That was the first thing that came to mind when I looked at today's date--elevenses.

Just over a year ago, during my unplanned eight days in the Kenyan hospital, I discovered elevenses for myself.

It consisted of a thermos of hot milk, a cup and saucer, and a tea bag. If I remember right, there was also a small cookie.

Elevenses was just one of the six times a day that food of one sort or another came around. I got to know the food service guy pretty well.

The food began about 6:30 AM with tea and the thermos of hot milk. I'd never made tea that way--in fact I drink both tea and coffee without milk or cream. However, it was quite good. About 8:30 breakfast arrived. There may have been coffee with that--I really don't remember.

I'd barely finished digesting elevenses when lunch/dinner arrived.

The next "meal" was tea, about 4 PM. Not only was there the omnipresent tea, but this time a goodie snack that was reasonably substantial.

Supper/dinner was about 6:30. And then around 9:30 or ten the last food of the day arrived--a thermos of hot milk, but this time there was delicious chocolate--enough to make two cups of hot chocolate before bedtime.

Why all the English teatimes in an African country? It was the British that "colonizied" (took over) Kenya back in the late nineteenth century. So the educated Kenyans (who got their advanced educations in Britain) adopted British habits.

I will point out, though, that the meals had enough options that one could eat African or English. I usually went for the chapati, with various toppings. After all, I was in a very different country--it was only right to eat the "native" foods. Besides, it was quite good.