English Dinner

Tuesday 8 July

Another day at school, another set of verb conjugations...  

Actually, today was not too bad and a lot of the stuff we covered was stuff I had studied at home before coming over here. The problem I am having is not so much actually speaking Italian but not speaking Spanish.  I continue to throw in Spanish words without realising it and then don't understand the blank look of the teacher when I think I have just spouted a great piece of well structured Italian grammar. The mornings do go quickly and there are more students here this week although I have yet to really meet them other than Anastasia, the young Russian who joined Joel and me this week...

After school I agreed that, other plans permitting, I would meet Joel in the regular haunt to watch the Germany/Brazil match with a beer or two.  I then toddled off to go shopping for that night's main extravaganza for tonight was the night I cooked my hosts here an English meal, a delight I promised them last week.  The challenge was not so much finding the usual ingredients (I couldn't), or getting used to a new kitchen (I didn't) but trying to decide what a typical English dish might actually be... In a hot a sultry July deep in southern Italy the thought of stews and casseroles is not that enticing....  I plumped for Shepherds' Pie but with beef instead of lamb (couldn't get it), or English mustard (couldn't get it) or some of the usual herbs (couldn't find them). The problem is twofold, firstly they don't have a lot of the stuff here and even if they do by the time I get out of the school everything is shut for siesta other than one or two small places which I am then obliged to shop at.  Anyway, despite everything it went well and despite my concerns of the discerning Italian palette they seemed to enjoy it.  I think the story about how my mother used to make it for me when I was young touched their Italian family sentiments and I reckon after that I could have baked a pile of cow poo and still got a good reception....!