:: English Idioms Track 07 ::

Track #7 – Black or White Tea, Please?

I have another story about being embarrassed in Australia due to differences in culture. My story is about ordering tea at a coffee shop. I always had a nice cup of tea every morning in Indonesia. It gave me a great feeling in the morning. So when I arrived in the early morning for the first time at Sydney airport, the first thing that I looked for was a coffee shop. Finally, I found a nice coffee shop with many people queuing to order.

Quite confidently I jumped into the queue. I thought that I had better English than before since I had recently learn English at IALF. Then a very friendly girl asked me if she could help me. I said that I would like to have a cup of tea. Then she asked me what kind of tea I would like to order, black or white tea? I thought she was making a morning joke with me. My quick response, but with some confusion, was that I said red tea please. With a very unfriendly face she asked me again, ‘Black or white tea, please?’, I didn't say anything as I didn't know what actually black or white tea was. I only knew that having tea is normally with or without sugar.

Then she said, ‘Next please’. She then asked the next customer behind me. I realized then that I didn't understand Oz customs. One day I had a cup of tea at the University tea room and I saw a lady drinking tea with milk in it. Then I asked her, ‘Can I say that you are having a white tea?’ She smiled and said, ‘Yes you can’. Finally I understood that black tea is no milk added and white tea is with milk. How big is the difference of having tea between Indonesian and Oz people!!!

:: English Idioms Track 06 ::

Track #6 –
What an Awful Smell!

Once I lived in a dormitory with some Australian students. There were about twenty of us on the same floor and there were only two fridges available. Our neighbours were so friendly but problems first emerged when my Singaporean neighbour put her chopped garlic in the fridge.

All the Australians complained about the garlic. But the Asians complained about the smell of pasta (noodles) which to us, smelled like a toilet! At last, we decided to wrap garlic and pasta before placing them in the fridge. This taught us to understand and respect each other's cultures. So, it is not good to fry them if you live very near Australians!