Etiquette Expert Teaches Us the Proper Way to Drink Tea | Myka Meier

0:00 I have been busy.

0:00 I've got tea to spill.

0:03 I do.

0:03 We want to hear that tea.

0:05 Yeah.

0:05 You know, I since I was here last, I started a company called Mini Manners.

0:11 Congratulations.

0:10 Thank you.

0:11 And I was of course I've been on Ladies of London: The New Rain on Bravo.

0:17 Wow.

0:16 I just wasn't expecting to do it.

0:18 And I was like, "Oo, should I I should I not?" And I did.

0:21 I was like, "You know what?

0:21 You only live once."

0:23 Yes.

0:22 So, here we are.

0:23 Live your best life.

0:24 I love that for you.

0:25 Now, a few years ago, I wanted my boys to learn some etiquette,

0:28 and you came and you showed them quite well.

0:30 But, so, how did you go from teaching etiquette to a bravo leading lady?

0:35 Well, you know, I started here first, right?

0:37 I was here first.

0:38 I feel like people still stop me in the airport and they're like,

0:41 "You are Snoop Dogg and Jennifer Hudson's etiquette teacher

0:44 from all over the world.

0:45 This happens." You are.

0:47 And I'm like, "Oh, people all the time." And I'm still, it's still me.

0:51 I'm still the same etiquette teacher.

0:53 I'm still teaching kindness and manners in America,

0:55 but also now across the pond in London.

0:57 So,

0:57 and what is that like?

0:59 Oh, I mean, an American teaching etiquette in England is,

1:02 you know, people they raise an eyebrow.

1:05 They raise an eyebrow, but I stick up for us wherever I go.

1:07 I'm like, actually, Americans have amazing etiquette

1:09 cuz we're warm as a culture culture, too.

1:11 Thank you for that.

1:12 It has been fun.

1:13 Okay, so tell us about Ladies of London and what it's about.

1:17 Great.

1:17 So, Ladies of London, it's half Americans, half Brits, and it's,

1:20 you know, a cast of powerhouse women in one gentleman.

1:24 And it's navigating societ London society,

1:27 but also balancing careers, balancing children and families,

1:31 and all of it in the heat of of uh tea, hot tea.

1:36 Well, do your cast members have good etiquette?

1:39 I would say they do, actually.

1:41 Okay, that's good to know.

1:41 I wasn't sure going into I wasn't sure but they

1:43 actually are very well be overall well well beall overall

1:47 okay tell us about the new kids show

1:50 what inspired that congratulations

1:51 oh my goodness thank you so thank you so much thank you

1:56 so Mini manners as a mom of two little kids it is so hard to teach

2:01 good manners to children and up until

2:03 now there's never been a television show which

2:06 is on YouTube mini manners on YouTube

2:07 that focuses on good manners and kindness and teaching

2:11 it in a fun way where kids actually request it and want to learn it.

2:14 So, I was like, you know, I've got to do it.

2:16 And it's, you know, it's it's on YouTube.

2:18 It's free.

2:19 It's available globally.

2:20 Puppets and cartoons, the whole nine yards.

2:24 I want to learn so much from you today.

2:26 Can you share some British afternoon tea etiquette tips with us?

2:30 Y'all want to learn, right?

2:32 Cuz sometimes we think we know, but we have no idea.

2:35 So, what can you tell us?

2:37 Well, you probably remember from last time,

2:38 the first thing we do, napkin on our laps.

2:40 So, we just the trick and actually the queen

2:42 and king king Charles today will still do this.

2:45 So, they'll take the napkin and they fold it in half

2:48 and then the crease faces you and that way you take it

2:52 and you open it and you go dab dab dab dab dab

2:54 dab and then down so all the stains stay inside the napkin.

2:59 That's the first trick, right?

3:01 Got it?

3:01 Okay.

3:02 And then next here we have Okay.

3:04 So, it's afternoon tea, not high tea.

3:06 So commonly people say high tea, but high tea is actually supper.

3:10 In England, that means it could be spaghetti with a cup of black tea.

3:14 This is afternoon tea.

3:16 So that's the difference.

3:17 This is afternoon tea,

3:18 right?

3:18 So we're having afternoon tea.

3:19 So go ahead and take your saucer and your cup and just put it to the side.

3:24 To the side.

3:24 And if you're right-handed, this the handle goes to 3:00.

3:29 Okay.

3:28 And the way that we hold a teacup, actually, this is the trick.

3:31 So you don't loop through.

3:34 You pinch and support.

3:35 Oh.

3:36 So it's pinch and support.

3:38 This is the British way.

3:39 So pinch

3:41 pinch and support.

3:41 When you go on tour, you can use this.

3:43 You're going to And then never pinky out.

3:47 Oh.

3:47 So pinch and support.

3:49 I'm not doing so good.

3:51 I got you.

3:51 I got you.

3:52 Pink and pinch and support.

3:53 So then do you want to go ahead?

3:54 Let's go ahead and Would you like some tea?

3:56 Yes, I would like some tea.

3:57 I hope I can hold on to it.

3:58 Let me pour you some tea.

3:59 Thank you.

4:00 Should I hold it while you while you pour it?

4:02 You can put it.

4:03 Definitely put it down.

4:04 if it ever gets spilled.

4:05 You don't want to spill the piping tea.

4:07 So, I'm just going to put my fingers here and I'm going

4:08 to pour you a little bit of tea like that about halfway.

4:11 And then you can put anything else that you want to enjoy on top of it.

4:14 So, milk, sugar, whatever you'd like, you can add it as just as it is.

4:19 It's going to be wonderful.

4:21 Perfect.

4:21 And then if you want to stir the tea, let's say you want to stir the tea,

4:26 the tip actually here, it's not clockwise or counterclockwise.

4:29 is actually 12:00 to 6:00 so that you don't create a whirlpool.

4:34 So the king would do this

4:39 with the da and then you never do this because you could chip someone's china.

4:44 Oh,

4:43 so then just to the side after.

4:45 And do I put it just on the table or my

4:47 on the on the saucer?

4:48 Perfect.

4:48 On the saucer.

4:49 Perfect.

4:50 Now,

4:52 okay, this here we want to enjoy as it comes as three courses,

4:55 but we also we eat it savory to sweet.

4:57 So, we start with our finger sandwiches.

5:00 Then we go to the scones, also called scon in the UK.

5:03 And then we have our desserts, also called puddings in the UK.

5:07 So, if you'd like to go ahead, please have a sandwich.

5:10 I have a question.

5:10 What if I don't want the sandwich?

5:11 M.

5:12 You can skip straight to the good stuff.

5:15 Okay.

5:14 Up to you.

5:15 And if you really don't want those, you can skip straight to

5:17 I just want the cookies.

5:18 Then you can have the cookies.

5:20 You can have the cookies.

5:22 Do I Okay.

5:22 Do I put my fingers in there or how do I go about it?

5:24 So you actually anything that's served communally

5:27 you never take and put in your mouth.

5:28 You take what you want.

5:30 You put it on your plate and then you eat off of your plate.

5:33 Oh, so I can't just do this.

5:34 I'll just put it here first.

5:37 These are things to know.

5:38 Okay.

5:39 And then you put it in your mouth from there.

5:43 Okay.

5:43 Now the other thing when you sip when you sip your tea,

5:45 you look down in your tea.

5:47 And that could be because somebody's telling you some

5:49 gossip and you need to make a little eyebrow.

5:51 But you so when you sip, you look down, not at the person you're chatting with.

5:55 You can't look them in the eye.

6:02 Wait, wait.

6:03 Okay, you say it again.

6:04 Look down.

6:05 So, you look into the beverage.

6:07 You like look into the tea.

6:08 It's almost It's very British.

6:09 It's like, oo, I'm still watching you.

6:13 I GOT TO WATCH IT.

6:14 E, RIGHT.

6:16 OKAY, I'm Let me try.

6:18 Okay.

6:20 you.

6:23 Okay.

6:23 You look very You just automatically look up, right?

6:27 And also, no.

6:28 See, you look very elegant.

6:30 Very elegant.

6:32 I'm trying.

6:33 You know what you're doing, super right now?

6:34 You're not lifting the the saucer actually stays glued to the table.

6:38 And the only time the saucer comes up is if we stand.

6:40 So, you've done that beautifully naturally.

6:43 Oh.

6:43 So, you shouldn't pick that up.

6:44 No.

6:44 So, you shouldn't be sitting at a table holding the saucer and the teacup.

6:48 M.

6:49 So the saucer stays blue.

6:51 So if we wanted to mingle, then we would pick that up.

6:53 Exactly.

6:53 If we were going to see Big Ben over there, we would walk over.

6:56 If the king invited But I could look up at Big Ben.

7:00 You can look up.

7:01 This is amazing.

7:04 Okay.

7:05 Are we learning some things, guys?

7:08 WE GOING TO BE FANCY.

7:09 OKAY.

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