Lost in Translation
I was just in Firehook Bakery for my usual afternoon delight, when I overheard this exchange between a British tourist and the barrista:
Brit: “Could I get a cuppa tea?”
Barrista: “You want a cup of green tea?”
Brit: “No, no, regular tea. Tea.
(Pauses…)
Don’t you have just an ordinary cup of tea?”
Barrista: “You mean, not flavored? We have lots of flavors.”
Brit: “Just a cup of tea. Ordinary. Regular.”
(She pauses again, squirming in dismay at the inability to communicate her fervent 3:30pm desire to get a nice cuppa)
Barrista: “How about black? We have black tea.”
Brit: “Yes, yes, that’s it. That’s what I mean. That’ll do.”