Trying to catch up.......

Still processing the folder, the ELT community site, the technology, all the notes and photos from the Hornby School 2007, I have not had time to do anything. Plus The Performers is developing at such a rate that I am getting more and more work from them. Great! They are in Mexico just now and will be off to Spain next month. The new plays are super and the posters beautifully designed plus a bigger and better workbook for each level. Take a look on the website in the links on the right. If you want to become a representative for us in your country, do let me know.

The Free-lance Fast Track moves into 2007

Deaspite my idea to rest at some time at end 2006 or early 2007 I was urged by my pollito, Sergio Mobilia, to apply to be a tutor on the Brazil, Regional Summer School 2007, directed by Rod Bolitho.
Initially, I refused as I "always" go to run with my brother in Sausalito/Mendocino.
However I was persuaded to put off my trip to the States and was appointed Tutor at the HSS 2007.
It was a fabulous experience.
To see all the details go to the link on the right.

I'm back now and trying to get my head around all the work, the contacts, the relationships, the projects, the action plans but most of all the regional friendships we made through our passion for teaching. Everybody left with a determination to maintain links and I believe that it will truly happen.

New Year's Eve 2006

As many of our friends these days are Argentines, most of them went off to their family gatherings while we just invited a few of James' friends and a couple of ours. We had a delicious Argentine-style BBQ on our roof terrace made by ASADOR PAR EXCELENCE, Mr Fat Mick plus lots of exotic salads conjured up in the kitchen by yours truly and MASTER CHEF Jamie.

The fireworks were a big hit with the "children" and the grown ups too but we saved a few for Sarah and her boyfriend, Guillermo, for when they arrived just after we'd eaten our twelve grapes (Spanish style) and sung Auld Lang Syne in a circle with crossed hands, English style.

We continued to enjoy the city scapes lit up by hundreds of fireworks from families still celebrating well into the wee hours.

It was a quiet New Year for us but very peaceful and enjoyable.
Happy New Year to you all!

New Year

All the best for 2007!

Boxing Day in Argentina

Boxing Day in Argentina is not a public holiday. Everybody works so I had my private student for his last lesson and decided to make scones with him in English! He'd never cooked anything in his life but he was very happy to read the recipe, identify the ingredients, the equipment and follow the instructions and even happier to take a dozen scones to his Mum! Mick then convinced me that as we are really English we should take the rest of the day off so we went out for lunch on the riverside and generally lazed around.

Christmas Day In Argentina.

Chritmas day was HOT but not as hot as it has been on some occasions in the past and it did not rain! That meant we had the trad Brit Turkey and Trimmings up on the roof terrace where we did have a lot of sun but also a little respite from a sweet little breeze. The turkey weighed in at 9.5 kilos so it fed the party of twelve and the Argentines in the group were quite adventurous trying the two types of stuffing, the bacon rolls, the bread sauce and the GRAVY.......Desserts were definitely non-trad with fresh home-made mango sorbet, plums in red wine from Mendoza and caramalised apple pie. Plenty of cream and ice cream to counter the rich, hot food! Jamie provided real ale and everybody brought wine and champagne. It was quite laid back but we enjoyed having the young crowd back at home. Reminded me of Liverpool in my youth ( except for the weather). Two guests were rather special, the daughter and friend of an old school mate of mine from Quarry Bank who are studying at the University of Buenos Aires. Lynne had found me on Friends Reunited and told me about her daughter being here in Argentina. The wonder of technology!

Christmas Eve 2006

Christmas Eve fell on Sunday this year and Sunday is sacrosanct in Argentina. Most husbands go out to buy the big lumps of meat and prepare the parrilla, the outdoor BBQ pit which is usually built into the wall of every ordinary house either in the yard, the garden or on the terrace. Most use charcoal but some use fragrant wood. This year it was different as the neighbourhood was like a ghost town with most of the women already preparing the cold cuts, turkeys, suckling pigs, salads, sauces (chimichurri), and turrons, (nougat), for the evening family party before the traditional opening of the presents at midnight and the setting off of fireworks all over the city.
We stick to British tradition and celebrate on the 25th.
I decided to visit my little Peruvian greengrocer to see if he had the aji panca, aji amarillo and aji rocoto ( searing hot chillies) and cilantro which I need for practising my Peruvian cooking from my beautiful cookbook which Longman gave me at the end of my Presentation last year in Lima.
So I cooked a great Peruvian lunch for the family and then went out to buy the last minute stocking pressies , the fresh veggies and the ordered turkey, with chipolatas, bacon and chicken livers.
Then we went off to a friends' place to join them in their Noche Buena party, eat great food, drink super wine and then exchange presents. It was lovely.
We left earlyish as I had to be up at 7am. to stuff the 10 kilo turkey and get it in the oven for lunch on the 25th.