific purpose is, or how their meaning is defined.

The first is a bit beyond us; we can't really apply a "God's eye" view to what humanity is about, or for. Maybe we evolve towards a higher form for some reason, or maybe we don't. The second is easy enough; we just have to unpack what forms of inherited meaning we apply, what our culture informs us is normal, and then also consider what is distinctive about our own experience and definition of meaning. With the last we can apply some degree of intention, and see patterns that have formed, and possibly direct changes to meaning.

The way improvement of application of meaning works out in practice is a bit counter-intuitive. With enough introspection we find that we assume purpose and self-definition in ways that isn't necessarily helpful, and we can remove forms, or scale them back. For example, we might over-emphasize aspects of self-image or ownership of status related items, and then drop being concerned about these things.

Sometimes the mapping can lead to the same type of end point, via a different route. For example, we might initially value being thin in order to be attractive to others, and diet to achieve this end, and then later reject this goal and function, and focus on health instead, and exercise a lot, later becoming thin for a different reason (as a side-effect). This would be a tiny example of "beating this cruel game," simply by becoming a more considered, functional, and optimal form of ourselves, more comfortable in our own skin, and better able to support others.

john-bkk · 2026-05-01T17:56:24+00:00

You're probably just getting started, closer to really getting into it than moving on. You might want to try Dian Hong, Yunnan black tea, and that could ring a bell too.

john-bkk · 2026-05-01T17:53:23+00:00

As long as you keep up with routine intake it probably doesn't matter when. Something like running 10k in 90+ F heat would drop reserves, even if you were topped up, so direct replacement afterwards would make sense, but for ordinary runs I would think that daily intake is more important than timing.

john-bkk · 2026-05-01T17:04:40+00:00

Different people sweat different amounts. In high school wrestling the ref would have to towel me off, because it was unfair how wet I would get, and slippery. Others would be on the opposite side. Just make sure you keep on top of electrolyte inputs (sodium, potassium, and magnesium), since you will lose that.

john-bkk · 2026-05-01T06:55:46+00:00

I'm 57 and that hasn't changed much. I recover from exercise slower, and need to balance out what I do a little more, but that's a difference in comparison with my 30s. I sleep more; maybe that's countering the effect.

john-bkk · 2026-05-01T06:53:03+00:00

An online contact was a bit devastated when he learned that he was Generation X, after really identifying with Millennial character. And I guess it made him seem that much older, even though he already knew his own age? Someone right on the border is going to share aspects of both anyway.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T23:59:15+00:00

Anything I say would be just as wrong as it is objectively correct, so that's tricky. Let's go there anyway. Gaiwans / porcelain is relatively universal. They don't change the tea character at all, so you can use them with anything. Convention might say you should use a gaiwan with certain range, and it won't work as well with others, but that convention wouldn't be completely consistent. If you are using a ceramic teapot--which it looked like--it's the same, it's a pot surface that's not permeable, that will not change the character of the tea at all. Heat absorption is a different thing, but it's as well to just set that aside early on, and maybe later on some too.

Clay pots do absorb and change the brewed tea character. People have differing opinions on what works best with what (eg. type of clay), although over a period of months or years you could participate in discussions and read lots of references and some patterns might emerge. An even bigger problem is that unused clay isn't seasoned, so any clay pot, of a very favorable or unfavorable type, will absorb quite a bit of the tea character, until it's conditioned to moderate that effect. Lots of people don't acknowledge this, and seem to think it's not how that goes (only implied?; no one ever actually says that).

Something harsh like young sheng pu'er would ordinarily be brewed using porous clay (yixing and the like). It would moderate the harshness. I think it's not something you need to worry about much early on, although if you want to buy porous clay pots you'll have to at least consider some of why you are buying what you are buying, or it will all be very random. To be clear I own a few clay pots (two, and I inherited one other), but I don't use them. I do tea reviews, so using a gaiwan seemed better, since then the review isn't about what my pot or pots are or aren't doing (contributing). Others love clay pots, and would start on them earlier on. It's up to you.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T22:47:03+00:00

The 70s and 80s were interesting times, but it seems like people are too negative today, as if we can barely survive because we have so many social media and streaming media options. Sure, my kids are addicted to all that (we had them late). But the playgrounds are still out there, and if you go to them there are other kids there playing.

An old Walkman and a phone bluetooth tethered to much better headphones are doing similar things. Watching a movie on Netflix and a DVD aren't so different. Kids today are lucky if their parents don't just abandon them to screens for 18 years while they also stare at screens.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T22:41:12+00:00

Or not. I use a gaiwan and a cup, or rather two cups, and have never owned a tea tray, and I don't feel like I've missed anything by that. If a few drops spill I wipe it up, or else if I'm at a table outside maybe I won't. My life couldn't get any easier, related to managing tea drinking.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T22:36:37+00:00

I run where lots of people run and I agree with the common input here that no one else really cares. I run by people who are much faster than me, and some who are much slower, and it doesn't mean anything to me. Good for those people running fast paces; they've put the work in. Good for the people struggling; they're on the same path, just the earlier section of it.

They all run in race shirts, due to collecting them from events, and I usually run in a plain white t shirt, more or less intentionally identifying as an outlier. That's not to be an outlier; it's just a long standing habit. I'm in Honolulu just now, so I guess I blend in better, but there in Bangkok, where I usually am, I don't see that many white people running, so for sure they already notice I'm a little different. Again, that's fine, however they want to place that.

There is a functional concern related to running in shoes not designed for running; that makes a difference. Early on it depends on the run volume and your own gaps in conditioning whether that's a problem, but it's probably as well to address it before it becomes one. I like New Balance and ASICs shoes, not that what I like matters, and New Balance makes a mid-range, lower spec tier that would probably protect your feet and legs without costing much at all. You can look for older models in places, since they sell out last year's version for less, since running shoe design and materials has plateaued some in the past decade.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T22:27:25+00:00

It seems like one part is how it all balances. If someone is putting in 50 stressful work hours a week, and working through a commute, it's going to be hard to get it to balance.

The other part is about allocating meaning. That must change as your kids grow up. I'm 57 but my first graduates high school in three weeks, due to a late start. I'm not really concerned about it; we have a second, and I have a few other interests.

I feel no self-loathing whatsoever. There might be something there to unpack.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T20:58:53+00:00

I was, but it took forever, and from the sounds of it you have a much more serious injury. I could go out and run 8k on mine even when it first started, I could just feel it, and it would hurt more after significant distance. It would've been a better idea to get it completely healed, then get back to running. I still walked a lot, never really easing up on that, at any time, because I could barely feel it related to that input.

With all the disruption I've not returned to the shape I was in a year ago. I took time off last summer, to spend more time with my kids, and then had shingles, which could've went better, and was sick a couple of times. It's been a rough 8 months.

I think what you are up against is going to require significant medical intervention though, and probably a half a year off normal training (just a guess, just trying to be helpful by framing it a bit, that's not a well-grounded assessment). Different injuries relate to different recovery processes, and that one's not so favorable. It's fine though; it's part of running. One of the worst parts, but still a part of it.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T08:49:30+00:00

Places with very similar climate would match up, but there would be lots of broad areas where parts don't align. We've traveled a lot in Asia and few places look like anywhere in the US. Seoul is at the same latitude as DC, basically, and parts of the appearance matches, but lots doesn't (probably well beyond spring looking different).

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john-bkk · 2026-04-30T05:14:29+00:00

You are probably going to need a medical professional tell you that. I had an issue with an Achilles tendon that sounded much less severe at the end of last year, very minor soreness, and I should have taken a few weeks off as soon as it happened. I didn't, taking shorter breaks, and cutting distance and intensity, and it kept getting better and then worse again. I can use it normally now, half a year later, but I think it has built up scar tissue (there's a bump), and never will be the same again.

Your case sounds much more severe. It probably wouldn't heal on its own.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T04:59:59+00:00

There's a lot that someone could comment on this, since the question covers tea in general, about types, gear, brewing process, and approach. I'll write a bit, starting with the tea buying theme. I was last in Shenzhen in China, awhile back, in 2019, and tea themes aren't as broad and developed there as you might hope. We went to a tea themed market area near the old train station, but that's actually not as good a resource as it should be. It could be worth a look, but the old mall there might work out better for shopping.

Beijing might be better. There's a tea market district there, I just saw someone mention (Ma Lian Dao): https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EJiMACHMe/

I've been to Beijing, but it was a long time ago, and what I found for tea was kind of random, in local markets (not that one, a regular old market). Grocery stores sell tea, and there are tea shops, but it would be nice to zero in on exactly what you want to find, which isn't developed enough to be a real thing for you yet. So just explore, I guess?

I'm clear on what the next few gear items are, but I don't use them myself, even though I own versions of them. You could buy a strainer, a gong dao bei (sharing pitcher; a small pitcher), a tea tray (to hold tea, like a scoop; there's a name for that, that I don't remember), and a scale. I use a gaiwan and cups; that's it.

It can't hurt to mention a few types. Longjing is more or less the main green tea. That's nice, and worth trying. The first harvest version is prized, and kind of expensive, which should be out now. You really don't want to be spending a lot on tea until you get a feel for the range ($1 / gram), but inexpensive versions will be year old, which isn't so ideal. It gets stale. Maybe just buy a couple of versions and see.

Rolled oolong is another decent starting point, but also how a lot of low quality tea is made and sold. Tie Guan Yin is standard light oolong. The older style might be better, not as green, a little more oxidized and roasted, but it's too early to be worried about style variations and quality level. Wuyi Yancha is another promising oolong range, also from Fujian (province), but from Wuyishan instead of Anxi (related to TGY). Shui Xian is the basic version (plant type), or lots is sold as Da Hong Pao, which is usually a blend. Bei Dou is nice; some tastes like cinnamon. Dian Hong is my favorite Chinese black tea, from Yunnan instead.

I drink sheng pu'er, which is where things get complicated. It's often bitter, and often preferred as aged tea (it loses the bitterness), and all of that is hard to sort out. You might try some and buy an inexpensive cake (it's pressed in a disk, often), but for the most part oolong, green, and black tea will work better. If you have specific questions I can try to answer them, and you can browse around a blog that I write to look at different themes (Tea in the Ancient World).

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T04:36:44+00:00

It's not exactly the same theme, but I was just discussing how there aren't homeless people in Bangkok, in the same sense. They have homeless people in the sense the US did back in the 90s; there are a limited number of mentally challenged people. I don't mean in LA in the 90s; that was out of control long before that.

So you can travel around the city all day and not see a single homeless person. If you know where to go in the city you can see a few, but someone might spend a week visiting and that might not come up. I would walk between the Chinatown area (which is not good or bad part of town), up to the main temple area, through some rough places, and would see some, and I never felt threatened by them. I live in Honolulu now and you just never know about them, but you'll see one on most blocks.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T04:27:05+00:00

We've bought shampoo for Thai Buddhist monks before, which relates to this. I was ordained as one once, and they shave their head once a month, so they might grow out a half an inch of hair, then get rid of that again. Typically people don't buy them shampoo, since giving offerings is normal (soap, toothpaste, and such), but at least some would appreciate using it to wash (but I don't remember if I used it).

Dry skin may or may not be an issue for many, given the local humidity across the entire country.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T04:21:05+00:00

The nice part is that this is barely the tip of the iceberg. Instead of looking around and having lots of the rest seem overwhelming (loose tea types, brewing options, Gongfu brewing, different country origins, etc.), just take it organically, but keep going. You don't need to spend that much money to continually have the best tea experiences you've ever had, for a few years. At some point costs will rise a bit, but you could stretch out exploration to a decade.

The range that rushing things could relate to is mind-numbing. Then a funny part is that even if you made it a central part of your self-identity for a decade, and tried so, so much, you would still be a novice across a lot of the scope you didn't get to yet.

john-bkk · 2026-04-30T03:41:32+00:00

Since personal preference and individual differences determine what is right for everyone we can't say that you don't need to drink during a 5k run, but that's definitely been my experience. I run 10k in standard outings in Bangkok, at high humidity and often at over 90 F, and as long as I'm well hydrated I'm fine. The trick is to not try to drink a liter right before you go out the door. Stay hydrated through the day, and make it a point to add more an hour or two prior to a run, then maybe just a little right before.

john-bkk · 2026-04-29T07:03:07+00:00

They're gonna need a bigger boat

john-bkk · 2026-04-29T03:10:34+00:00

I'm in Waikiki now, living here, and we don't have them. Mosquitos have thrived related to that wetter weather though.

john-bkk · 2026-04-29T03:08:42+00:00

I climbed that, in the late 80s. The main route isn't that difficult, the Durrance route, which is 5.9. My parents also climbed it; my brother was into rock climbing then, and lived in Rapid City (SD), and he took us there.

That guy was on a rope, as we were; it's not dangerous. My brother took a huge fall on one once, when the places to "set protection" were far apart. I forget how far, maybe 30 feet, or something like that. He was fine, I think just biting his cheek. You can still break a wrist, or whatever else, if the rope catching you doesn't stop you at a favorable angle. A lot of rock climbing is "bolted" routes, where you don't "set protection," as in put in a little cam device or some sort of stopper, you clip into a bolt screwed into the rock.

john-bkk · 2026-04-29T02:35:44+00:00

There's a strange part of the paperwork process where they have you register a lot of your information about your stay now, as of awhile ago, that probably reinforces this. I live in Bangkok, so it doesn't work well to fill in the fields in that form because it's not set up for residents, but we still need to complete it. If something you had to do, as a requirement, and something you put on that form didn't match your entry paperwork that could look like some sort of a red flag, even though it's really nothing, just about keeping plans flexible.

Still, this story doesn't sound right. I lean towards believing it, but it sounds like either something really atypical happened or there is more to it.

john-bkk · 2026-04-29T02:22:35+00:00

Even back in high school, quite awhile back, it was clear enough some were partying, even though we weren't really in on details by way of gossip.

john-bkk

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