Sitting in a meeting today, I was surprised to be interrupted by a fellow co-worker to find out "what we wanted for tea?". I can't imagine a Canadian company employee stopping a meeting for that.
Here, they take their "tea time" a bit more seriously.
First faux pas - tea time is not actually tea for many people it is actually "dinner" or "supper" or the "evening meal". If you have someone tell you they will "call round" at "tea time" this is not for a warm drink, it is for warm food.
So, they would be called "tea breaks" or at least that's what I
always hear and what will continue to call them throughout today's entry.
Tea breaks are an important part of breaking up of the day. The
morning one, affectionately referred to as "elevensies", happens
around 11 a.m. In the afternoon, it's usually around three and there doesn't seem to be a clever name for it.
In our offices, we all take turns getting each other a drink. With the machine upstairs, all it takes is a tray, some yellow sticky notes and the corresponding numbers to get everyone their drink.
Mostly it's 32s - which are teas - but you will get the odd 10 -
coffee with white power and sugar - or a 12 - coffee with white
powder and no sugar - and very rarely, a 50 - cappuccino.
It's a very soothing time of day. Everyone seems to be quite good at making sure no one does the chore too much or too little. And you get a good feeling when you know it's time. Someone will come to your desk and make sure they have your number. It's like a community drinking thing.
And, once the drinks are prepared, and brought back down from the kitchen two floors up, the most important part of the "tea break" occurs.
The circulation of "biscuits".
I would call them "cookies". So would most people in North America but over here, they are "biscuits".
And someone - usually the same someone who has gone to all the
effort to get your drink - comes around with the biscuit tin.
There's always so many different kinds. Digestives with chocolate and caramel, original chocolate chip, double chocolate with cream,
mini chocolate candy bars - which are not so much biscuits as they are chocolate but just as enjoyable - plain digestives, assorted
wafers. On a special day, if someone's been "across the sea" to
Scotland, we will have the most detectible biscuit I know - Scottish shortbread.
Today was one of those days. And as excited as I was to break off a piece and have it melt in my mouth, I was half as eager as the
ladies I was sitting in the meeting with.
It was important not only to take some of the butter saturated
irresistible shortbread but also the caramel-chocolate digestive. I was asked three times if I "was sure?" about only wanting a little shortbread piece and nothing else.
It's a good thing I finally got the gym membership. I need something to cancel out all the sugar goodies.
Here, they take their "tea time" a bit more seriously.
First faux pas - tea time is not actually tea for many people it is actually "dinner" or "supper" or the "evening meal". If you have someone tell you they will "call round" at "tea time" this is not for a warm drink, it is for warm food.
So, they would be called "tea breaks" or at least that's what I
always hear and what will continue to call them throughout today's entry.
Tea breaks are an important part of breaking up of the day. The
morning one, affectionately referred to as "elevensies", happens
around 11 a.m. In the afternoon, it's usually around three and there doesn't seem to be a clever name for it.
In our offices, we all take turns getting each other a drink. With the machine upstairs, all it takes is a tray, some yellow sticky notes and the corresponding numbers to get everyone their drink.
Mostly it's 32s - which are teas - but you will get the odd 10 -
coffee with white power and sugar - or a 12 - coffee with white
powder and no sugar - and very rarely, a 50 - cappuccino.
It's a very soothing time of day. Everyone seems to be quite good at making sure no one does the chore too much or too little. And you get a good feeling when you know it's time. Someone will come to your desk and make sure they have your number. It's like a community drinking thing.
And, once the drinks are prepared, and brought back down from the kitchen two floors up, the most important part of the "tea break" occurs.
The circulation of "biscuits".
I would call them "cookies". So would most people in North America but over here, they are "biscuits".
And someone - usually the same someone who has gone to all the
effort to get your drink - comes around with the biscuit tin.
There's always so many different kinds. Digestives with chocolate and caramel, original chocolate chip, double chocolate with cream,
mini chocolate candy bars - which are not so much biscuits as they are chocolate but just as enjoyable - plain digestives, assorted
wafers. On a special day, if someone's been "across the sea" to
Scotland, we will have the most detectible biscuit I know - Scottish shortbread.
Today was one of those days. And as excited as I was to break off a piece and have it melt in my mouth, I was half as eager as the
ladies I was sitting in the meeting with.
It was important not only to take some of the butter saturated
irresistible shortbread but also the caramel-chocolate digestive. I was asked three times if I "was sure?" about only wanting a little shortbread piece and nothing else.
It's a good thing I finally got the gym membership. I need something to cancel out all the sugar goodies.
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