My first working day.
I tried to assemble an English cooked breakfast on my segmented plate. It failed when I added carrots to the top left hand corner. I also ate three Danish pastries.
So, I left the building, taking my crumpled shirts to Barakura (if you recall, I had a trouser press fail!)… Our first course of students would arrive today. Students, yes, students. I am a TUTOR. What the heck. I am not grown up enough for this!
By the time they all arrived, it was lunchtime. Sounded perfect to me. As we walked to the restaurant, I could smell the food. The food which was my recipe. My humble little “throw this in, throw that in” recipe!!
The whole room sat down to my student meal-esque Mediterranean chicken, which turned out pretty damn fine, as did the accompanying ratatouille. I was asked to make a short speech, which I did, quickly slipstreamed by my translator, Toshi.
Then, we had some tremors from an earthquake. I looked round the room and nobody had panicked, so neither did I.
After lunch, we all assembled in the marquee for my first presentation on “new developments in kitchen gardens”. Toshi and I stood either side of the stage, and made a slick double act. Although, I’m not sure she translated everything I said, they didn’t laugh in the right places…!!
The audience loved the purple carrots, the striped beetroot, super sweet two toes, square metre plots, edible flowers and- top secret new project- inter-seeding…! They were also enthralled by my revelation that tulip petals were edible!
After this, we moved to the demonstrations. I was asked to show how to plant up a herb container, which I jazzed up to “edible container”, and donned my apron to get into demo mode. I soon got plenty of compost in my hair, but I made a professional presentation, and was awarded a tub of sweets for being so efficient and swift!
My pots were quite darn innovative too.. Crab apples under-planted with pennyroyal mint and oregano, a patchwork pot of chillies, scented geraniums and silver lavender! The students then went on to create their own pots, like they are decorating with plants. It was great fun!
In the evening we had a buffet with the best Spanish food I’ve had outside, or even inside, of Spain! Each person from the table made a short speech took even students. I really admired their confidence, in England we would be terrified wallflowers. Toshi gave a long one about me, which obviously wasn’t translated, the rascal!
And, now, I sit in a wifi huddle, writing blogs, and listening to the Japanese limber up for a late night of karaoke.
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