Annoying to have today off yet unable to put it to good use by preparing for the party. I decided against turning the pork into ham and will do so probably Friday night, provided I get home early enough. I can’t believe I am saying this but with luck the kindergarten owners won’t want to take me for dinner!
Dean, the genius who fixed my internet, just provided me with 30 days extra VPN connection gratis under the refer a friend scheme and has now been invited to the shindig on Saturday. I know he’s young (20s but married) but he seemed very excited at the prospect - in fact he came straight out and asked if he could come. Shy and retiring he is not. It does though guarantee me instant roadside assistance if I have any computer problems in future.
Rico, the lad I am supposed to be helping improve his English, is similarly happy although I suspect his reasons are that he will be able to smoke with impunity (Mum allegedly doesn’t know about his habit) and he will be able to drink beer without anyone telling him “don’t you think you’ve had enough?” - well unless he really HAS had enough and then I will tell him!
I did though put the early evening to good use by making an apple pie which currently sits in the oven alongside my curry shepherds pie. This time I will leave it baking until it is much browner than my first effort - although it was fine, a little extra suntan wouldn’t go amiss. I am confident it can sit in the fridge until Saturday and still be edible. How on earth our mums and grandmums used to make pies a couple of times every week is beyond me, I reckon it’s a lot of faffing about and sticky fingers!
Whilst Molly has understandably cried off visiting me in the spring festival, now Alice has expressed a desire to. Whether her dates will coincide with less than extortionate flight prices or not remains to be seen. She could still come next week for costs about the same as the train but I reckon they will shoot up the week after. I am not overly confident she will be able to come.
Suzy has now been given another task in light of the great coconut milk failure. An alternative recipe for satay sauce specifies rice vinegar. Anyone that knows China will know that there are a hundred types of vinegar on offer (not one of them proper vinegar like wot you put on fish and chips) but I couldn’t find any with any English to identify what sort. Many of them are for dipping Jaoza in and somehow I think the result if combined with peanut butter would be somewhat emetic if I got it wrong. Hopefully she will present me with what I require in class tomorrow.
So with currently fifteen guests anticipated for my most ambitious party ever, I am now agonising over whether I will in fact have enough time to get everything done. With a roast dinner to do for the two girls tomorrow after class when they come to spruce the place up, unless they leave inordinately early (which they may seeing as they have early class on Friday) then the ham will need to be done on Friday. Saturday will be mayhem either way, Bangers, drumsticks, satay sticks, potato salad, salad, chilli and more to cook or prepare and armed only with an oven about 18” wide by a foot tall. Will I regret even countenancing such madness??
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