I am not sure how long I can sustain these terrible franglais puns.
What an eventful week, here and across the world.
Some housekeeping, Storm has relaxed the security ( I appreciate the diligence) enough to add photo’s. I added the autumn photo to the previous blog, I need to learn how to place pictures in the blog. It may not happen this week, as I have a lot that needs to be done.
Another bit of cleaning up from the previous post. I wrote about us having roast lamb and potatoes, not to boast about Janet’s legendary tats, but about the talk of favourite dishes. We thought Steven’s best was our potatoes, turns out it is a noodle dish that Paige makes, after we all were blown away by how good it was at a wedding we all attended while still new in Switzerland.
Steven’s english is most probably as good as my french, if not better. He prefers to keep it to himself, so dinner conversation is generally in french, it does stop me dominating the conversation 🙂 The point I forgot to mention was that Cleo said something I thought was kind and insightful. She said my favourite meal was one that had the dining room full. So very true, changing countries meant no other family apart from the four of us.
Over time we have a network of friends that we love to share a dish with, plus a glass. Among the blessings we have, for all that we live in a 3rd floor apartment, we have a communal garden with a braai area. One that we have had many friends to share with us. I also braai the Christmas turkey down there every year to the bemusement of our neighbours.
Covid19 has changed a lot of things, R.I.P. my uncle bubble that the virus claimed this year. His death has left my mum bereft, and there is not much we can do from so far away.
Another loss to Covid19 is Janet’s birthday party. Janet hates a fuss about her, not sure why, I adore her. I am not sure how many glasses of wine inspired the idea we would invite our neighbours to a party on Janet’s birthday, without mentioning the birthday. Given that her birthday is 20 December, they all assumed it was for Noël (Christmas.)
A part of Swiss life is the apéro, a small cocktail party. People are invited, arrive promptly. Have two, maximum three drinks a few nibbles. Usually starts at 6 and ends by 7, in time to go home and have dinner.
Needless to say an African cannot have people disappear in 60 minutes. We have in the last few years had about 20 neighbours arrive. We serve cheeses, fruits, crudités and quiche. What blows them away are the sausage rolls, mini boboties’s and Ellinor’s fruit cake. The star of the show is a baked cheesecake that my American friend Dwight taught me how to make. We have invested in a party pack of champagne glasses (24 of them) because every one arrives at the same time. We have 20 glasses of bubble loaded at 6 p.m.
That is the only thing that resembles a Swiss apéro. These 20 plus people squeeze into our salon, and are still there at 10 o’clock. not everyone speaks english. The weirdest moment was when two ladies who attend the same Tai Chi class, and had been for several years, realized they were neighbours. In their defense we are 4 apartment blocks sharing the same communal garden, administrator, concierge(cleaner) and gardener.
It is a joyous occasion that will missed deeply this year, not only by us. The evening ends in typically Swiss style, at about 10.30 0ne of the old folk. I have not mentioned that most of our neighbours are 80+ . One person bids the group goodnight, and the entire group decamps, no one hangs on for a last drink.
Well that was a long introduction. Apologies for any spelling mistakes, I need to find out how to change to UK English rather US English as the default.
Sunday lunch was eventful and delightful. I found the 1999 Methode Champenoise JC Le Roux I should not have bothered. tasted like vermouth, looked like sherry. We normally finish the duck on the balcony gas braai, which ran out of gas right as we tried to finish up. The pan did the job in the end, not sure what Cleo and Steven did but the sauce was the best ever.
That last picture has a Nguni cow on the beach in the background, Janet is creating a cross stitch pattern that is emblematic of Switzerland in black cotton on a white background. Hopefully will be done by 2025.
Janet finished her radiation on Thursday. She took some chocolate brownies to the crew. The result of the radiation is that her boob is sunburnt and very itchy. As mentioned before dreading the consequences of hormone therapy. Still in good spirits, marched a 10 km walk by my estimates on Friday. Her school support areas, bookshop and I.T. department, have closed down due to the Miley (Virus = Miley Cyrus) So very apprehensive about going back. She is getting skinnier by the day with all the walking.
We planned on having dinner out on Thursday to celebrate the last radiation treatment. A treat as we seldom eat out in Switzerland, it is really expensive. However new lockdown regulations came into force on Wednesday, meaning all restaurants are closed. It must be terrifying to be in the hospitality business at the moment. We had a lovely dinner at home of rösti, chicken schnitzel and mushroom sauce.
Paige is having to wade through a legal morass of student digs as she signed up for a year and one of the girls is bailing to shack up with her boyfriend. At 24, with better french than her parents she needs to work it out. It’s not easy for any of us.
I am cashing in some pension policies to pay for an accelerated french lessons to hopefully integrate better, and deal with Paige’s type issues better
I really hate certain aspects of my job, especially certain dullwits, as such I will need better language skills to find another career. Wow, at almost 56 to think of a career change and relish the thought.
That’s me this week, an unsatisfying finish for me, however run out of time,
love you
