World of Tea — Episode 1: Arriving | The Long Way Round

A journey to China in search of tea begins with a goodbye in Edmonton—and a cancelled flight in Vancouver. In the first episode of World of Tea, tea house owner Salar Melli sets off to find the best teas, but getting there becomes a story of its own. After hours on the tarmac, a long wait for answers and a new route through Shanghai, Salar finally reaches Shenzhen. Come along for the false starts, the late-night arrival and the people who helped along the way. Put the kettle on and join us for the long way round. Filmed, produced and edited by Salar Melli. Sponsored by Vintage Fork Tea Company. 0:00 The cancelled flight 0:11 Leaving Edmonton 1:05 The airport goodbye 2:07 Vancouver and a false start 2:46 The flight falls apart 3:46 The long way to Shanghai 4:07 Shanghai 4:46 A late-night pickup plan 5:40 Arriving in Shenzhen 6:23 Robots after midnight 6:40 The pickup 7:02 The long way round 7:21 Next time: Episode 2 7:32 Credits MUSIC "Landing Somewhere New" and "Stay or Leave" Made with Suno by Salar Melli STOCK FOOTAGE (Envato Elements) BlackBoxGuild · Grey_Coast_Media · vlad_star · Cascadia_Films · WhiteMountMedia · PamPamPam · MonsterFilmmakers · Pressmaster · AlexTraveler · hu7886720 LIGHT LEAKS 2DeadFrog (Envato Elements) SOUND EFFECTS (Envato Elements) Sound-Ideas · AetherFX · Ghetty · Sounddogs SPECIAL THANKS Janice · Henry The couple who made the phone call Family and friends at home © 2026 Salar Melli · Sponsored by Vintage Fork Tea Company