On Monday, November 26, 2012 3:08:46 AM UTC-6, Mydnight wrote:
> I was walking through the local tea market the day before yesterday in
>
> search of a new tea table. I noticed a pretty interesting difference in
>
> teas available. The market is no longer completely Puerh driven as it was
>
> a few years ago; seems to be more about novelty teas. Each of the dozen
>
> shops I used to frequent for a cup and a chat now has Yingde Red, several
>
> differnet types of local greens or maybe some odd medicinal ingredients.
>
> The damaged economy is forcing vendors to up the interest level of their
>
> shops.
>
>
>
> Sales tactics have also changed. Now there are promises of pollution-free
>
> or pesticide-free teas; an impossibility in the face of the supply and
>
> demand tea problem here. The Puerh choices have dwindled to only famous
>
> factories and the touts no longer lie about this and that being 30-years
>
> old. The local tea drinking population has finally wised up to the age
>
> scam as their flavor continues to mature.
>
>
>
> The prices of everything now is off the charts. Good thing I can bargain
>
> in their own language. I ended up paying less for my tea tray than I did 6
>
> years ago when I bought the last one, but with the value of the USD where
>
> it is, I actually paid the same.
>
>
>
> I mostly drink greens made by my friend's family, Taiwanese Oolong and the
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> Puerh that I've collected over the years.
>
>
>
> This is Mydnight signing off, still in China searching out the best cup for
>
> the value.

I imagine that what happens there, happens here- maybe a bit later. Toci