Well excuse me, Mr. Tea Con-oh-sewer!

Lara, Brian, Sarah and I went to The Tipsy Teapot to get some tea this afternoon. Sarah and Brian had decaffeinated English Breakfast tea, and I got the Bai Mu Dan for Lara and myself. But before ordering the Bai Mu Dan (or 'peony white' as it was labelled. Sheesh), I asked the lady at the cash register (and possibly the store proprietor) if they had any Keemun. She stared and asked me to repeat myself. "Keemun," I cried, slightly panicking, "It's a Chinese black tea!" "Well, we have lapsang souchong, but not that! I've never heard of that before," and she gave me a look like I'd proudly told her that I was born with gill slits and a tail.
I was kind of in disbelief. It's one thing to be a person solely accostumed to working the cash register, but to be the store owner and not know what a common black Chinese tea is is more than just a little odd. It'd be like going to a car dealership, plunking down a catalogue with a model and make, saying "I'd like this 2008 Saab, please!" and the car dealer going, "What is that?! I have NEVER heard or seen of this car! We've got some Peugeots if you're interested..."

And on a sidenote, Brian "Quincy Lazybones Wiltburger" and I decided that shoe shopping with the girls is a little like Limbo. You know you're not exactly in hell, but you're not in heaven either, and whenever you go to new places, the size of the clothing and the amount of trying on increases drastically. It's like progressing further and further into hell until you're at Cocytus and the girls are going, "Gosh, I really like this dress...wait, would this go with those shoes and bracelet and earrings we saw? Or would it go with the other pair of sandals and rings and armbands? Well, I can't remember what those shoes looked like! I guess that means we'll have to go back to the shoe store and then come back here to see if we like it!"