h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My only intention of mentioning Thanksgiving was just a brief mention. You could have an interesting discussion about what British food might still be used, and how many new local dishes may have replaced them. I am sorry the the date didn't click with me earlier, but when faced with a 4 day weekend it comes to the front of the mind.

On a personal note, my grandmother often had us over for Sunday dinner. I remember she usually had a brown relish that was one of my favourite foods. The first time I had Branson Pickle I recognized the taste at first spoonful. Whether she bought it at a store or made her own I will never know, there is no one left to tell me.

I am sure your lesson will go well and you will have earned the praises of the observer.



F S

Deb

A lot of pickles/ chutneys taste a lot like Branston, so it could well have been home made. But Branston is pretty good!

Day 27

So the students enjoyed the lesson. Food sampled was: Iron Bru, Dandelion and Burdock, pork pies, scotch eggs, bombay mix, battenburg cake, licorice allsorts, peanut butter and jam sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, cheese and pickle sandwiches, marmite sandwiches. Plus a whole bunch of small samples for the individual taste words like orange peel for bitter and salt cucumbers for sour and celery for crunchy.

The all universally hated marmite, which may have been because I deliberately spread it very thickly . They all loved Iron Bru. One of them particularly enjoyed the peanut butter and jam, and ate nearly the whole plate by herself. And the pickle was something they all wrote down as something to go out and find for themselves in the shops. There wasn't much food left at the end overall, although funnily enough, the pork pies were not loved.

As a lesson, it had a few issues - too many words, and too many of those unknown so it went on a bit long that bit, plus one of my clever handouts didn't work as well after I changed it last minute (why oh why do I do this?), but I do not care!

They got the video though which was entirely due to the way I eased them into it, and something of a triumph because it is pretty full on unedited authentic English in an unfamiliar accent. Sadly, my observer wasn't in the room for that bit.

And my weakest student used the phrase 'it tastes like old times' about milkshake (it tastes like... being one of my bits of target language), which, let me tell you is nothing short of astonishing, because that was one of the more sophisticated bits of language (sadly, the observer did not see that either).

So overall, let's just assume I am a teaching god, eh?

Amen

[Amy P]

That sounds like a really fun lesson. And anything involving peanut butter is good

Deb

I had forgotten how much I like peanut butter and jam, actually. This is a dangerous thing to have rediscovered.

Day28

Today I turned up at Himself's school, suitably drugged up on paracetamol, to help decorate the place for a) Christmas and b) the Christmas fair, which takes place tomorrow.

And then after an hour and a half of hanging around doing mostly nothing I went home. I think what with that, the fact that much the same happened last year, or would have if I hadn't found the bare Xmas tree, and the arguing via email which went on in the run up, and the fact that the cake stall is mostly cheap bought cakes from ASDA for the nth time, I may bow out of any involvement in the PTA for the rest of the year.

On the upside, I did invent an excellent Christmas cake while struggling to reconcile my need to provide homemade cakes to the cake stall with the fact I had an hour to do it in. I recommend melting marshmallows with butter, adding green dye, coating a whole lot of cornflakes with the goo, scraping it into cupcake cases in a vaguely treelike shape, and sprinkling baubles over it.

I give you Xmas tree cornflake cakes. They look GREAT.

I did remember that the last time I used that particular dye, me and the kids pooed green for a couple of days this evening though.

[Amy P]

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - yes
Marmite - no

I would probably have agreed with both ratings.

Peanut butter with Marmite and jelly. Ne plus ultra

Day 29

1. I hate London.

2. I have a Secret Santa. I've never done a Secret Santa before. I am petrified and I have NOT ONE IDEA about what to get my assigned co-worker.

I am going to friend them on FB for ideas. That's not at all obvious is it? No? Good.

3. I spend two and a half hours today trying to break out of London by car. Christmas shopppers clogging up the road. Moving to Moscow looks more and more splendid. People try to tell me the traffic in Moscow is terrible, but frankly, I do not think they have spent much time driving around London.

I do spend a lot of time with my eyes closed in cars in Moscow mark you. Them drivers are cray cray.

4. On the upside, it was two and a half hours where I was sitting down and the children were impbalised and entertained with XFM. My brother has just offered to fetch me a Lemsip 'because you look like shit.' That's good, because I feel pretty dredful too. I may venture a second glass of medicinal claret.

5. Nevertheless, I hate London.

6. My oven really is DA BOMB. Best carrot cake evah. It's amazing what you can do if you have an oven which is tuned to the right temperature and stays that way. Bake Off here I come.

7. I love Lego video games. Both my children will now happily spend hours tooling their little Batpeople around Gotham, with minimal assistance from adults.

I cannot decide whther it would be a good idea to get a playstation (or, y'know, whatever The Kids use these days), or a fatal error.

8. I really hate London.

But how do you feel about London?

My teenage grandchildren have X-box and love it.

Impbalised is a good word. Hmm, immobilised?

London's lovely to visit. When I lived there I stayed out of the centre when I could and I didn't drive. The tube was always a nightmare in rush hour, especially in summer sweaty armpits anyone?

Deb

Day 30

Did it.

More or less.

Didn't keep up with the reading tho.

Still, something to look forward to, catching up.

Am now away to bed.

Send lemsip.

*Sends lemsip*

I've been to London twice, Moscow never. I could not compare the two cities.

Can't do Lemsip, will this do?

Deb

Postscript.

My observer liked my lesson quite a lot.

Of course, at least part of this is because it was an excellent sort of lesson to show off to *his* managers. If there's one thing I do know, it is how to press OFSTED and the like's buttons.

He better write me jolly good reference in exchnage.

But! He even asked for the materials. Higher praise one teacher for another hath not.

I am really quite pleased.

On the downside, I still have this sodding cold. MiL has applied mustard plasters. I have let her. That's how ill I am.

hope you recover soon.