Author Archives: Xavier
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Whisky in a cup of tea
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Did you know that Al Capone drank whisky in a cup of tea? It might be a hoax but I heard it on a rather serious radio and I found it cool enough to mention it here. A more “serious” reason than the “cool” factor …
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Don’t feed the trolls
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Don’t feed the trolls is a known motto of the Internet but sometimes I have to feed my inner troll. First because they don’t always look like those of the Hobbit and two because mine is a travelling one that is always looking for some …
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Back to the future
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As you might have noticed (for example here or here) I have an interest in prices of our nice little drink: tea. I usually focus on old prices (sometimes among centuries) and I might still do that soon but another interesting thing is to focus …
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A chain that doesn’t block anything
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I heard on radio last week that big names in the food industry were going for something that up to now for me was something more linked to cryptocurrency (yes I know it sounds horrible but I am sure you have heard of bitcoins) than …
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Curiosity killed the cat or didn’t
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I am always looking for old books or old references to tea, both because I like history/books and because I like tea. I must confess that I am lucky to have a habit that allows to mix both (it would be nearly impossible I was …
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I had a dream
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I read a few weeks ago about a museum that a famous French designer (Yves Saint Laurent) had two museums exhibiting his work, his inspirations and some of his notebooks with drawings of dresses he made or inspirations he had. This made me think about …
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On the road again
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Sometimes economists like to develop their concepts in what seems to be a sandbox way before applying them to reality to check if they are worth anything. When I say in a sandbox way, I mean based on certain hypotheses that to other people can …
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You must unlearn what you have learned
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Everyone knows that in Europe, tea is something English (or British if you prefer), that they invented everything regarding tea rituals and that they are at the core of everything related to tea. Well, I won’t tell you that everything in this common belief is …
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Every story has a beginning
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From The First Tea War: a History The following extract is a transcription in modern English of the unpublished memories of Zhèng Hai Dong, a Chinese scholar that finished his apprenticeship at the beginning of the First Tea War. I opened the door silently not …
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Look into the eyes…
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No, don’t look at me but look at him below. I am sure you are now really scared and ready to tell me everything and anything but don’t worry. I won’t ask too many things. My topic today is more about clichés, “projections” or things …