Office Parties

[Denny]

I can find lots of Chinese places with excellent food here in the SF Bay area - and even an "expensive" Chinese place is generally pretty moderately priced.

well just duh Dana!

[DCrom]

I can find lots of Chinese places with excellent food here in the SF Bay area - and even an "expensive" Chinese place is generally pretty moderately priced.

well just duh Dana!

Got me! Heh.

I was comparing to the UK, Denny. I was flabbergasted to find out how much even *bad* Chinese food cost there.

Of course, prepared food in general seems expensive there. For a rough rule-of-thumb, I usually estimated meals cost the same number of pounds as I'd expect them to cost in dollars in the US. (ie, nearly twice as expensive).

But non-takeaway Chinese food in the UK didn't seem cheap even by their standards - Indian food and fish-and-chip shops seemed to dominate the "decent cheap food" niche.

Oddly, I didn't see that big a price differential in the markets. I got the impression that, on average, people in the US eat out more often - I'm not sure if the difference in restaurant costs is the cause or a consequence.

[Denny]

I think that the UK did better at colonizing India, eh?

[Innocent Bystander]

Yep, the UK currently has better cheap Indian Food than Chinese food, in the main. But it varies very much by region. Because there are a lot of ex-pat Indian families living in the Midlands, the average Indian Restaurant in the Midlands is a lot worse than down south. (People who know the food, eat at home, and it's the non-foodies who eat Indian.) Partly it reflects the different economic setup. As I understand it, the Chinese Restaurants had a mechant Naval connection - they used to be the Cooks on the Merchant Vessels. That's why UK Chinese is different to U.S. Chinese - the merchant crews liked different grub. Actual Chinese food is something else again.

In Hackney, at the moment, there are more Vietnamese restaurants than you would expect to see in France. (Hm. That sounds more odd than I thought it would.) There are also a lot of Thai restaurants seeping in here and there. Baltis were popular a few years ago, although I think that trend may have died.

One oddity that I haven't heard anyone mention is the pubs that die turn into Indian Restuarants. I though the market would be saturated around here, but what was once "The Heart in Hand Pub" is now Abdul's Tandoori. And what used to be "The Plough" pub is yet another Tandoori. My friend Josie occasionally acts as waitress in "The Other Indian Restaurant". The main Indian in Bourne End is "The Last Viceroy" (a chain, in fact) which serves good food, but the waiters are SURLY. "The Other Indian" has changed its name and decor three times. I think the food and the service is better than the Last Viceroy, but there's something about surly waiters that makes people think the food is better than it is. The only reason we can support so many restaurants is that there are a lot of TV people in this area, with thick wallets. The owner of the Other Indian is always complaining he is on the edge of bankruptcy, but the restaurant somehow keeps going.

[Whistlin'Dixie]

My office party was yesterday.

Let me just say that for whatever reason, NONE of these people would EVER be friends of mine, by any stretch of the imagination, outside the workplace environment. Of course, I maintain a cordial and friendly professional working relationship despite that fact.

Let me also say, that attendence is mandatory (implied, but not stated, if you know what I mean)

Every year, I have to sit through a meal and "Secret Santa" while everybody gets inebriated, pretends you are their buddy, and gets loud and obnoxious. Well, not everybody, but enough to make things generally uncomfortable. When the office manager gets up and makes speeches about Employee of the Year, of the Month... aaaahhhhh!!!!! When people give their stupid drunken toasts to each other.... When people start chanting: "Ma-ry, Ma-ry, Ma-ry" etc, when it's time to open my gift...

I guess I should just lighten up.

This year, a most uncomfortable situation is the boss' affair with one of the personnel.... It's amazing how a little alcohol loosened those old inhibitions.... So are you supposed to ignore it? (Up until now, it hadn't actually been that discreet, but at least wasn't blatant)

And for whatever reason, the meal this year made me sick! And I have a cast iron stomach! I have eaten hospital cafeteria food every day for years!!!!!

Aaaauuuuuurrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

M

[Wanderer]

My office party is in about two hours. One of the ladies has already mentioned that there will be tequila flowing. I begged off, claiming a prior engagement.

I don't have anything against drinking (as Whitmores can attest to), but I am very uncomfortable in a room full of drunk people.

[Innocent Bystander]

I think that the UK did better at colonizing India, eh?

And Vice Versa.

It's certainly the case that more Americans eat out regularly. And that UK restaurants are too expensive to eat at regularly. I think it's the way our outgoings are structured. Proportionally, I think we spend more on property, so we tend to stay in.

[DCrom]

Yep, the UK currently has better cheap Indian Food than Chinese food, in the main. But it varies very much by region. Because there are a lot of ex-pat Indian families living in the Midlands, the average Indian Restaurant in the Midlands is a lot worse than down south. (People who know the food, eat at home, and it's the non-foodies who eat Indian.) Partly it reflects the different economic setup. As I understand it, the Chinese Restaurants had a mechant Naval connection - they used to be the Cooks on the Merchant Vessels. That's why UK Chinese is different to U.S. Chinese - the merchant crews liked different grub. Actual Chinese food is something else again.

That would account for a lot, I guess.

Here in the SF Bay area, the rule-of-thumb I use for evaluating a new Chinese place is to look at the customers - if at least half the diners aren't east Asian, the food has probably been adjusted (and cheapened) to what the owners imagine to be the typical "American" taste.

Away from areas with a high Asian population, it's more of a guessing game. I've had *very* good & authentic Chinese food in places where my wife was the only Chinese customer (and the owners almost beside themselves with joy to have a customer who could appreciate the quality of their food), but the odds are against it.

I didn't know about the pub-to-Indian restaurant pull, though several pubs I visited offered curries as well as more traditional pub grub. But - come to think of it - the one really good Chinese place we tried in Cambridge was a converted pub.

[Cynth]

Oh, all this reminds me of the Christmas party at my old job that the staff threw together each year---no one else was going to be giving them a party, that's for sure. It was basically an occasion for drinking too much. It was not elegant by any means, no one dressed up. People brought food. There was a record player and speakers. The party started at about 9AM with Bloody Marys in the glass blowers' shop---mandatory to go if you wanted to stay on their good side. The big party started at about 4 and was over by 6 or 7. The punch was heavily spiked with ethanol from the chemistry stockroom. There were no speeches, gifts, or even decorations. Many of the people really did like each other alot and for that reason it was fun at that young and goofy time in my life. It was the kind of party where someone you barely knew would come up and hug you and tell you how great you were, where some completely shy person would suddenly go wild on the dance floor and turn out to be a brilliant dancer. People got really jolly but I don't think there was any misbehaving, just a lot of laughing and silliness. I did have to be driven home a couple of times and I was awful sick the next day. A lot of fun, a high price to pay. It sounds so terrible now, I don't even drink anymore, but I guess it was just a different time. I'm sure their party is not like that anymore. It was pretty extreme I think. And it's probably better that it isn't like that anymore. But I'm glad I was there anyway .

[fel bautista]

Our group has Christmas bowling- 2 games. My average for both was a MIGHTY 101!!!

[cowtime]

Christmas Party? the post office throwing a Christmas party?

[gonzo914]

. . . but I am very uncomfortable in a room full of drunk people.

I like being in a room full of drunk people, but then, I just happen to have a deck of cards.

[Wanderer]

. . . but I am very uncomfortable in a room full of drunk people.

I like being in a room full of drunk people, but then, I just happen to have a deck of cards.

You know..that might make all the difference in the world

[Doug_Tipple]

I hadn't been to an office party for several years, so when I was invited to my partner's office party, I jumped at the chance. The party was for staff and selected customers of an upscale hair salon, and it was held in the beautiful home of the owner of the salon.

The maid met us at the door, took our coats, and directed us into the living room where we saw the first of nine Christmas trees. The twelve foot tree in the living room was done in white and black with flashing white lights. The host, a gay man in his sixties, explained that this was a New Year's tree. At least, I agreed with the peace sign, used as a tree topper.

Walking into the solarium, we saw no less than four large Christmas trees, all strikingly different. One tree was decorated in nothing but crystal ornaments. In fact, as I looked around the house, I could see many large, lead-crystal pieces. I learned later that the host had spent a number of years as a skater with the Ice Capades, so I'm guessing that all the crystal in his house reminded him of the ice.

At nine PM the wait-staff prepared the tables for the gourmet dinner that followed. I was impressed by the size of the shrimp and the freshly made olives, but, then again, I suppose that I am easy to impress. I am interested in seeing how other people choose to decorate their homes, which is a personal statement about who they are and what they value. I tend to appreciate minimalism in interior design, and at this party I found myself in the center of just the opposite. To me, it seemed extravagant and over-the-top, and I was glad when the party was over and I could revert back to a life-style that fits my plebian tastes.

[Cynth]

. . . but I am very uncomfortable in a room full of drunk people.

I like being in a room full of drunk people, but then, I just happen to have a deck of cards.

Okay, I think I finally got this. It is funny.