Two thoughts on beverages

In all honesty, I really shouldn't try to talk trash about the way British people drink tea. I don't think there's any way to succinctly explain the precise (and precious) ways in each person here will explain how they "take their tea", while still conveying the fact that they are all (A) somewhere along a wildly varying spectrum of preferred steeping times, brewing methods, additives, and consumption habits, and (B) completely convinced that they are, in fact, drinking the normal, standard cup of tea and while other ways of drinking tea could be conceived of, no one could possibly entertain notions of drinking something else and still think of it as normal.

Actually, I did receive some very good advice in Austin on speeding my acclimatization to UK life:

"You could just drink Boddingtons until you puke on your trousers."

C.F., you are a man of great insight. Thank you.