Coffee & Meal Ettiquette at UNM
Ciao amici! Here are a few tips about coffee and lunch breaks with our friends at UNM.
First, just do it. Coffee and other meals are very social rituals. It doesn't matter if we will work until 2:00 am, we will stop and have dinner together. Go out with everyone for coffee and lunch as it is great bonding time and it will be perceived as an odd act not to do so.
For morning coffee, wait until everyone has arrived, then go together. (There is an upstairs "everyone" and a "downstairs" everyone, so go with whichever floor you are calling home for the day. When logistics work out right, both floors go together. I bounce around depending on which tools, colleagues or environment I need for my work on that day or at that hour.
One person pays for all the coffees. They are really cheap, so don't sweat it. Plus, the UNM gang will do everything possible to try keep me from paying so I have to rush the counter now and again...
Cappuccino is only for mornings. If you want milk in your coffee later in the day, order a machiatto. Or, be crazy like me and order cappuccino just to embarrass your colleagues (they love it) and see how the server reacts. Today my server belly laughed and offered me chocolate with my lunch time cappuccino as compensation for all the hell the gang was giving me. It was delicious!
When there is catering for events, you still ask everyone in sight if they want to go for coffee, but it's less of an "event" since you're not going out. The caterers know I like cappuccino and delight in serving it to me any time of day so now we're all acting like mad people together. It's a fun game we play.
Lunch during events can be in pairs, threes or solo because we're all rushing around like crazy. But, dinner is still a group ritual.
When there is catering for learning labs and events other than ours, we rush the buffet after the "clients" have finished. Get there before it all runs out! On some days we need fresh air so we skip the free lunch. Go with whichever floor crowd you're hangin' with that day.
Lunch out of the office is always a nice break. The Italians mostly eat veggies and/or pasta with very simple and light sauces at lunch. There is no shortage of fennel, eggplant, carrot and zucchini here. It isn't unusual for us to have whole plates of only veggies. For the flat, try to get to the mercato on the street during the week (nearly impossible) or on Saturday as the produce at the Standa Supermarket leaves plenty to be desired. The caterers also have lots of cooked and raw veggies.
At lunch we almost always get 1-2 large bottles of water to share. One person picks up one or both bottles. Again, cheap and they don't like for me to pay for it. So, beat them to the counter a time or two so you can cover your share.
If you go for ice cream, again only one person pays for all. Again, it's cheap.
Our colleagues here are very sweet and will help you translate the menus. So, you won't starve. If you express a desire to learn about the culture, they will teach you all these and other protocol secrets.
Enjoy your stay. It's hard not to.
First, just do it. Coffee and other meals are very social rituals. It doesn't matter if we will work until 2:00 am, we will stop and have dinner together. Go out with everyone for coffee and lunch as it is great bonding time and it will be perceived as an odd act not to do so.
For morning coffee, wait until everyone has arrived, then go together. (There is an upstairs "everyone" and a "downstairs" everyone, so go with whichever floor you are calling home for the day. When logistics work out right, both floors go together. I bounce around depending on which tools, colleagues or environment I need for my work on that day or at that hour.
One person pays for all the coffees. They are really cheap, so don't sweat it. Plus, the UNM gang will do everything possible to try keep me from paying so I have to rush the counter now and again...
Cappuccino is only for mornings. If you want milk in your coffee later in the day, order a machiatto. Or, be crazy like me and order cappuccino just to embarrass your colleagues (they love it) and see how the server reacts. Today my server belly laughed and offered me chocolate with my lunch time cappuccino as compensation for all the hell the gang was giving me. It was delicious!
When there is catering for events, you still ask everyone in sight if they want to go for coffee, but it's less of an "event" since you're not going out. The caterers know I like cappuccino and delight in serving it to me any time of day so now we're all acting like mad people together. It's a fun game we play.
Lunch during events can be in pairs, threes or solo because we're all rushing around like crazy. But, dinner is still a group ritual.
When there is catering for learning labs and events other than ours, we rush the buffet after the "clients" have finished. Get there before it all runs out! On some days we need fresh air so we skip the free lunch. Go with whichever floor crowd you're hangin' with that day.
Lunch out of the office is always a nice break. The Italians mostly eat veggies and/or pasta with very simple and light sauces at lunch. There is no shortage of fennel, eggplant, carrot and zucchini here. It isn't unusual for us to have whole plates of only veggies. For the flat, try to get to the mercato on the street during the week (nearly impossible) or on Saturday as the produce at the Standa Supermarket leaves plenty to be desired. The caterers also have lots of cooked and raw veggies.
At lunch we almost always get 1-2 large bottles of water to share. One person picks up one or both bottles. Again, cheap and they don't like for me to pay for it. So, beat them to the counter a time or two so you can cover your share.
If you go for ice cream, again only one person pays for all. Again, it's cheap.
Our colleagues here are very sweet and will help you translate the menus. So, you won't starve. If you express a desire to learn about the culture, they will teach you all these and other protocol secrets.
Enjoy your stay. It's hard not to.
Labels: ettiquette, food, protocol
posted by Renee Tanner at
10:24 AM
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