Week 37 - Tea Time / Coffee Break

Loads of ideas popped into my head when Linda-Maree suggested the theme for this week (well, last week really....but I won't go there...sometimes, even with all the best intentions in the world, things just don't work out right!)

So I did loads of snapping, but I quickly came to realise that a tea or coffee break is glamourised (in my mind, anyway!). I think of it fondly as taking some time out, having a break....but most often it's a cuppa on the run.....and I'm quite sure I'm not alone in this.

Today's post is going to be a bit random and weird...apologies in advance!

First, Linda-Maree's picture, of a 'tea for one'. We have a couple of these in our house too, although never get used, like Linda's (getting back to my 'tea on the run' comment above!)

I had some fun this week...instead of going for my 'better' picture, I decided to take a picture of what would be my ideal break.......it would simply be a cup of tea, with a couple of blocks of top deck dunked in.

I must confess, I am a bit of a chocoholic......to control myself I seldom buy chocolate, because if it's in the house, I'll eat it. Not so much English chocolate, but, rather, South African chocolates like Top Deck, Tempo, and Peppermint Crisp (mmmm.....bite off the top and bottom, and use as a straw in a glass of milk).

Anyway, back to the topic at hand...tea / coffee breaks.......

This would have been my chosen picture, of a Chinese tea cup and saucer. It's just so ornate and pretty.

Trev's mom also has a pretty cup and saucer (again, never gets used....why is that?!!)

The following picture is of Trev's mom, taken a few years ago in Venice. We were having a cup of tea the proper way... taking a break...

The other thing this weeks theme made me think of is the how 'tea' means differnt things to different countries. It confused the heck out of me when we first moved to England and people were talking about what they were cooking for tea. It was quite bizarre for me, because tea for me is a cup of tea, simple as that.

But tea can refer to several different meals or mealtimes, depending on the country's history and customs. For example, in the UK, 'afternoon tea' (traditionally known as 'low tea') is a light meal snack typically eaten between 2pm and 5pm. Typical example would be tea and cucumber sandwiches, or scones, cakes or pastries.

'High tea' (or 'meat tea') is an early evening meal, typically eaten between 5pm and 7pm, and would usually consist of cold meats, eggs or fish, cakes and sandwiches.

Interestingly,'high' and 'low' tea got their names from the height of the tables from which the meal was eaten. Low tea was generally served in a sitting room, where as high tea was usually a dining room table.

(PS : I didn't know any of this before today.....thought I would do some research before doing my post!)

And, finally, a work colleague bought me a cute coaster for Christmas last year....quite appropriate for me I thought...makes me smile every time I put my mug on it!

That's it from me......have a lovely week!