Bread Sins

"Lunch" is provided for the teachers at my school during recess. Due to the Spanish eating schedule (no food at the beginning of the day, a piece of toast with coffee at 10:00 am, a large family meal at 3 pm, and a dinner meal at 10 pm) lunch consists solely of toasted bread and hot drinks. Every school day at 11:30 am, there is a rush on the one toaster in the teachers' lounge, which is inconveniently placed in the corner of the room, on top of the microwave (to which there is a similar rush for heated milk, coffee, and water for tea).

One day last fall I decided to forgo the long wait, and buttered a piece of un-toasted bread. The looks my actions were met with were completely horrified. Bread, un-toasted? How could someone consume such filth? I might as well have been eating an uncooked piece of meat, still dripping blood (on second thought, that might have been more acceptable). After that experience I never consumed another piece of un-toasted bread, at least not while anyone was looking.

Yesterday I stayed at school after lunch to plan a lesson and avoid the rainstorm outside. The butter, jelly, and pate that are offered as toppings for toast had all been put away in the refrigerator, but the bread was still out. I placed a slice in the toaster. When it was done I didn't want to be a nuisance and dirty up a just-washed knife, so I began to munch away on my piece of toast. Once again: looks of horror. "Why are you eating a piece of dry toast?!" cried one teacher, while another quickly assured me that there was still butter and jelly available (implying: for the love of God, just put something on your bread!) I sighed and walked to the fridge.

In the future, I will remember to prepare my bread properly or face the consequences. I can only imagine what must be said about me: "that foreign girl, wherever she's from, sure is a weird one. You'll never guess what she was eating today!"