Monthly Journal:#
The Origin of Tea Drinking and a Visit to the Tea Expo
In mid-September, I visited the tea expo at the Agricultural Exhibition Hall, which left a deep impression on me. Recently, I just started to take an interest in tea. The reason was that one weekend, I went to Yonghe Temple with Teacher K to seek blessings. After that, we casually strolled through Guozijian Hutong nearby and were attracted by the tea-scented perfume in a shop. I thought to myself that instead of smelling tea-scented perfume, it would be better to drink tea directly. So, I got interested and browsed Taobao on my way home, picking out a tea set. Coincidentally, there was a convenient opportunity in Beijing that weekend, and with the aim of learning more about tea flavors, I decided to experience it. Below are some of my impressions.
The hall gathered tea merchants from various regions, most of whom brewed tea to attract visitors to taste or purchase. I tried white tea, oolong tea, pu-erh, berry tea, green tea, black tea, Nepalese tea, and some teas whose names I couldn't remember. My impression after tasting was that the flavors of tea from different regions and varieties are quite distinct. Even the brewing methods, number of infusions, and craftsmanship are very meticulous, allowing me to truly feel the charm of tea culture for the first time.
After browsing, I felt that the temperament of Taiwanese tea merchants is quite different from that of many mainland tea merchants. Some mainland tea merchants are more commercialized, while the Taiwanese tea people give me a sense of grace. Two individuals left a particularly deep impression on me. One was an elderly gentleman from Taiwan who sat alone at a tea table in the bustling exhibition area, brewing tea and chatting with visitors. His movements were slow yet decisive and skilled, as if in his realm, the world was quiet (I later learned he is called Master Ah Xing, who seems to be quite controversial). The other was a Taiwanese couple: the elderly gentleman was calm and leisurely, slowly explaining the types and brewing methods of tea while serving visitors; his wife had a gentle demeanor and seemed a bit nervous while speaking, but she gave a very warm feeling. I later learned that this elderly gentleman teaches Tai Chi in Taiwan, and his business card read: “Tea has a way, Zen has a way, tea and Zen are one, entering the way through tea.” I found it very interesting. In the end, I bought a can of his high mountain green tea. I heard it was a gift for my girlfriend's father, and he even generously gave me a large bag of sample tea, saying, “Gifts should be generous,” which touched me greatly.
Additionally, I bought a bag of 13-year-old black tea, which has a sticky aroma and is quite special. After tasting quite a bit of tea, my favorites were Liu'an Guapian, Taiwanese high mountain green tea, and West Lake Longjing. Teas with strong or unique flavors, like berry tea, may feel fresh at first taste, but if I were to drink tea long-term, I would still prefer fragrant and drinkable teas.
This is probably my impression of this expo. Finally, here is the Tai Chi demonstration video of that elderly gentleman: https://youtu.be/6A2eDpS8EmE?si=9csT6QwR3h02K9Qz
Postscript:
After this, I also bought the Banshan Ripe Pu-erh and Zhu Ni Purple Clay Teapot recommended by Boss Feng this month. Banshan was a tribute tea during the Qing Dynasty, while the Zhu Ni purple clay teapot is made from pure Yixing Huanglongshan original ore. The total cost was nearly three thousand, which is quite high-end for just starting out.
Monthly Record#
1. Efficiency Tools#
Reading: News Minimalism
🔗: https://www.newsminimalist.com/
Analyzes over 30,000 news articles globally every day using AI and scores them based on their "impact on the world." Most tabloid news scores between 0-3, while significant news above 5 only amounts to about a hundred articles daily, and there are basically none above 7. I look forward to it being simplified into an app, as the website is a bit cumbersome.
Effects: Paper
🔗: https://app.paper.design/playground/heatmap
Import a logo to simulate the dynamic effects of the 2025 Apple launch event.
Discovery: ➘Dig Archive
🔗: https://leetusman.com/archive/
Lee Tusman's personal collection archive, revisiting old software, tools, and texts that may have been forgotten in the tech craze.
Ranking: The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2025 | TIME
🔗: https://time.com/collections/time100-ai-2025/
TIME magazine's list of the top 100 influential figures in the AI industry for 2025, featuring quite a few faces from the Chinese community.
2. Text Gains#
I Discover Repeatedly Useful Mental Models (in English)
“Mental models are just concepts that you can use to help explain things (for example, Hanlon's Razor — 'Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity'). There are tens of thousands of mental models, each discipline has its own set, and you can learn them through coursework, guidance, or firsthand experience.”
What Matters Most in Life are Certain Moments
“Human life is too short; from the cosmic perspective, it really is just a moment. Everything now will become the past, and all joy and pain will fade with time. If our lives lack certain moments, it feels as if we merely went through the motions; but if we have certain moments, I feel that my life has not been in vain.”
How to Know What You Truly Want?
“French social theorist René Girard's theory of 'mimetic desire' precisely reveals this: desire is essentially a socialized process with mimetic characteristics. This means that human desire does not arise from thin air but is profoundly influenced by the social environment, gradually formed through constant observation and intentional or unintentional imitation of others.”
How to Poop Outdoors Without Harming the Environment and Other Hikers
“Human fecal pollution is a public health issue in the natural environment. Pathogens in human feces can remain active for a long time—up to over a year in outdoor environments.”
What Does 'Sensitive' Really Mean?
“When feeling emotional fluctuations, one can consciously remind oneself: I am currently capturing a lot of information, and my brain is conducting rapid associative analysis, but this is just an internal 'data processing process' and does not equate to objective facts.”
3. Design Related#
Interactions by Nitish Khagwal
A collection of many exquisite micro-interactions that subtly impress users.
Making Software: What is a color space?
An extremely systematic and detailed design research article about color spaces, well worth a read.
Eagle 5.0 Preview: AI Redefines Material Management | Eagle Blog
Eagle 5.0 is coming! As a must-have software for my design work, I am looking forward to the AI image search feature.
52 Weeks of Obsessions
The evolution of graphic design styles in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Spotted in Prod
Swipe up and down like watching short videos to view selected app animation recordings.
4. Other Interesting#
- Dream Image 4.0 Model Prompt Word Manual - Feishu Cloud Document The official prompt word manual from Dream Image, as the tutorial is more comprehensive from the official source.
That's all. Thank you for reading. This is my rss and newsletter. Also, my WeChat is guonlin and email.