. . . or, when in Rome . . .
A colleague of mine was asked today for a "black coffee with milk".
Here in Edinburgh we used to ask for white coffee or black coffee and drink what is served up.
The process has become complicated by the Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero empires which offer as many options as an
a la carte restaurant menu.
A colleague from the Weeg ( that's Glasgow to the uninitiated) likes to control the amount of milk in his white coffee and I noticed that he always asks for a black coffee with milk.
Some months back, we found ourselves in the Weeg's bus station caff. I asked the server for a white coffee only to be rebuked by said server with an indignant "
dae yae mean a black coffee wi' mulk?!!!!" .
I have since discovered that "can I have a black coffee with milk, please?" is a secret code understood by baristas as "just a white coffee, no b/s and, no , I am not here to be ripped off".
I now order my coffee in non-specialist cafes here in Edinburgh as "black coffee with milk". The strange looks are less withering than the contempt in the voice and body language of that Glasgow bus station serving lady.
In Spain, the beverage is known as
café con leche so maybe my Weeg neighbours enjoy the costas as much as I do.
Only twelve sleeps . . .