I hosted Friendsgiving and watched The Evil Dead franchise.

What I've been up to

• I’ve been thinking more about the concept of rehearsing retirement that I mentioned in my previous newsletter, and tried to articulate that further on my blog.
• I updated my Chi-fi post from two years ago with the changes I’ve made with earbuds and in-ear monitors (IEMs) since writing. I also compared my general experience with IEMs to AirPods Pro (AirPods are convenient, but IEMs sound better and should theoretically last longer since they don’t rely on lithium-ion batteries).
• Someone I’ve spent a lot of time with lately is a big appreciator of Vietnamese coffee, and since I’m a sucker for beverage-based rituals, I’ve been researching and experimenting with making a version of it to share (in my case, using simple syrup and canned coconut milk in lieu of sweetened condensed milk). I’ve learned a lot, and I enjoy having a project. I’ve been using a moka pot since I don’t have a phin brewer yet, but I’m told I’m already getting pretty close to what the local shop makes 👨🏻‍🔬
• Speaking of beverages, I made a…significant Yunnan Sourcing order for tea and teaware. I ordered several gaiwans and mesh filters and intend to give them away to people in my life who are tea-curious. I even got some small resealable bags to weigh out teas for friends who may not have a scale.

What I've been into

• ​The Blank Check podcast has been doing a series on Sam Raimi’s work, so I just watched The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II for the first time and had a great time. Podcasts I follow often nudge me into watching movies, and I’m looking forward to filling in Raimi’s films I haven’t seen yet before listening to their accompanying podcast episodes.
• I just finished reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Dispossessed—my first from her. One quote that resonated with me: "His gentleness was uncompromising; because he would not compete for dominance, he was indomitable."
• (I also enjoyed the frequent use of the term "propertarian" as a derogatory insult).
• There’s not usually much music out at this point of the year, but I spent some time with new records from Nas and Stormzy. I’m enjoying Nas’s King’s Disease III so far, but Stormzy’s shift in tone from the punchy braggadocio of 2019’s Heavy Is The Head (one of my favorite records of that year) to the much gentler This Is What I Mean is still taking me some time to acclimate to.

Musings

I’ve been considering how I want to smooth out my educational process for getting people into tea. I’m accustomed to inviting people to enjoy tea at my house, but don’t have written instructions or resources anywhere yet to help guide someone through it on their own. Maybe a virtual tea session could be fun?

What about you?

Up to anything interesting? Have any thoughts or feelings after reading this? If you want to reach out for any reason, just reply to this email and I’ll write you back ✉️✨