you might be a tea snob if...

Okay, so, I'd met this woman a couple years ago at work who later conversed with me about tea.  We asked each other for sources, chatted, etc.  She mentioned this "ruby 18" tea that was soon to come out, which both of us later found at only one online store.  It was quite exciting to discover a new tea through a fellow "tea snob."

I just became acutely aware, however, that as knowledgeable as she is, she probably hasn't spent hours looking for a Chinese white called "anjibaicha."  I don't mean looking as in, let's find it anywhere we find the word "anjibaicha." I mean, as in, looking for the exact tin online, even on Chinese websites with horrible google-translated-into-English versions, actually looking for the Chinese letters so the search is more accurate.  Oh, yes.  This tea snob just got even more into tea, to the point I am willing to convert U.S. dollars to yuan.

So now in addition to brewing preferences from type of tea to timing to type of vessels used for specific teas, I am now looking for a specific tea from a specific (and unknown) brand that I might only find by seeking it in another language.

I suppose I could just ask Dale to ask his friend at work where she got the tea from, and whether she can find it again for me.  But that would be too easy.  Besides, what if she can't or won't or if she leaves and consequently is no longer a good source for the stuff?

~w