Friday, May 22, 2020 - Rou Gui and Yanchas

Video Subtitles:

Everything. Today, I'm going to
drink some rogue Hi. happy

Friday. Everybody. Yes. today
is a casual relaxing day.

yesterday was a big one
yesterday was International Tea

Day and I had dreamed for
nearly four hours so yeah, I

decided today would be a cool
day just to kinda take it easy

and enjoy some nice tea catch
up with. Of course, and do a

little bit of a debrief on
international tea day and what

happened and definitely what
I've learned and you know

hopefully if you are on
Instagram wanna join me, you

can do it there. You were
sweating to yesterday, I'm

guessing that means that you
drink a lot of tea. That's

good. It's an international tea
day. You should drink a lot of

tea. I also drink a lot of tea
and just thought a lot about

tea and talked a lot about tea
and listen and read a lot about

tea.

and so, yeah, I just wanted to
do a little bit of a debrief of

things that I learned
yesterday. I saw there was a

lot of activities and this was
by far the most engaging and

just really incredible
international tea day-I have

ever seen and I've been
celebrating it you know just

through our messaging in our
community for years now and. To

see it yesterday, just so
widespread and so appreciated

and just a part of the car and
the authentic part of that

conversation, you know people
were actually going to the UN's

page and and really
understanding what is the

purpose of this holiday? cuz in
the past, a lot of folks were

just using it as a let's
celebrate tea and and let's use

that as a marketing point to
get people to come to our

website and come learn from us
which nothing wrong. But if you

do go look at the website at
the UN's website and their

intention Hi class. I'm glad
you're here actually I was

going to do a little shout out
for your pup that you're

getting congratulations. I'm so
excited for you. Eric Eric is a

good friend of ours and Saint
Louis Missouri. that's has been

on the search for a dog for
months now higher. It's been

actually I started talking to
you about the importance of

having a dog in your life years
ago, So you know it's good to

see that all coming together. I
look I look forward to seeing.

Of you and your dog together so
far the photos you sent me. I

think it's gonna be a good fit
so they really adorable basset

hound. I think you guys are
gonna have a lot of fun

together and hopefully your
best at home likes teeth cuz

that's what they're gonna get
it's always exciting. It's

always exciting. I remember the
day that I got Bitcoins and

that was a very exciting day,
so I just put my ropeway leaves

in the so you've been looking
for three months. Yeah, it's a

long process, you know and you
gotta wait for the right one

and you know, maybe you think
you've got the right one and

then you know someone else's
adopted them first or something

comes up and they're not
available anymore so patient

pays off here for everybody. I
think it's a really important

lesson to hold on to that
patient does pay off and what's

meant to be is always going to
be. so yeah please. photos of

you and your beautiful pup once
they have entered your home.

Drink some ropeway. Let you
guys see the leaf here. So this

is a triple roasted ropeway
from 2019. So good is a young

child's. We Rock and said to be
the birthplace of long. Fuji in

China. And it's it's got a high
degree of oxidation as well as

being roasted. So that's why
that leaf was so dark your

favorite yana. I think that
ropeway is everybody's favorite

and you know just most people
just don't know cuz it's got

such a sweet profile to it
compared to the more famous

ones. So like the Hong poo, I'm
sure you've heard of very

famous name. it's probably the
most famous Chinese oolong. Got

a very roasty profile to it
Morey less sweet Less fruity

with oxidation level, I don't
know the exact oxidation level,

maybe like 60 percent 60 to 70
percent oxidation and then the

roasting is where there's a lot
of variability and this is

charcoal roast and very long
process of roasting. so every.

Month after the tea has been
harvested in me then. It's

It's taken to the charcoal
roaster to get a roasting and

you know a lot of the lower
price More accessible. young

child will be roasted only once
or twice versus three times so

three times as you know kind of
the higher the higher quality

and prior price. So this
roadway is definitely the

oxidation level does depend. I
can't tell you the exact one

and it depends like harvest to
harvest so. The team master

determining that you know when
the oxidation is done and

that's that's all mostly
through smell, you know while

they're processing the teeth,
they're they're taking it and

smelling it.

One that feels good, it just
makes me feel good. It makes my

whole body feel good. So
Charcoal roasted Ymc Chas AOK

and this railway's on our tea
and it's people's websites. So

if you guys are interested in
trying this tea, you can get

your hands on it and just
another tip about our website.

If you do start going to our
website to look for teas and to

purchase this please keep in
mind that there's free shipping

for domestic orders for US
orders if. Your order at least

$75, so you know just a little
tidbit of information, You can

save a little bit of money high
Dimitri good to see you.

Bye.

No. I've never been told that
Eric Soir says three or four

roasted needs to be aged at
least one year to drink. Yeah.

I've never been told that No-I
I do know about the aging of

young Chas and that there is a
Prime time and but I've never

told that you can't drink it.
so I mean that's just a

different perspective of
vocabulary of what we what

we're meaning here but from
what I've. Been told when I've

gone to to Sean is that there
is a Prime age between three

and eight years of we know that
those over the years that you

don't want to drink it. So from
no aging, I'll get rid of the

taste. Yeah, you're you're
right, You're right on that.

You can drink it. so that's why
there's like that that Prime

time. But yeah, we don't we
don't hts. And this one is not

having a fire taste to it. This
one 's very smooth, very mild

very sweet. But I I'm I'm
curious about that. so I'm

going to collect some
information on that and and try

to share it and educate all of
us myself included. They said

it's like a funk if if it's
it's in that not Prime. Between

three to eight years, it's like
a funk and again you can drink

it. There's just like an
additional funk that I've

never. It's like a sourness. I
guess I don't know. I didn't

understand that you know when
when I'm a scientist, a food

scientist specifically so when
it comes to like post harvest,

food production or any kind of
agriculture product and someone

says something like that to me.
I ask a lot of questions cuz I

don't understand the science of
it like why what is that it? A

biological thing is the
chemical thing and what are the

compounds? Causing that to
happen and like with a lot of

things and Chinese
craftsmanship there's just a

lot of no need to explain going
on so I didn't really get a

solid explanation so you're
asking what's type of tea where

am I using so this is the goku
method or ideology. Or

lifestyle, or way of preparing
where you use a smaller vessels

larger amount of leaf and you
steep for shorter periods of

time so that you can reep over
and over so you know if I sit

on this this this live stream
for an hour or whatever I

should be able to continue to
brew this tea and enjoy it

throughout the entire time
being able to see it. All

different times now this what
I'm using here is called the

guy one. This is the
quintessential tea brewing

vessel. This is not a typical
guy.

you know, typically a guy one
would be much lighter much

thinner and it's it's clay but
this is a US made my friends at

not made in China, Patrick and
Marie. They are making this guy

ones and they're making them
you know kind of a thicker clay

cuz this is pretty heavy,
Usually the lid of a guy. One

is very light made of porcelain
a lot of times so here I got

one right here but this is. One
this is big, actually, it's

kinda bigger. you can see it's
bigger than that one but it's

like this is like Super light
compared to this. It has like a

lot more weight than this one.
you know a guy that's not

always gonna have the print on
it like this. This is extra.

This is special. This is my
style. but also this I like

this too. I love this Brown.
It's simple. it's got the you

know it's glazed, but you can
see all that cracking inside.

It's kind of a cool character.
a cool little addition to the

aesthetic something else. I
like about the guy ones that

they make is that they're
stronger and it's very cool to

say that several cafes coffee
shops, food service

establishments are interested
in preparing their tea in this

In this style, you're doing
these types of equipment and

wears so something like this
that has a very thin

composition. That's easy to
break. you know you drop this.

it's free guaranteed you drop
this. there's a slight chance

it won't break and it just has
more weight to it has more

value. It is more difficult to
draw this or to you know forget

that it's there. It's it's
there. It's you know it's there

so. Another reason why I like
this guy and then the picture

I'm using this is also not
typical of what you would see

in Chinese tea service. usually
you'd see maybe a glass pitcher

or if it is if it is clay and
it is possible it will be clay.

It's very common to see
pictures it won't be shaved

like this is a very
japanese-style cuz in Japanese

tea. water temperature is very
important. You know Green teas

are very popular in Japan and
you. To be able to easily and

quickly cool your water so that
you can brew your tea at a good

temperature. And not oversee it
or exposed it too much heat. So

this picture here I can put my
water in it and it because of

the surface area like the wide
you know the wide nature has a

lot of surface area around the
picture and then also on the

surface on the top that allows
for a quick and efficient

cooley of the water so that
when you steep, you can have it

at the right temperature, even
if you're kettles freshly

boiled. But I didn't do that
for this tea. Sokal I forget

what it's called in Japanese,
but Erica saying and Koreans

you were this is Japanese, but
I could imagine this aesthetic

being in in in Korean war as
well. this is probably a bit

more savvy than what you'd see
in Koreans. This is very well

be savvy. It's not perfect.
Bobbi is a really incredible

concept that usually you
wouldn't see it in this

environment. so this
environment I called it kung fu

that's Chinese. So if you went
to China and you sat with

someone that's practicing Pooja
it would. Very trainees, you

know Chinese teapots Chinese
wares. Use a Moshe, This is a

use of thank you for your
Google like fast skills.

yeah. so Erica did you see this
one my my T display. Who's that

you like it? This is also made
by not made in China. you can

see the the artist stamp. Maybe
you can see the artist hold the

quilt to see you see that. See
that made in China on the top

that's stamp, but I love this.
You can see it too. So I've

been using this to display my
teeth or Brewing. they make all

kinds of designs. They have
lots of stuff so Marie has a

Etsy store now and a lot of
these things are. A lot of

these wears like I want and
teapots and even pictures and

cups and this display dishes
and even scoops are all on

their Etsy shop, which you can
find through. I'm sure you can

find it through all their
social media. They're active on

Facebook which they also do a
lot of live streaming so kind

of worth it to follow them and
watch their journey as they're

exploring the making and craft
of different teas. So yeah back

to the International Tea Day,
something else. I wanted to

make sure that you guys all get
the chance to enjoy is.

Official UN webcast of their
celebration of International

Tea Day which you know
surprised the heck out I I saw

that it was going to happen
days ago and I kinda bookmarked

it and make sure to watch it.
the timing of it was a little

difficult with my time. I think
they had done it at like three

or 40 'clock in the morning my
time yesterday. so there was no

way I was gonna wake up to to
enjoy that live so I. Watch the

replay of it later later on in
the day, and it was really

surprised the quality of the
content and so I had shared it

on T Letts social media, which,
of course you can go find

there, but I'm also going to
share it in the comments here

so guys can potentially
Bookmark and watch it on your

own time. It's about an hour
and a half long a lot of it.

You can fast forward through
either you know it feels not

relevant to you or you know so
it's it's basically short

presentations from different
dignitaries within the UN

specifically the FAO, which is
the Food and Agriculture

Organization. so that's why
when I first saw that it was

going to be happening. I you
know, I didn't put a lot of

faith that it was going to be a
high quality content. But wow,

what a surprise so turns out
that the the what do you call

that the director general of
the FAO. So he's like the boss

of the FAO within the UN is is
Chinese and he's an enthusiast

of a classic Chinese poetry. so
that was kind of special that

you know he he he shared some
of his his poetry and his love

of tea with the The dignitaries
and he had a true understanding

of T was so cute like when they
first start the webcast.

there's a woman from Morocco.
That's emcee the webcast, so

she kind of introduces
everything and gives the agenda

of what's going on and she
says. Okay. So everybody can

you just bring your Cup of tea
and so you know it's a bunch of

like big mugs and other things,
but this the boss man he had

all these mugs lined. But he
was like oh this is long and

this is Red tea and this is
yellow tea. I was so happy it

just made my heart so happy to
see him. I'm so proud to share

that's that part of his
heritage and his passion. I'm

sure he drinks tea and his
normal life and you know, I

didn't really feel that the UN
was going to give much notice

to tea from places outside of
like the commodity colonial.

Developed systems like India
and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh,

which is actually where this
holiday international Day,

started in the Indian
government, was the one to

bring this holiday to the
attention of the UN. The FAO

but you know, I probably
could've done a little bit of

research to see that the big
boss man of the FAA was

actually Chinese and an
enthusiast of classical Chinese

arts which would include tea or
at least tea, would be an

elements Not to say that tea
itself would be the arts I

could be there is there is an
art of tea in China and there

are people that practice you
know actively practice Kung Fu

as an art, but tea is also a
wants to come in great. tea is

also an incredible like a
facilitator of creativity, and

that is definitely what he
brought to the table and

educated everybody. So that was
good. Hi Adam. Hi Elise. Friday

Thank you. Eating my water so
great. How was your

International Tea Day
stressful? I didn't really get

to do anything. I mean that I
worked so that's always to

related. but yeah, no nothing
nothing that special for

international TV. That's that's
too bad. Have you gone back and

like watch any of the the
content that was generated by

you know some of the
organizations or the the

companies. No I had a lot of
downtime today. I probably put

it up today but. Well, I'm
gonna I'm gonna share a link. I

just shared it in the comments
of the live stream, but it's

the it's the UN's official
webcast a program that they did

and what I was explaining was
that I I I really wasn't

holding up a high standard of
good quality content being

produced by all these you and
dignitaries around tea, but it

turned out to be a really high
quality program and I would I.

Recommending to anybody if
there's one program that you

watch from yesterday's
festivities, which a lot of

stuff came out of it. I was
really happy to see how much

everybody embraced including
all the keyboards and the

different trade associations.
the people really took this

seriously and really took it as
a chance to bring people

together and to share
information and share

inspirations with each other
around tea, but the UN put on

quite a valuable. production
the the head of the FAO, which

is the segment of the UN that
you know took leadership on

this day is actually Chinese
and he's an enthusiast of

classical, Chinese poetry and
art. yeah, so like he opened up

the whole program like really
like laying it on like the real

authentic passion of tea, you
know not cuz all the rest of

the day. Materials are pretty
much like South American or

they are Indian or they are you
know, Middle Eastern and so

their relationship with tea is
very different than you know

the Chinese relationship with
tea. both are valid but often

times in those contexts. The
conversation is like just

thinking about like commodity,
you know, they're just thinking

about you know like the
industry of commodity while in

China, you know it's very
different. You know there's. A

very different value and
appreciation for tea. that's

that was good, but then there
was a guy that came on that he

is like the economic he's like
an economic scientist for the

UN and he gave a pretty good
presentation on the

sustainability economic
sustainability of the industry.

I was really happy to see that
so I mean if anything like even

that presentation should be cut
out and and and. Thanks for

thanks for joining Glass was
chatting me up earlier.

So, yeah. did you see the Shaun
from from the the tea and

Herbal Association of Canada.
She did like a 12 hour long

stream yesterday where she
interviewed. Yeah. It's crazy.

Watch it. I my boss is watching
it when like he was watching

him that like the tail end of
Ayn Piccolo was on there Okay,

but yeah, I was we were both
the office yesterday and there

was not a. To spare for me, so
I didn't I didn't I didn't take

a moment to check that out.
Unfortunately, the you know it

was it was it was interesting
because it was like interviews

so it wasn't it wasn't really
you know information or data

being shared. It was more of
like sentimental value of of

different folks with like logs
steep histories and just kind

of casually. With each other,
their passions of tea, which is

great, you know, I know people
really enjoyed it. it's not

really the content that I'm
looking for Like I'm I like

wanna see data and I wanna like
learn something new and you

know meet new people here. new
projects exciting you know

Progressive underground like
projects which you know the

UN's presentation definitely
didn't give light to any of

that and I was actually gonna
bring up something else that I

did learn. Through the UN
presentation was this Grant

that was issued in 2014, which
there's still addressing now

six years later, saying. Oh,
this Grant will solve our

problems. We should put a lot
more attention to this Grant,

which is called the
mainstreaming sustainable

Management of Tea production
landscapes. it was funded by

the the GEF Trust Fund
implemented by the United

Nations Environment program and
Executed by Rainforest Alliance

So yeah, I you know, but it was
approved in 2014. the money was

given 2014 two million dollars.
Wow. That's a lot of money.

Yeah, especially in the
industry. Yeah. Yeah. That's a

lot of money, Oh and Co
financing. so there was another

12 million dollars so the total
amounts of the grants. Self was

a little over
14 million dollars. Wow for you

know, and all I can find on the
Internet is that it's from

2014, and there's nothing more
like there's this little blurb

that says Project summary to
reduce land degradation

Associated with tea production
in Asia by supporting farmers

and catalyzing industry and
government leaders to Maine

State Mainstream Sustainable
Land Management, SLM and

integrated natural resource
management and you know. That's

resource management practices.
You know this is a six year old

and 14 million dollar project
that like I have never heard of

and yeah. so it's interesting.
It's it's funny when you start

digging down the rabbit holes
and for it, there's someone to

contact for it about it. Well,
yeah Rainforest Alliance. I

guess they're the executors, so
I mean they would be the ones

to contact and ask for
information you know so I have

we're. I've been trying to
reach out to someone at RFA

over like some compliance
questions and I've Emailed or

twice and if not got a
response, so I mean the only

other contact information I
have from RFA would be like

info and reinforce dot Org.
Whatever it is so yeah well and

you know that that might be
successful to in getting a

response. you know, especially
if you're asking something like

this be like Hey, you know like
I was watching in the U NS

International T. Day and they
pointed out to this and I

thought this was really
exciting I. Heard about it like

I'd love to hear you know
what's the status cuz you had

the last update on the official
website for the the funder the

GEF Trust Fund was the the
Grant was received in March of

2014. The project was approved
to the next day and that's it.

That's the only updates on this
14 million dollar environmental

project, a lot a lot of good.
For 14 million dollars, you

know. Absolutely mm hmm. What
are you drinking drink Yokel

Coco Coco. That's my favorite
cultivar broccoli so nutty. Oh,

So did you hear about India
last night? last night I lost

the last I've been updated on
India's about the extension of

the the lock down. Yes a giant
cycling 00. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I

heard about that. Yeah. such a
shame. Yeah. it hit Calcutta

very hard. It sounds like yeah.
We've got big out to a number

of our contacts there
thankfully it seems like most.

On the respondents said they're
okay. but like there's a severe

loss of power and communication
and the Internet and roofs off

of houses and felt power lines
and trees uprooted like it's

it's a pretty mean sounds like
so The extent of damage is

gonna take a few days to assess
and then it'll take some time

to repair things. So yeah. I
just hope that they're water

you know their water is safe.
That's that's always the main.

Yeah, absolutely, especially
with the lockdown happening and

everybody kinda hold up in
home. yeah, that's that's

created some complications in
terms of like trying to get

people into shelters because
like they have they have they

had to have they've had to have
restrictions in place for

sheltering people due to the
due to the pandemic. So it's

like it's yeah managing. In the
midst of a lockdown is a.

Complicated and scary and you
know it gets me thinking about

what some of what we may be
dealing with in parts of this

country and the coming months
as hurricane season and

Wildfire season are both coming
up. Yeah definitely wildfires,

especially huh. Yeah. So did
you hear maybe you've talked to

you? I think I have yeah so
Nevada's started to open up.

Yeah. We talked a bit about it
last week. Obviously that was a

week ago. Yeah. So so last week
you were talking and more from

the standpoint of like this is
about to get started and since

then you've now gone through a
week of it and I've seen a

couple of Facebook pictures
from you of like actually

experiencing it happened. If I
if I'm getting the timeline I

can. yeah, so I mean the I
haven't. I haven't been going

out yet and I'm I'm not in a
hurry to go out but I did go

for a bike ride. yeah, you know
to the to the Strip, which is a

great experience. was so much
fun And but it was it was

interesting to see that the the
restaurants that we're open you

know they're definitely wasn't
social distancing feasible. you

know just cuz there's so many
people that do want to go and

they're not every single
restaurants open but something

that the city is starting this
weekend at least downtown. you

know, which has you know some
pretty active eateries is

They're they're blocking off
the streets and set up tents

tables underneath so you know
people can dine outdoors. yeah

to help you yeah kinda spread
things out. Yeah, but so the

main thing that I've noticed on
the restaurants that have

opened is that there hasn't
been a significant increase on

the prices, which I was
surprised by. There is like a

very popular venue downtown, a
bar downtown. They of course,

Cannot open as a bar right now,
so bars are not allowed to open

because you know bars are so
close but they do have like an

outdoor and outdoor patio area
and and they have a kitchen. so

as long as you're serving food,
you can be open, but then you

also have to space everything
out and follow all these

restrictions. so they're you
know they're trying to get open

so that they can employ. you
know their their their team and

so they're they're like kind of
charging a cover charge and

then they have increased their
prices about double of what it

was before. so you know that
kind of made me feel good. You

know, I definitely didn't make
me feel like I wanna go, but it

makes me feel like the people
that do go and support it are

actually it's gonna be likely
of. Actually supporting not

just the restaurant itself, but
the workers right cuz like if

if servers and staff are
relying upon tips and you only

have half of the people able to
come in and dine and you keep

all the food prices the same,
then the workers is gonna be

paid half as much because you
know it's half as much tips so

yeah I I mean I don't know it
The thing is a lot of the

people who are adamant about
wanting to go back out are not

necessarily the friendliest
most easy going they're they're

not tippers, but the oh not
only the tims, but they I mean

many of them can be very rude
and you know in an already

stressful like just that I
don't know Bye. It's funny all

the best tippers are people
that work in the service

industries and none of them are
having money right now to be

spending well, I mean I I've
made a statement to a friend of

mine, an old Middle school
friend of mine who's been kind

of vocal about how he thinks
that we need to lock downs like

really smart guys. so it's odd
for him to be associating his

viewpoints with like people who
are. Not that smart and so I

questioned I finally questioned
have based on one post, I said

serious question here. How much
is this really impacting your

life and based on that? Why are
you so adamantly pushing for a

reopening? and he said, Oh,
it's not affecting my life.

It's affecting people and
marginalized that livelihoods

and I said, well, you know what
as someone who spent the better

of his career and then
marginalized lively, but I can

say. That I question your your
sincerity and your what was the

word I used at sincerity and
something else in regards to in

regards of credibility and
sincerity and speaking for us

because having worked in that
world for so long as recently

as less than a year ago,
there's a lot more than a

pandemic that can cut that can
upend our lives at the drop of

the hat. Yeah the service.
customer service industry ah

these are people who are yes
the marginalized existence is

real and you know any number of
things could I could cause by I

be here anyone in that world to
lose their job and suddenly not

know what the income is going
to be in and beat trying to

access find a way to Build
something out of nothing and

what else You know, it's a it's
a valid point. It's really

valid point. Is to oh yeah, I
made the point of like look I

my most recent work was in
Puerto Rico and I'm still I'm

still communicating with a lot
of people there and they've had

many other things happen to
them beyond this pandemic to

throw things out of way. Yeah.
So if you're really if you

genuinely care so much about
these people, these people's

lives. Why are you posting all
this stuff that Oh, I know all

the other, I said. It's like
many. A need to get away from

these toxic workplaces to begin
with many of them don't want to

have the liability. Most of
them don't wanna have the

liability of potentially
killing their customers or

their friends and it's like you
know they you're choosing

between tuberculosis and
cancer. It's either being in a

toxic workplace and make not a
lot of money or be out of your

toxic workplace and make. Less
than not a lot of money and

wait things out and try to
figure things out from there

and I said if you're going to
be so Adm about this, why are

you posting these things about
Inna lock down and instead post

things about people in this
industry need to get a living

wage? We need to get guaranteed
benefits and anytime you order

delivery to a minimum of 30
percent. Yeah. So yeah, that's

it. That's valid, So I mean I
think that's gonna be something

that you know, I'm gonna put
into my rhetoric around this.

It's like yes, let's go support
these restaurants and these

employees but tipping we got
the system is still broke so

and you know unless a
restaurant, which actually

quite a few. it's it's been a
trend over the past few years

for restaurants to to to get
rid of the tipping thing and be

very transparent with their
with their customers. Hey, we

pay our workers as well. We
take care of them so you don't

have to tip them. Yeah. yeah.
many of them. there is a

movement. There is a trend
there is interest across the

board to do that the problem
probably the biggest problem,

which is in stark relief now
and due to the pandemic is that

restaurants operate at such in
margin that even though every

last one of them might wanna
offer a full health care

coverage and and Living wages
and say no tipping so many of

them are they struggle to be
able to do even a fraction and

to be able to offer even a
fraction of that. Yeah. so I I

I mean it's to your point the
US is one of the few places

left that we're tipping is a
thing. I think it's time that

it goes away and then and that.
Reassess how the margins look

for restaurants, how we're how
the whole the global supply

chain for restaurants and food
price and service is managed

yeah, we we we should be paying
what what these things are

worth and people if people are
essential workers, they should

be receiving money that
reflects their essential

status. etcetera etcetera
exactly. What's that's a that's

a nice Texas State on your
shirt. What what is that this

is from you know it's it's
great. You ask about this. this

is from the Texas Sommelier
conference from this past

August. so you'll notice here.
This is a corkscrew okay and

the day so I don't know it's
I'm fairly certain and

unfortunately, I'm not if it
happens this year, which I

haven't really take close
enough attention to if it's

still going to happen this
year. As far as I know it's

still scheduled to happen,
especially in Texas reopening,

but I don't know what it would
be like this year, but with all

that I've had going on both
related and unrelated to the

pandemic. I can't imagine that
I would be going in and this

year So Last year, this past
August, when I went, I

volunteered for it and the day
before I volunteered was when I

had my first phone interview
from my current job. It was

kind of all of a sudden the
week before I got contacted

about the job at Martin Bauer
and I said, Okay, I'll be

traveling next week and my boss
said. Okay. Let's do a phone

and can we do a phone interview
while you're someday while

you're traveling, I said, Okay,
Yeah. Friday is the Friday is

the day before I started
volunteering for the

conference. Cool. So what
happens at the conference a lot

of wine? it's there are
seminars there are tastings and

Lots of wine gets poured and
lots of wine gets wasted cuz

it's just there's just so much
wine. I have a picture that

reminds me next time we see
each other in person. I'll show

you on my phone of like because
I was volunteering one thing

that we did was like we you
know there's there would be a

seminar and report taste for
each of the person in the

seminar for when they sit down
and then whatever wine gets

this left out or gets brought
back to the room and. The

drinking that wine throughout
the week, but as many of us as

there were as much as we love
her wines we were inundated

with wine in that room and
additional public tastings for

people who are attending and
for the the the seminars that

would happen that we could not
possibly consume all the wine

that was in that and then we
would have our own parties

that's sponsored so there is
more wine. We can consume and

some of it was like a rare
expensive amazing line. so this

one picture from the very last
day when we're finally at the

point where like we're cleaning
up, we're throwing away and

it's like you're not drinking
this wine now that it needs to

go so there is this whole table
of wine that I took a picture

of it like right before it was
about to get to, but right

before we were about to start
dumping a home. Oh I. You were

to tell me you had a big party.
We did have a big party, but it

was there was more to the big
party that night that our after

party sponsored by like Moet
and Shandon and and productions

and all these importers and
producers that would bring

their wine and open up like
never cans or bottles because

it's like they don't normally
get to open this. they've got a

captive audience and supply
professionals. They're gonna

open the gigantic bottle and
have fun for all of us. And

actually be able to pour the
entire bottle and that was it

so it's like yeah. I'd like we
did have a party, but it wasn't

with that particular table, but
with the other one that was

opened up that night, it's
good. I don't work in the wine

industry. I didn't yeah, it's
it can be fun. are you are you

a song yourself? What are you
Are you a yourself? I'm I'm a

certified Somme. Yes. okay.
cool. I was I was going to

that. I was going to that
conference because I was

running the program at a
restaurant at a wine bar in San

Juan and I was trying to I was
trying to network and see my

way up the ladder and meet
people and and as I said the

Mark. Bauer thing came out of
the blue. I wasn't expecting to

find my way back into T. I just
kind of leveraging things on

the one side again. Oh, I see
okay so you you literally were

you working in the service
industry when you're in San

Juan Yup cool. Wow. I was how
was that experience was that

your first time to to to work
there or in San Juan or

anything. San Juan in the
service industry Yes, I was in

I was in San Juan for about a
year, and yes, it was my first

time living there first time
working their period and yes

first time working in the
service industry in the first

time working in the service
industry there I had about half

of my career as an interesting,
so how how was that compared to

here? It's a very similar or
different culture. aspects of

it are similar aspects of it
are very different Bye. Basic

stuff like same currency same
like you can very easily do

your job. Do what any job?
they're speaking English. if

you don't have like you don't
speak any Spanish. I did speak

Spanish so it took me a leg up.
You can certainly like work

without that background

it's different like the biggest
differences for me were. People

like people's taste and
preferences both good and bad,

like one thing that was
interesting to me is people

really like Spanish wine there,
which this here people are more

into California and in French
wine and so that was kinda cool

on the other hand like people's
pallets are pretty simplistic

there. I've I've like Puerto
Rican food is just a lot of

like heavily fried food so.
Some things that to me are

pretty simple and I've been
exposed to throughout my life

or like very foreign to them.
But like like I remember there

was vocal Bok Choy on the first
restaurant. I was working there

and very often people would ask
what is Bok Choy and I would

have to tell them in Spanish.
It's a it's a Chinese cabbage.

It's the best. Yeah. It's
funny. I could give to that.

Yeah. so stuff like that.
they're terrible tims like

Generally expect around 15
percent without tax included.

And this is on an island where
you know, especially people in

the service industry are not
making a whole lot of money. so

that's that's pretty rough and
the people who are dining out

at the kind of places that
where I was where I was working

could easily afford to be
tipping 30 percent, plus they

wanted to they just didn't it
wasn't it wasn't their thing.

Yeah. So I've never been to San
Juan. I've never been to Puerto

Rico. actually I have to I have
been. I take that back, I've

been there but definitely the
places that I went were like

you know not fancy restaurants
but I I could pull an

experience from when I went to
Puerto Vallarta and in Mexico

and we we went to a fine dining
establishment there and

majority of the diners there
were all expats, you know so

and and I felt like I could
have been in the United States.

it was a very different dining
experience. You know all the

other restaurants that I had
gone to eat that but yeah

that's interesting Puerto Rican
food the restaurants where I

worked at least at the time I
was only getting paid in cash.

There were no like W nine forms
that I filled out That so that

was kind of interesting. It's a
lot more wild quest kind of

there situation that you can,
you can be an entrepreneur

without as much Red tape, which
some ways is a good thing in

other ways. It's not such a
good thing. Yeah. I bet you

that's why a lot of the
cryptocurrency world is

attracted to to to Puerto Rico.
I think that has that

definitely has something to do
with it. that Yeah, well, the

biggest thing and I. Place into
that is that Puerto Rico's tax

for yes, so Puerto Ricans pay
more in taxes than the Xs to

live there. it's it's an
exploitation of situation. so

you don't yeah I. There are a
lot of tax breaks and

consequently like there's not a
lot of money being reinvested

in appropriated to actually
benefit the island and

meaningful tangible ways. So
that's it plays into this

massive debt problem that
they've had since before

Hurricane Maria and you know
it's exacerbated by Hurricane

Maria and then they have an.
For earthquakes or earlier this

year so Well, yeah, it's great.
If you're how's your family

holding up there. They're
staying healthy. we're

fortunate that my my wife is
still working. so we're

fortunate in that respect.
she's very stressed dealing

with my son, but fortunately
with our son but Fortunately,

my mother in law has we have
been able to get some help from

my mother-in-law. They've been
staying there and so it's. It's

difficult, but it's definitely
there are many people in the in

more challenging situations.
whether it's like anyone

experiencing a job loss or not
having like a additional outlet

for child care so there's that
the lockdown situation there is

tough. It's that the island has
the strictest lock down in the

country. It's about to get
restrictions are about to get.

Starting next week and a very
good way but at the same time

that the the people in charge
of the government, there are

absolutely idiotic and they
haven't been managing the

situation well at all and
there's a a severe lack of

testing there and that's going
to continue as the island

starts to open up a little bit
more so they're really not

monitoring their risk after. I
see him Yeah. Well, yeah.

So what are things are gonna be
lifted or what restrictions are

gonna be lifted they're going
to allow water sports again,

which makes perfect sense. It's
a very like surfing and kite

surfing. What have you are very
socially disconnected? So that

makes perfect sense gives
people a chance to get exercise

and get out of the House to
they are going to reopen

restaurants at 25 percent
capacity. I believe that they

are opening What's the word I
like? Hair salons and nail

boutiques, and what have you
for appointments only. I think

they're doing some. Some other
non essential business is going

to get that as well. I don't
remember exactly. That's it,

that's that's what does your
wife do for a living? She is

the chief of staff at the
foundation for Puerto Rico

nonprofit Organization that is
trying to has been trying to

Build up rebuild and improve
upon the tortoise and visitor

economy on the island. So she
must be working extra hard

right now trying to figure that
one out. Yeah. Yup. She's

always working extra hard. he's
definitely a workaholic but but

yeah right now and I mean the
entire time she's been working

there because it's been like
when she started, she was

focused on the hurricane Maria
recovery and then earlier this

year there were the earthquakes
and now there's this so there's

always been. A crisis that
she's been working on, I mean,

at least with Hurricane Maria,
it was like a year in the

Rear-view mirror, so it's when
she started so It wasn't quite

as

The urgency and the the gravity
of it was not quite as intense,

but it was still dealing with
the crisis from which the

islands still hasn't fully
recovered Yeah and it's not

going to fully recover until I
like the federal government

shows the federal government
until the federal government

and the the Executive
leadership on the island

actually, but starts acting
like adults in terms of like

helping them out. This is this
is one reason why I I was

pretty bullish on Elizabeth
Warren because she was she was

one of the first candidates
that have visited to make a

campaign stop in Puerto Rico.
Yeah, it's nowa her campaign

And one of the few who actually
did like I I wanna say, maybe

20, maybe at most 25 percent of
the candidates actually went by

there and she was one she and
she did and she was one of the

first Yeah and I I got the
impression that you know due to

her being an intelligent policy
maker that she was genuine in

her goals terms of trying to
find. The best solutions for

the island on the terms that
would be agreeable to actual

Puerto Ricans Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Well, that's a that's a Dream

of the past. Yes, but unless
she gets the VP nominee, but I

mean, Yeah and I heard Amy. I
heard Amy's getting vd right

now. Yeah. I mean a number
we're getting better I hope it

is not a choice. I honestly
don't I honestly wouldn't

prefer Elizabeth Warrenton the
because for a few reasons I

don't think I mean mainly, I
don't think it makes strategic

sense because you have two you
would then have two Northeast

people which I don't think
plays into the the strategy of.

To drop people who who kind of
are increasingly viewing that

part of the country as with
skepticism number one number

two. this is an even more
tangible thing if she gives up

her Senate seat, it would get
filled by a Republican governor

of Massachusetts, a Republican
he would appoint someone to

take over. Senate seat until
there's a special election.

Isn't it interesting election
though, because like we had so

much momentum in the Democratic
primaries, but then you know

just like a complete drop off
of any type of you know and and

it's not like the President has
really been Either so it's like

for the first time ever, you
know like there would be the

possibility of like a real
surprise. You know someone

could come in like a I don't
know be at the independent or

you know and with how fast
things are changing and how

fast people we've gotten used
to fast change. now. Yeah, I

mean. The independent thing is
until the electoral College

goes away that just there's no
there's very little chance of.

Someone from the outside the
two major parties gaining much

traction because it's like the
winner takes all state by state

system with the election. How I
mean the best in independent

ever did was winning three
States and that was George

Wallace. Well, and and then
like the Libertarian Party, how

many think what what's his
face? Who was the guy that did

the best and the Libertarian
Party? Gary Johnson was it

nader Norma was Carder was in
the Green Party and he got I

wanna say he got two percent of
the vote. He didn't do very

well the the best the so if I
remember correctly, there are

two major party nominees who
had the best results. History

Rosse and George Wallace,
depending on how you look at

it, George Wallace, 13 state so
he actually did get the most

electoral votes that a non
major party candidate has ever

gone. Yeah pretty Gros when you
think about the type of person

that George Wallace wants Ross
Perot got got somewhere around

20 percent of opening when a
single state because he he

didn't Bye. You need to get a
majority in the state to get

any electoral votes, so you can
get a majority in the same

state so ended up doing was
eating it. I mean if anything

he gave to George HW Bush's
lead and that that helps clin

that.

no okay. Yeah, I was checking I
was checking if I did. I get

the actually she commented a
Wall back she, she commented

about the the FAO video saying
that interesting talking

comments on the international
TV online meeting. so I'm not

alone. I'm not alone like other
people are agree. It's actually

good content like you wouldn't
think it cuz you know it's not

like famous celebrities that
are talking, but I think that's

almost better. You know, I
think that we should like take

a break from like listening to
all the legends of the legends

of tea, you know and and
idolizing them because

ultimately, they're all
marketers even myself you know

and. Bye. I don't many. Have a
very high tolerance for many of

the the T celebrities if you
will they can. The Many of them

I I find that. I don't know a
little too fluffy. I guess it

would be the best way to the
most politically correct way,

but I can put it. Yeah it's.
yeah, like it's a very I mean

by our nature the world that we
work in is is kind of is less

mainstream. So it's very easy
for us to get self absorbed

when we talk about the products
about which we're passionate.

so if you're listening to a T
celebrity, they can sound that

self absorbed and and it's kind
of okay cuz. Audiences largely

people who are only within the
tea industry. Yeah, the UN is

not I I would assume was not
necessarily taking that

approach, but but with the
which is which to me is very

intriguing, which is why I I
would you know, I'm I I'm

inclined to what you're saying
about it. Your observations

make sense to me. I'm but the
person the person. Being the

one leading it from being from
China being from a legitimate,

a culture that has like a very
deep foundation and Associated

with tea. I would think I mean
I hate to use this term because

it's I think it gets overused
quite a bit lately, but I can't

I think at landed it some
authenticity while still

seeming very. It's just you
know this is he's talking about

something that is a part of
this culture. Yeah. This is and

again you can. I didn't watch
it so I haven't watched it yet.

So I mean, yeah, you should be
based on. It's cool. I you know

I just like I was just so
surprised how it is and you

know it's kind of stuffy and it
kinda feels like C-SPAN. you

know like so like it's
definitely not you know,

glowing and and sexy how you
know the content usually is,

but you know for him to like
kind of open up the stage for

the rest of the presentation by
like showing his. Calligraphy

and like reciting poetry like
how how often does someone in

the UN, a leader in the UN gets
to do that and one of their

official meetings, but it was a
great context for him to create

for the rest of the meeting
because in all the rest of the

presenters were like
dignitaries of Argentina and of

India and like they were
talking about the real ??? like

the real ins and outs of of
marginal and and and of

mobility of the workforce of
tea. This context of this like

very, like artistic and poetic
kind of context. it's it's it's

cool. I I was just like wow.
This is really cool. You know

and outside of the Chinese guy
like or the leader, I shouldn't

just call him chinese-I. I'm
sorry. that's so rude, but the

the the director general
outside of his presentation.

all the rest of the
presentations are very like

mathematical and very like data
driven which is great cuz we

don't get a whole lot of that
And Tea conferences. You know a

lot of the data is like kinda
felt and and and then, of

course, the presenter is
usually a marketer. It's

usually somebody that's trying
to. Something ultimately,

myself included you know I get
a lot of presentations and you

know I always try to keep
myself in. check of like you

know like the sales will come
later like that's stuff will

come later like I have this
stage right now like I want to

present you know information
rather than just you know,

creating this like romantic
aura around me that like I'm

this tea Explorer and people
ask me all the time they're

like why don't you do that. You
should be doing that at least

and I'm like I don't need to do
that. Like people, you know

they can make whatever
assumptions about my lifestyle

that they want to but my goal
and I feel like my

responsibility in the tea
industry is is educating people

like really educating them. not
you know cuz like my goals,

I've told you this before my
goals extend far beyond like

I'm not trying to be a
celebrity. I'm you know, I'm

I'm trying to to solve bigger
problems and this is a very big

problem and I'm very grateful.
That's. Like the root system of

my journey isn't like it's the
best that's the way it just

makes total sense and I'm very
grateful and you know I I take

the responsibility but yeah, my
goal is not to become like the

a-team master or like the you
know like the romantic

celebrity. you know, but I do
love tea. I'm not gonna deny

that of course. So I do have to
head I I I I I told a friend of

mine. She's just launching a
podcast. I told her I'd I'd be

on her podcast today and I
think my appointments at let me

check my calendar. I think it's
at four. Yeah. it is that for

that's the podcast. what's it
called. It's called let me look

at it.

I like. I liked the name it was
kind of a catchy name.

I don't think she's published a
single episode yet I'm probably

gonna be on positive AF and the
AF is not what you think It's

action first positive action.
First. It's a show that

celebrates positivity in all
forms through this podcast. I

love to explore the duality of
our personal journeys

intersecting with the impact we
create in our communities. Oh

yeah. So yeah pretty cool. I
was just like I was really

impressed with her
professionalism of how she sent

me the pitch. so I was like
hell. Yeah. I'll do an episode

with you. You know, I hope
you'll watch this thing. She

sent me like a very concise
three page document that had

like the audience the formats a
call of action. You know some

bullet points that she will
potentially ask me. so yeah. So

yeah I should go and get that
but thank you so much for for

jumping in and connecting I
hope you have a beautiful

weekend likewise. You are you
are you gonna be able to have a

long weekend or this is not
gonna make any difference for

you. This Monday is Memorial
Day. yeah, you know I my Monday

will be a shorter. I guess you
know the post office won't be

open so I won't be able to like
get orders out. so yeah, I

guess I'll have a little bit of
a holiday on Monday. I may go

to Utah. I have a friend he's
finishing a Ramadan finishes on

tomorrow night Good friend of
mine, you know, and he takes.

he takes it very serious every
year, which is good and I love

like connecting with him in
that process cuz you know like

I don't practice myself, but
it's I think it's a good. It's

it's good to get exposed to
that and get exposed through.

you know the emotional States
and everything and all of like

the philosophical thoughts that
are going through someone's

head when they are, you know
practicing that he wanted to

go. check out some nature and
some. by Sundays, so I may go a

little road trip this weekend.
Awesome. Yeah. Well. Enjoy

yourself. Thank you. Adam and
yes. so on Monday I do plan on

doing this again and on
Monday's is gonna be like the

hospitality talks so we're
gonna dig deeper. cool. Yeah.

So if you wanna you wanna make
that and I'm gonna invite some

other friends to make sure it's
not just me talking cuz like

really like I do have like some
pretty passionate ideas and

thoughts about this but like
the actual mechanics of it. I

don't know I've never. Like
work in the service industry

myself, so you know I just like
I just wanna provide that

platform and kind of like and
see people and push people to

think about these things and
ask the questions, but I won't

be able to do it myself like I
definitely need the help and

collaboration of others to to
actually like understand what

about the the mechanics of the
industry would need to change

to achieve the final goal,
which we've all. Much cover

today, which you know it's like
cool so this is what it's it's

two or 20 'clock 30 'clock 20
'clock right now No. Well. I

started today's kind of around
30 'clock. I was a little late.

I was enjoying the the weather
and and and and a relaxing

lunch. I let myself it's Friday
but on Monday because I'm gonna

be inviting others to as well.
I'll I'll be sure to be time at

two. Okay so
Monday to and you're what. Is

it for you now right now? it's
40. Yeah. I think it's five

your time you're three hours
behind me. Okay. So it's 50

'clock. I'm gonna put I'm gonna
put a reminder on my phone so

awesome. Thanks. Adam. Yeah. I
know I think I think your

experience would be like Super
relevant and and appreciated in

this. I'm gonna try to get my
other friend Paul involved

because he's he's he's he's a
White guy. actually. so yeah

you love Paul. I'm I'd love to
introduce you guys. You have

met them already, you might
have been on one of these

before, but he's here in Vegas
in Vegas. Alright Adam I'll

I'll see you soon Have a great
Buh bye Stas. Bye everybody.