The world knows that the Brits loves to drink Tea. “Tea Time” is often stereotypically used in jokes or in movies as a time when the world stops so that the English can drink their beloved tea. But a funny thing happened when I got here – I haven’t seen anyone drinking tea!
Maybe it is done in private, behind closed doors so as to hide from the eyes of this fascinated foreigner. Maybe I am just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe they don’t love their tea as much as is generally thought outside of Great Britain. Now, don’t get me wrong; they do drink tea and in great consumption if the rows of it in the shopping centers is any indication. But they don’t crave it like I thought they did while I was in America.
What do they crave? Perhaps it is a bad indication, but all signs point to wine!
When I say “all signs” I am referring to the signs that advertise Public Lectures. I have attended a few lectures now both here at the University and at the British Museum. I have also attended two welcome parties. In all cases, except for the welcome for foreigners, wine was served not tea. In the case where foreigners were welcomed, I saw more people head for the coffee than the tea. I had tea. I loved it.
In the “lift” (what we in America and around the world apparently mistakenly call the “elevator”) one day heading down and out of the building, a professor (who happened to be riding with me) read one of these posters. (The lift is a common place for bulletin board material.) He got to the bottom and then said out loud, “Wine reception to follow…Sounds like a good reason to attend.” We both laughed, but I wondered how much was a joke and how much he really meant it.
Visiting a grocery store last week I was shocked to discover that they had a whole area dedicated to wine (typically to the size of produce sections in American grocery stores).
What does all of this mean? Probably nothing. I have only been here for three weeks. The places I have been are limited and the people I see are regular. But I had no idea before I came that Londoners love to drink their wine!
Maybe tea-time is a closed event (family, friends, etc.) while wine is a "social" event. In all of the BBC movies, you always see the men sitting around drinking brandy and what not, but never tea.
ReplyDeleteI think you might be right. I asked when "Tea Time" was and was told "It is anytime we take a break." But here's the secret - they don't always drink tea during Tea Time. Those sneaky Brits!
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