So today was my first day of work, as I mentioned, and I must say it was generally very good. I was dressed SOOOO wrong, but everyone was very polite about it, in that they pretended not to notice, and most of the day was packed with the usual first day type stuff - getting security passes, going to meetings with this person and that, HR stuff - the usual. And now for the unusual - tea trolley. Now I need to mention that at some point I intend to tell my coworkers about the blog, because they seem VERY nice, so they might read this at some point. Hopefully by then they’ll know that I am by no means scarred by this experience and fully expect to be teased about it. Moving on.

Every Monday, my company has a tea trolley at 3:30 or maybe 3:00 can’t remember. Basically it’s just a cart with tea on it, and two people serve the tea, and there are various tea biscuits laying out which are of the come-early-or-don’t-bother-coming variety, meaning they’re the good ones and go quickly. I was thinking, “Gee, that’s so nice. A tea trolley. We never had anything like that at my old job.” OK, so then I get there this morning and my assigned buddy, Nikki, who is awesome thank goodness because you never KNOW who your assigned buddy is going to be, tells me that she has put tea trolley in my diary (that’s what they call calendars of the at-a-glance or outlook variety here) for the afternoon. “GREAT!,” methinks - that will be lovely. OK, here’s what went down at tea trolley.

Tiffany was told that she and Nikki would actually be serving tea trolley today. Tiffany helped lay out biscuits (actually, watched Nikki lay out biscuits). Tiffany was shown the tea, the cups, etc. Tiffany was kindly and then a bit more insistently coerced into wearing an APRON emblazoned with the company LOGO.

Yyyup, that’s right.

Now, was I among a communally embarrassed team of newbies wearing stupid aprons? OH NO. I was most certainly the ONLY person wearing the apron. I most certainly did NOT know that every single person in this country likes milk in their tea and why would you even ask. And I had to talk to people, which I normally love, but on my first day, I kind of like to keep a low profile. Especially considering my remarkably conspicuous accent. Anyway, nice idea, and I’ll feel better when I see anyone else go through it - which I think everyone does on their first day - but man was that a bit much for my first day.

The blessing in disguise about the apron? It covered up my outfit. And I am SO not kidding that I was thinking that when I found out about the apron. “Well, at least people won’t be able to see my outfit.”

And don’t worry - I was overdressed. I didn’t show up on my first day in my ripped jeans and hanes t-shirt. Although, with the right accessories and the conviction that I was SAYING something with my clothing. . . nah, still no good. Anyway, guess who gets to go shopping?

News: Two HUGE thumbs up for the carrot cake. Turned out fabulously. I am a very lucky woman.