Socialising over food
Alpes-Maritimes, 21st of November
I'm in a panic.
I'm not one for cooking, but here it seems to be compulsory. At the moment I have the excuse that I will not have a
kitchen until late December, but the truth is I'm terrified. So far we have been invited out to dinner with almost
everyone we have made friends with - and they are all great chefs.It is ok in the summer months, even I can manage a
BBQ, but now winter is coming I'm starting to look at cookery books. Never before I have felt the need to work with
Jamie, Delia or Nigella, but I definitely think we need to be introduced, and quick.
Taste of a foreign tongue
The trouble is that it is not just rustling up something hot, oh no, we have sat down to 5 course meals, which begin at 8.00pm, with the last course being served around midnight. I have trouble working out what to cook for lunch never mind courses. So not only do I have to learn the language I also have to learn the local ways and etiquette. We have though started to invite people over for aperitifs and nibbles. This generally consists of offering spirits and coffee with saucisson, sausage, bread, and dips. Some people then follow up with a steak meal. So when one is extending the invitation one has to state whether a meal will follow. To get out of this I only invite people mid-morning!
A little bit of home
Some
patriotic feelings were brought out by the rugby match England vs New Zealand which we watched on the satellite tv in a
village bar 1,800m up in the mountains. Ashley used to play rugby before we came here, and as I moved from near
Twickenham we both found a small lump forming in our throats, as for a couple of hours we were taken back to our roots.
The French bar owner was very accommodating, he even made us crêpes at half time! Various sanglier - boar - hunters and other people popped in during the match, for pastis and coffee, and
stared at us - good job we won!
A teacher in the making
I have been asked by a villager to help at Roquebillière College. College age is 11 - 16 years,
and they want me to help with the after-school English lesson/ homework. I see this as a great way to get to know the
locals, and improve my French at the same time. It is important to be seen to join in as soon as possible. Being the
first Brits in our village we want to give the right impression. I'm really looking forward to it.I may even learn a few
slang words. It will also be nice to walk through the village and say 'hello', bonjour, to
people. I'm sure we will then feel more at home.
Sent by: Janie
My husband and I have owned a house in the south west of France, just 40 minutes east of Toulouse for several years, the big day will be dawning soon, on the 20 January, when my husband retires and we move to France permanently. Meanwhile, we make monthly visits and keep in touch with friends and neighbours. Like Janie, I have kept the invitations to aperitifs, and one never to be repeated meal to celebrate birthdays of French friends from Brittany. Now the time is here for me to prepare a full five course meal in November, as it is my turn to host the meal for the neighbours. Each year we have been invited to neighbours in our little commune to partake in a delicious meal, prepared with no apparent stress. Just like Janie I can barbeque, do a one pot meal, and even a roast dinner, but my previous experience shows that preparing something typically British, such as even leaving the skins on new potatoes, can become embarassing, when the guests politely remove the skins, making me feel as if I had been totally lazy in my preparation. So this time, I am contacting everyone with an interest in food, to put me wise, planning and re planning my menu, and practising my dishes over and over. I hope my very kind and tolerant neighbours will still appreciate having the only British family in the area living next door to them.
Flag this comment