Tuesday 27 February 2007

There's nothing like an Army Cup Of Tea - really!

We've had a tough old time at work this week and certain folks are really taking it upon themselves to make the burden a little easier to bear by being....well... funny really.

Today, randomly some guy donated about million teabags to the SA, using LNE DHQ as his drop off point, and someone actually said - What are we going to do with those?

Hello,we are the Salvation Army!

Anyway one of my colleagues decided, in the middle of his very busy schedule, to contrive a tea tasting session to see if we, of the office, could discern the difference between tea brewed from some ...um...out of date tea bags, as opposed to some in date ones.

Even more randomly, another guy in the office used to work for a company that produced tea and one of his jobs was to actually 'taste tea', you know all the slurping and swishing business and spitting out etc.

So, a table was set up, two pots of tea appeared along with some cups and the Tea Tasting Test began and all, bar one,( oh and those people who were on the phone) chose the teapot on the right ( as I was looking at them). I was swayed by the smell to be honest.

Turns out we all prefered the out of date tea...but that's not the end of it. Our data inputter put a spanner in the works by asking if the brands of tea were the same. They were not - shock, horror an unfair test!

Another shocking revelation today is that those of us who would rather not be on another committee found out that we might have to be - Health and Safety. All good stuff, but please no more meetings. So the aforementioned colleague decided to become a walking Health and Safety advocate to prove that he doesn't need to attend the committee meetings, by doning a rather fetching Hi Viz jacket. Well, then it all got a bit silly.

Thanks - you know who you are!

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Sounds like mum and dad are missing out on all the fun!

xxx

Dawn said...

And you keep trying to convince me that you have a 'proper job'??....this really isn't helping your case!

Incidently...which brand of tea is best?

Liz said...

Well,the aim of the test was to ascertain which tea tasted best - in, or out of date, so the brand wasn't really the issue. One person wouldn't take part as she only drinks fair trade tea and as it is FT fortnight, felt particularly STRONGLY about standing her GROUND(would have been a pun if we were discussing coffee.)

Our expert felt that there should have been a splash of milk available too, but as it wasn't 'officially' a tea break, this was deemed to be unnecessary. I think the Test Administrator was getting concerned that folks were thinking it might be a good idea if it happened everyday - but then we get back to fair test issue - one test is really NOT enough.

Dawn said...

So, rather than being a fun activity, it sounded like one of my science experiments, where I spoil the fun of the children who are not taking it seriously!

Brilliant!

Liz said...

Fun activity? Of course not - I was at work remember!

Andy said...

Spare a thought for those of us tea-lovers who've given up caffeine for Lent, won't you?

Unknown said...

Oh, Andy, thats a good one! Drink hot water, its great. Really refreshing and much more healthy. Try it and you'll never go back, (from one who knows!)

Andy said...

I've been drinking Redbush tea (which I sometimes drink anyway) - without wishing to sound like an advert for it, it's naturally caffeine free (glint off teeth to accompany cheesy smile) and also drinking decaff fairtrade organic coffee - the most right-on coffee money can buy!

OK, so the latter's not caffeine-free but the thought of hot water is enormously unappealing to me!

Liz said...

Oh Lent - I have to confess that I am a rotten awful failure. I so wanted to give up chocolate, but this week has been so hard, and my jolly friend at work went to the shop last Thursday afternoon and bought back the MOST enormous bar. ( Well I did ask for a bar, but not one that big!)Anyway, I shared it out around the office and do you know what - after a KAO meeting on Monday when, lets face it, there were PLENTY of snacks, someone pilfered the last two portions of choc bar from my desk!!Now they might have thought they were saving me from myself, but that's just not on.

Glyn Harries said...

Has your colleague specifically asked for this level of discretion or are you simply ashamed of him.

Liz said...

Ashamed?...of the DC?...perish the thought :)