Taking over quietly.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before, but if I have, I apologise, still, here goes.

From my point of view, this reared it's ugly head about ten years ago when coming back into the country via Gatwick airport.  

Picture the scene: it's about four o'clock in the morning and my wife and I have been up all day and night, it was a late night flight to save money and thanks to a delay.  So, we have about two hours before a train arrives to take us home, so I think "Coffee time"!

I toddled over to the coffee bar (who I won't mention as this is the only problem I have had with them), and through my sleep filled brain, I asked the "barista" for two white coffees.  Remember, this is in the days when you asked for a white coffee and got served with the establishments version of coffee with milk.

"Er, we don't do white coffee, only Americano, Latte or Cappucino", says the girl behind the bar.

"It's four a.m., I just want two cups of white coffee!"

"We don't do white coffee, only Americano, Latte or Cappucino", says the brain of Britain.

"Listen, in France, I'd ask for Café au Lait, in Spain, Café con Leche, in England I ask for a White Coffee or Coffee with milk!  Two, please!"

"We don't do white coffee, only Americano, Latte or Cappucino", says her again.

I gave up, scanned the menu board and requested, "Oh, heck, two hot chocolates please!" 

So the young mademoiselle turns to her colleague "Two hot chocolates"

While waiting, my eyes alighted on the cake display - "May I have two almond slices as well please?"

"Those have got nuts in them, you know" 

"Yeah, I think the idea's in the title, dear", she pulled two almond slices out of the display and then her colleague passes the hot chocolates over.

"Do you want chocolate on those?" says the young lady, holding a shaker of chocolate.

"I'm sorry?"

"Do you want chocolate on those?"

"Listen, sweetheart," says I, sympathetically, "there's chocolate in the cup, if there isn't enough chocolate in the cup why would I want more?"

So she capped the cups, took my money and I went back to my wife.  

So, the point -  it's not that some people are less intelligent than required, it's the principle of going to a coffee shop in England and having to ask for my coffee in a foreign language!  As I said to the young lady so long ago, if I'm abroad, I'll ask for coffee in the local language.

We're losing our identity.

But it's the thin edge of the wedge.

Look at the Ciabbata or Panini that you are going to eat with the coffee, even though I am the first to agree that it's the bread style that goes with those that names them.  But the coffee,  a white coffee, not Latte or Espresso or Americano or Cappucino is what I want.