Maria: Rory, do people in your country like to drink coffee or tea?

Rory: Well, I think there's this, sort of, stereotype of people in Britain drinking lots of tea and we cultivate that stereotype to some extent, but coffee seems no more or less popular than tea. They're kind of equal, actually, if we're more specific, Scottish tea seems to have a particular flavor and is quite popular in Scotland. So maybe they're it's more popular than coffee. But I think in general, for the whole of the UK, they're on the same level, to be honest.

Maria: Which do you prefer drinking tea or coffee?

Rory: Well, up until recently I might have said tea. However, I haven't actually had a cup of tea in quite some time. I used to drink tea religiously, but then I switched. I met my partner and we drink a lot of coffee together. So that's been one of the recent changes in my life.

Maria: Can you say that your life begins after coffee?

Rory: Absolutely. Actually, it's part of my morning ritual at the weekend.

Maria: So only after coffee you have this ability to speak in full sentences, Rory?

Rory: Like, definitely after after a hard week, and then spend the weekend, kind of, recovering. I need coffee to, kind of, function in the morning. I like the taste. It's quite sharp since it's black and since I only drink it with milk that preserves the taste. So it really wakes me up.

Maria: So you drink black coffee, regular coffee?

Rory: Yeah, usually it's like Americano or cappuccino style, but I don't usually have sugar in it. I don't think it's very good for me.

Maria: Do you sometimes go out for coffee or tea?

Rory: I go out for coffee, definitely. Usually when I was drinking coffee, I drank it at home. It's not really something I would go out and drink, but definitely people go out for coffee in general and I'm one of them. I fit into that trend.

Maria: So when you used to drink tea, you would take it at home?

Rory: Yeah. Whereas now, with coffee I'd buy into this kind of coffee culture where people go out and have coffee. I think it's healthier than drinking culture.

Maria: When did you last drink coffee or tea?

Rory: Um, actually it was just before we started doing this podcast. I went to have coffee with one of my friends and it was just down the road. So it was convenient for the both of us. It was probably a bit of a mistake, though, because I'm a bit wired from the coffee. now, but such is life.

Maria: Does coffee help you to unwind, to calm your nerves

Rory: Not quite the effects are... Well, it doesn't make me hyperactive so much, but it definitely makes me more energetic. So it wouldn't do much to set my mind at ease, or ease my nerves at all.

Maria: Would you offer tea or coffee to someone who visited your home?

Rory: I have a story about this, actually. Would you like to hear it?

Maria: Yes.

Rory: Yes. Well, my aunt, when she was younger, she was living with my grandmother and they had a guest around for, well, just for lunch. And so my aunt being quite old fashioned. This was decades and decades ago in the sixties. So whenever an older person would come round, you would offer them something. And she spoke to the visitor and she said, oh, would you like tea or would you like coffee? And the visitor replied in a really condescending way, saying, "Nancy, it's coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon." So I think for some people, there are definitely some rules about this. So I would say for older people, if they came to visit me, then I would definitely offer them coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon. But yes, I should say that's probably not something you want to say quite widely. It's a bit of a rude thing to say. You should just say what you want rather than lecture people about their manners.