Thursday 28th March, 2013       1135

It’s certainly a challenge trying to cook here when you are teaching. The dough for the garlic bread went on first thing at 0630 yesterday, baguettes were baked at lunchtime and the mince browned. Later I started the finishing touches and when the chilli was simmering nicely I tasted it. And regretted it.

It nearly took my head off. I didn’t understand why at first because I hadn’t been too heavy handed with the chilli flakes and so I attributed the unusually high placing on the Scoville scale to the evil looking small red chillis I had bought. I was really worried it would be inedible (except maybe to the Chinese students) and so added what little milk I had to the pot. I apologised to all the diners in advance, fearing the worst. Chilli is a most odd dish in my experience. You can pre-taste it and it is mild but by the time you serve it it has spiced up a fair bit, if you freeze some for another day that lot is always hotter and on this occasion it actually cooled down! Granted it was still only just on the good side of “brutal” but everyone ate it all barring my student, who I suspect simply didn’t find it to her taste rather than it being anything to do with the spice.

They all loved the garlic bread and, as Chinese students normally do, asked if they could take some for their roommates. Included in the doggy bags were of course pancakes cooked by Ollivier’s student Flavie (wearing the black and white top) and his bread biscuits. Kevin invited Susan (green jacket) and my “date” was Sally (grey top). It was a really nice evening marred only by a nagging feeling I was falling ill.

And boy, did I feel terrible this morning! Bunged up, sore throat, the lot. It was so tempting to call in sick but I didn’t. Were I capable I would have slept after the early class but even then I think I would have woken up feeling just as bad all over again. I am really not looking forward to my four afternoon lessons and can only hope I feel better tomorrow for Lottie’s trip to the vet.

2000

God but I struggled through this afternoon!

My consolation is an hour and a half at work tomorrow and the little school unusually (and equally unusually for me I don’t mind) want me to do one class Saturday mid-afternoon and one class Sunday morning. The weather is set fair so although I will spend more time on the bike at the weekend than teaching I will be able to lunch downtown twice. Not only that, with Yvonne and Coco coming for pizza tomorrow night I won’t need to abbreviate proceedings as I can stay in bed as long as I like.

Tonight, although I have spuds and things in stock, I feel too awful to bother cooking so once Pepsi has been fed (the cats won’t eat a pig bone, they forget they were feral and are now fussy) and I take her out for the last time tonight, I am having dan chow fan - or egg fried rice to everyone else. I am not keen on it but with some Thai sweet chilli sauce on it I may just enjoy it!

Have a nice Easter everyone - not a chocolate egg in sight here.