Over the last few years, I've become deeply obsessed with a tea hobby. Specifically, with specialty and high end teas such as puerh and oolong. With it, I've observed how tea is perceived around the world. In China, especially Yunnan, tea is so engrained with socializing. Anywhere people interact, tea is served. I've found if you can sit down with a friend or acquaintance and spend the few minutes to few hours one might over beer, tea can be an equally social action. It's similar, but has some notable differences in that all parties can stay sober, level headed, and even energetic.

At this point, I greatly prefer conversing over tea than over beer. It doesn't necessarily have to be about the tea, but people will naturally be curious. I couldn't recommend it more. It does require some knowledge of buying and serving high quality tea, both of which are pretty unknown in the West. I'm working on starting a importing/retailing business to share the love for that very reason.