And so the box is nearly empty, and our time together in the context of advent tea will soon come to an end. I have had a crazy busy morning, and before I embark on a similarly jam-packed afternoon, I’m taking a few minutes to sit down and sip a cup of Yunnan Imperial. I have high hopes for this tea, with a name like that. It’s a good strong name for a tea.

Much is made of the geographical origins of this tea, on the high, misty plateau, in the red soil of the Lancang River etc, making me long to leave town, leave the country, and lay my eyes on mountains and lakes once more. This is a tea of daydreams amid the busy humdrum of winter lockdown and/or the frantic festive preparation that includes me making a yule log, and Pete making balloon animals.

The tea is fabulous, smooth and complex, with flavours beyond my comprehension. I’m sad it’s over, along with my window of peace. Today I struggled to find you an interesting mug, and settled for the “World’s Greatest 30 Year Old,” which is a good 20 years out of date for me, and in fact was a birthday gift to Pete a mere ten years ago, from his colleagues on the occasion of his 30th birthday. Still a spring chicken, it says. Good looking and youthful. It’s all true.