I’d always heard stories of the mythical tea lady – delivering tea around offices.
By the time I started work they were a thing of the past.
Now either I’ve gone back in time (possible….) – or I’m in a country where the cost of people is different (more likely) – but she’s reappeared!
That’s right. I get my tea delivered to order to my desk, morning and afternoon! She’s obviously been taught well, as she also brings a glass of water at the same time. Unfortunately it doesn’t come with an Arnotts assorted cream biscuit by the side, but hey – at least it’s home delivered mugs of tea!
The tea lady, Nincy, is obviously a creature of habit. I didn’t score a visit for the first week – it was only when I asked the question in the office about getting a cup of tea (having gone to an external coffee shop in the first week for my fix) that I got told – “What do you mean – Isn’t Nincy bringing you a cup of tea?”. The first day I got a cup of coffee, which I let go cold – after which she learned I was one of those weird English tea drinkers who has milk!
Nincy has an interesting office life. She only serves half the floor – maybe 30 people total? Other then the hour each morning and afternoon she spends serving, she doesn’t seem to do much – although her little area (don’t dare walk in there!) seems to be the epicentre of the local office chat scene. Sounds much like Australia when the tea lady existed there I guess! The other thing she seems to do when people aren’t gathered around her, chatting, is spending the rest of the day on the phone. From her phone manner she could be ordering tea supplies.
But some how – I doubt it.
May 9, 2008 at 8:41 pm
What a funny story. I have never heard of the “mythical tea lady” and nothing like this exists in my office.
Perhaps I work for the wrong company. Tea delivered to my desk in the morning would be sublime!
May 10, 2008 at 9:18 am
What no biscuits for your tea very sad! Although, I’m not so sure you’d want the arnott’s biscuits there, we had a packet of Tim Tams brought back from Jakarta that we shared in my Idonesian class during VCE. They were utterly dissapointing, same name, made for the expats, but they were drier, blander and had about 1/4 of the chocolate you’d find on a regular tim tam.
Mum and I have just been having our tea lady (dad) delivering tea to us while we watch tv. Hope you’re having a great weekend.
May 10, 2008 at 9:22 am
When did they all disappear in Australia? Apparently our uni dept had one until the early 80’s, used to come to the staffroom at 11 each day to make a large pot and pour for everyone.
May 11, 2008 at 10:55 pm
The “mythical tea lady” existed at my place of employment for many years – that is, until the very day that I joined the company (September 1977). At least I enjoyed the sevice during the job interview!
May 16, 2008 at 6:41 am
Hi,
I walk with a lady who worked for a computer company which produced reverse polish notation calculators (well the ones I used). They had a tea lady complete with cake and biscuits until at least the turn of the century ( as I walked with her when Emma was about three) She was walking off the morning tea as she said they were so nice you could never say no!! Can anyone beat that as a time?