I can only guess what’s happening. Since a majority of westerners roll in and order something like the stock Jasmine tea in a box—the generic uncreative stuff—maybe she assumes I’m a different kind of customer, that is, one who at least knows pu’erh, one who has a preference. As my wannabe Zappa-turned-Kerouac self sits there scribbling in my notebook and scarfing the pumpkin seed candy, there’s nothing for her, or me, to be confused about. By now, the pu’erh has elicited serenity of the utmost sort.

If you are looking for a beautiful and relaxing outdoor getaway for the day, the new Chinese Gardens at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens are a spectacular sight to behold. Reopened to the public this summer, the Liu Fang Yuan, or Garden of Flowing Fragrance, is one of the largest classical-style Chinese gardens in the world.