Warm tea served on a bed of chips

In the meantime, what has happened to the hospitality industry?  I ask because I'm beginning to dread eating out.   The simplest irritant is ordering a cup of tea.  I'm given a cup of hot water and a tea-bag.  By the time they arrive at my table, the water is warm and the tea-bag is still sitting in the saucer.  If anyone should know how to make tea, cooks and chefs would be at the top of the list. 

I'm laughed at, at home, because I heat my cup with hot water before adding the boiling water and tea or tea-bag TOGETHER.  I like my tea hot, hot, hot.  I don't add milk, just enjoy piping hot black tea;  and the only place I can get it now is at home.   When did The Kitchen Police decide that luke-warm is best?

It was certainly some time before the decision was made to serve chips UNDER the rest of the meal - oh please, stop doing that.  I order weiner schnitzel with salad and chips, and when it arrives the chips are going soggy under the meat and salad.  Why?  Who in their right mind wants soggy chips? I mean, really, I've heard of "served on a bed of mash" or "a bed of rice", but served on a bed of chips?  I've fooled them now, though.  I order chips on the side. They come in a bowl, separately, but they're hot and crunchy and just how I like 'em.

IS THIS A SIGN?

First impressions.   At interview, way back in December, I met several of the instructors who seemed impressed with my submissions and immediately offered me a place in the course.  Very flattering, even more so when a friend who has just completed the course told me she was sent away to "practise" for a year.  I was given a tentative timetable, course requirements, book lists, and advice on filling in my time until 20 February, first day of first term.    Although my original instructions had been to bring all my identification and proof of previous educational qualifications, as well as funds to pay for the course, they instead said they didn't need to see any of those documents, and that I would receive an invoice in the mail. 

I have to say that all this administrative work was being done by the teachers, not clerical staff, so it wasn't surprising that they had to ask each other "What next?" and "How do we do this bit?", but I signed where I was told to and toddled off.

By 25 January I had received nothing, but a phone call soon sorted that out.  Apparently I hadn't signed a crucial form, but I was welcome to go down to the College, sign the form at one office, trot to the other side of the campus to make the payment, and I would be in.  Which I did.

Following the map sent to me by these wonderful teachers, I decided to go to the bookshop and begin the heady purchases of New Things.  After wandering around the hot concrete concourses, increasingly confused by the differences between the map and the campus, I found in tiny tiny tiny print the date the map was printed:  2005.  I gave up and asked a few people until someone knew where it was.  "But," she said, "it's not open.  It won't be open till next week."  Aarrgh, it's like being back at Uni.  But I found it anyway, and carefully noted the opening hours.  They'll probably be different this year, but I have to start somewhere.