Today we had an Adventure.
"What's an adventure?" LissaLou asked. "Well, it's when you do something out of the ordinary" I replied. "Surely that's every day for LissaLou?", Bertie suggested. "Okaaaay", I reflected a bit more. "In this particular circumstance it's when you look positively at something that could be seen negatively!"
We have given our lovely citroen car back to our friend who is now able to drive it, and whilst she has said to let her know if we need it on any occasion, we are challenging ourselves to see how we can manage without it. And as ever, do you know something? Jehovah Jireh! On Monday, Bertie's sister passed him her car to go to work. Yesterday, he got a lift in with his pupil. It can be a bit more time-consuming but I guess it is saving on petrol!
So today we stayed at home and chilled - the girls had great fun trying on some dressing up clothes their cousin Stella had been given by her doctor - and then after siesta time (er, for the adults not the girls!) we decided to walk to Carrefour as Baby JoJo was down to his last nappy. (Mum will remember the walk which we did with her - pretty long for little legs but manageable.)
So we set off and very much enjoyed the walk in the cool of the setting sun. We were particularly grateful that it didn't rain, as it had been doing on and off all day. The girls had a great time running along or hanging on the buggy board and chatting with us about different things.
On the way back in the dark of the evening, Bertie shared how much he appreciates not having the car, as he feels we have better family time, the girls get to run around and it also reminds him of London where we used our car infrequently. I agreed, and added that we get to appreciate the world around us a bit more and feel a bit more active rather than just passive participants in life. Plus it always feels quite simply good to walk. I am sure that we were made to walk!
And then the Adventure began. The buggy suddenly collapsed and we discovered that the wheel had completely come off.* And it was starting to rain. And we were at the bottom of the hill. But let's not let little things like that spoil life! I took Baby JoJo, Bertie carried the buggy and board, and the sweetest part was LissaLou insisting that she would carry the shopping bag to help out! She had it over her shoulder (it was probably two thirds her size!) and it took a bit of persuading to get her to carry one handle and me the other!
The rain cleared and we carried on. The girls continued to walk as best they could, but CassCass does have a bad habit of not looking where she is going and slipped off the pavement banging her face. So we regrouped, CassCass went on my shoulders, I took the bag, Bertie took Baby JoJo and the buggy and LissaLou (after crying that she wanted to go on someone's shoulders too!) kindly offered to take the buggy board. We must have looked a strange sight! And we made it home safely, despite the dark and lack of pavements or lights and tiring legs (LissaLou) and arms (CassCass!), still in good spirits and glad for those out of the ordinary moments.
*The buggy looks pretty irreparable to me, but Bertie is going to play around with it and see what happens. Otherwise I guess we will get a cheap stroller - and I am embarrassed to say that would be our seventh ever buggy! In our defence, this one was a very old Maclaren that was about to be dumped when we took it, and the pavements here really are atrocious and not fit for any buggy!
Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
A Pre-Christmas Resume
Before I get eaten alive by the mozzies, here is a quick glimpse into what has been going on here...
I have played our kid's carols cd, i have played Michael Buble's Christmas cd, i have purchased clementines for the stockings (shame there are no jelly babies here!), we have been reading our Christmas books and lighting our advent candle, we wandered around Carrefour looking at the Christmas lights...but in spite of it all I just can't feel Christmassy in the heat! I was thinking of watching You've Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping to help, but no DVD player now!
One thing in common with home is that the shops and roads are very busy. We did our Christmas shopping in two mornings this week. I had it all planned as to what I would get the girls and a strict budget; in fact, I didn't allow for the items I had chosen being sold out!! (Well, the best way to meet your budget!) So we got books for all the nieces and nephews and then yesterday had a lovely morning in Pointe à Pitre where we got CassCass a french bible and LissaLou a pack of high heel shoes (her choice!) We also popped into the playpark on the Place de la Victoire and the girls were thrilled with juice and fries from McDo (against all my principles, but it was the only toilet around!!)
Today we are preparing for our Reveillon celebration this evening, which will be a meal at Nadia's. I believe that Pere Noel should be putting in an appearance (in the shape of Bertie or his brother Richard!) and there will also be fireworks, cool! Bertie is making two Yule logs and some jus de cythere and jus de maracudja to take.
In the past week...
The strike last Tuesday went ahead but was mainly a demonstration and didn't affect the roads or last longer, hurray!
We babysat for LissaLou's friend Jade two nights whilst her parents did parents' evenings at their respective schools. Such fun listening to the girls play together. Then on Wednesday Bertie took the girls to L'Ile aux enfants (next to our Velodrome and Pika) with Jade and her parents and oh, did they have a good time! (I was teaching my SIL Felicianne to make bread! And watching Ratatouille, great fun!)
Bertie told me he was a bit worried, as it was a pricey €10 each entry and CassCass cried and cried for the first half hour, as they played on the bouncy castles (there were six!) He was worried it would be like our trip to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park last year - do the Parents and Evs remember her crying and crying on the roundabout whilst we filmed her?! But then they headed over to the merry go round, and it was all worthwhile, as the girls had a good dozen rides on it and couldn't be persuaded to leave! I was also impressed at Bertie's skills of negotiation - apparently they had buches de noel but only for the staff, and he sweet talked a lady in to giving the girls one each. Then the girls liked the look of flashing dummies for €4 each but he haggled it down to that for 2! And to think that there are people like me who just pay the full price without thought!
For the final day of school on Friday, it was their final trip to la piscine so Bertie joined them. LissaLou has done well picking up skills but I don't think it is accurate to say she can swim yet! In the afternoon they had a cake and each child came home clutching bags of chocolate Pere Noels and sweets, to their delight! I am ashamed to say I spent Friday night whilst Bertie was at his bible study watching the final of Star Academy...!
On Saturday I learnt from experience that it is just no good staying at home so I set off with the girls to La Poste where there was almost a riot! There was a separate queue of 10 or more people to pick up registered mail but then the staff member announced that this queue wasn't in action on Wednesdays or Saturdays, so they all had to join the back of the (long) other queue. It was funny to hear them all yelling at each other, staff v customers (everyone got involved!) whilst using Madame and Monsieur in between insults! We finally got served after oh, 45 minutes...
Then we went to the park and played before walking home by the sea, in the opposite direction to our normal route. It is such a lovely peaceful place to be. The girls love looking at the boats in the harbour - our favourite one with two decks had its owners on board today, one with his Arsenal t-shirt! We also saw some fish - orphie, with long needles for noses - and a jelly fish. Our walk was much longer than usual, as there were two cows blocking our shortcut through the field, so we went by the road. I was very impressed with LissaLou managing it all, especially in the heat! We were so tired when we got home, that my legs could barely make it up the stairs, and I could honestly tell Papy that I was fatikagou! He often tells me he is this after a particularly hard morning at Pika!
After wandering around Carrefour to see the lights, we were planning to go to the Chante Nwel next to our house at 8pm. We waited...and waited...9pm came...10 pm came...Finally it started nearer 10.20pm by which time the girls were shattered. The quality was pretty scratchy so we didn't stay long!
Sunday was the church Christmas Programme in the evening so another late night. It was very well done, but the church was packed out so I couldn't really see anything and couldn't understand a lot of the creole! Afterwards, we went for a delicious meal organised by Nadia and her friends (so much work must have gone into feeding all 200 of us!). The girls were thrilled to be at their own table with their friends and afterwards there was space for them all to run riot!
Not so quick after all! Well, I shall get back to all my tasks for today, including a very long sleep to get us ready for tonight! Thanks so much to those of you who have sent cards - they are up in my kitchen looking very pretty! I am still working on mine, but they should be out by mid Jan!!!In the meantime, may I take this occasion to wish all my readers a very
JOYEUX NOEL ET BONNE ANNEE!!
I have played our kid's carols cd, i have played Michael Buble's Christmas cd, i have purchased clementines for the stockings (shame there are no jelly babies here!), we have been reading our Christmas books and lighting our advent candle, we wandered around Carrefour looking at the Christmas lights...but in spite of it all I just can't feel Christmassy in the heat! I was thinking of watching You've Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping to help, but no DVD player now!
One thing in common with home is that the shops and roads are very busy. We did our Christmas shopping in two mornings this week. I had it all planned as to what I would get the girls and a strict budget; in fact, I didn't allow for the items I had chosen being sold out!! (Well, the best way to meet your budget!) So we got books for all the nieces and nephews and then yesterday had a lovely morning in Pointe à Pitre where we got CassCass a french bible and LissaLou a pack of high heel shoes (her choice!) We also popped into the playpark on the Place de la Victoire and the girls were thrilled with juice and fries from McDo (against all my principles, but it was the only toilet around!!)
Today we are preparing for our Reveillon celebration this evening, which will be a meal at Nadia's. I believe that Pere Noel should be putting in an appearance (in the shape of Bertie or his brother Richard!) and there will also be fireworks, cool! Bertie is making two Yule logs and some jus de cythere and jus de maracudja to take.
In the past week...
The strike last Tuesday went ahead but was mainly a demonstration and didn't affect the roads or last longer, hurray!
We babysat for LissaLou's friend Jade two nights whilst her parents did parents' evenings at their respective schools. Such fun listening to the girls play together. Then on Wednesday Bertie took the girls to L'Ile aux enfants (next to our Velodrome and Pika) with Jade and her parents and oh, did they have a good time! (I was teaching my SIL Felicianne to make bread! And watching Ratatouille, great fun!)
Bertie told me he was a bit worried, as it was a pricey €10 each entry and CassCass cried and cried for the first half hour, as they played on the bouncy castles (there were six!) He was worried it would be like our trip to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park last year - do the Parents and Evs remember her crying and crying on the roundabout whilst we filmed her?! But then they headed over to the merry go round, and it was all worthwhile, as the girls had a good dozen rides on it and couldn't be persuaded to leave! I was also impressed at Bertie's skills of negotiation - apparently they had buches de noel but only for the staff, and he sweet talked a lady in to giving the girls one each. Then the girls liked the look of flashing dummies for €4 each but he haggled it down to that for 2! And to think that there are people like me who just pay the full price without thought!
For the final day of school on Friday, it was their final trip to la piscine so Bertie joined them. LissaLou has done well picking up skills but I don't think it is accurate to say she can swim yet! In the afternoon they had a cake and each child came home clutching bags of chocolate Pere Noels and sweets, to their delight! I am ashamed to say I spent Friday night whilst Bertie was at his bible study watching the final of Star Academy...!
On Saturday I learnt from experience that it is just no good staying at home so I set off with the girls to La Poste where there was almost a riot! There was a separate queue of 10 or more people to pick up registered mail but then the staff member announced that this queue wasn't in action on Wednesdays or Saturdays, so they all had to join the back of the (long) other queue. It was funny to hear them all yelling at each other, staff v customers (everyone got involved!) whilst using Madame and Monsieur in between insults! We finally got served after oh, 45 minutes...
Then we went to the park and played before walking home by the sea, in the opposite direction to our normal route. It is such a lovely peaceful place to be. The girls love looking at the boats in the harbour - our favourite one with two decks had its owners on board today, one with his Arsenal t-shirt! We also saw some fish - orphie, with long needles for noses - and a jelly fish. Our walk was much longer than usual, as there were two cows blocking our shortcut through the field, so we went by the road. I was very impressed with LissaLou managing it all, especially in the heat! We were so tired when we got home, that my legs could barely make it up the stairs, and I could honestly tell Papy that I was fatikagou! He often tells me he is this after a particularly hard morning at Pika!
After wandering around Carrefour to see the lights, we were planning to go to the Chante Nwel next to our house at 8pm. We waited...and waited...9pm came...10 pm came...Finally it started nearer 10.20pm by which time the girls were shattered. The quality was pretty scratchy so we didn't stay long!
Sunday was the church Christmas Programme in the evening so another late night. It was very well done, but the church was packed out so I couldn't really see anything and couldn't understand a lot of the creole! Afterwards, we went for a delicious meal organised by Nadia and her friends (so much work must have gone into feeding all 200 of us!). The girls were thrilled to be at their own table with their friends and afterwards there was space for them all to run riot!
Not so quick after all! Well, I shall get back to all my tasks for today, including a very long sleep to get us ready for tonight! Thanks so much to those of you who have sent cards - they are up in my kitchen looking very pretty! I am still working on mine, but they should be out by mid Jan!!!In the meantime, may I take this occasion to wish all my readers a very
JOYEUX NOEL ET BONNE ANNEE!!
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Pointe-à-Pitre
Monday (10 November)
Pap is a bit of a chaotic place, a mish-mash of shops and markets, somewhat like Dalston for you north Londoners! We took mum for a walk around and managed to spend all our money, particularly in the spice market!
A drummer
And the real thing! Great music too.
Down by La Darse - you can see the market under the large red roof. The stalls just on the side of the water are the fish sellers, who sat scaling their fish on the side of the pavement.
An example of their produce
This was where the boats to Marie-Galante and Les Saintes (dependent local islands) used to leave from, but now they have been relocated it is a lot quieter.
What a lovely photo!
Musee St Jean Perse - we have never been in but it shows you the colonial style of architecture that you find occasionally on the island, mainly for the owner's house on a plantation.
Many of the shops in Pap have a man who stands with his mike and talks non-stop about his produce, to tempt you into entering and spending. He is usually LOUD, and can be heard well away from the shop! Sometimes he is hidden away, but this one was all too evident, and even said a loud bonjour to Mum as she sneaked a photo in passing!
We waited for Mum outside a fabric shop whilst she very skillfully made her purchase, and Bertie was in fits at the speel the store seller came out with. His favourite moment was when the man cried out Wai Wai Waiiiiiii! in true Guadeloupean style! I found his catchphrase of "le chic à prix choc" very catching!
Pap is a bit of a chaotic place, a mish-mash of shops and markets, somewhat like Dalston for you north Londoners! We took mum for a walk around and managed to spend all our money, particularly in the spice market!
A drummer
And the real thing! Great music too.
Down by La Darse - you can see the market under the large red roof. The stalls just on the side of the water are the fish sellers, who sat scaling their fish on the side of the pavement.
An example of their produceThis was where the boats to Marie-Galante and Les Saintes (dependent local islands) used to leave from, but now they have been relocated it is a lot quieter.What a lovely photo!Musee St Jean Perse - we have never been in but it shows you the colonial style of architecture that you find occasionally on the island, mainly for the owner's house on a plantation.Many of the shops in Pap have a man who stands with his mike and talks non-stop about his produce, to tempt you into entering and spending. He is usually LOUD, and can be heard well away from the shop! Sometimes he is hidden away, but this one was all too evident, and even said a loud bonjour to Mum as she sneaked a photo in passing!
We waited for Mum outside a fabric shop whilst she very skillfully made her purchase, and Bertie was in fits at the speel the store seller came out with. His favourite moment was when the man cried out Wai Wai Waiiiiiii! in true Guadeloupean style! I found his catchphrase of "le chic à prix choc" very catching!Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Making A Menu (At Last!)
If you are looking for a bit of greeness in your life, one marvellous way to do so is to make a menu for the week (or two, or three, or even the month if you are that organised!) Not only do you get to save money shopping, as you know exactly what you need and buy that and that only, you also save time and shopping trips (and petrol if you drive to the shops!) because you have a list and can get everything on it, and you waste less, as you don't end up throwing away things you forgot to use etc.
Ok, I know all this off by heart and backwards, so why do I still not manage to achieve such a simple thing each week? Anyway, rather than rueing the past I am celebrating the fact that this week we actually have a menu! At present it is scruffily written on the back of an old envelope (more greeness!) but at least it is made.
One of my aims here has been to cook with local foods, and bit by bit I am trying. However, my other aim is to cook healthily and organically where possible. The two don't always go together... Then there is my desire to buy more local produce. But aside from some veg (and not all that much it would seem), the main thing the island produces is...sugar! Sugar, sugar and more sugar! I would actually like to try healthier alternatives to sugar, such as Sucanat, but then I feel bad at not buying the one local produce here! Oh, shopping is always such a mindfield! In fact, shopping locally here, seems to refer to buying produce from France!
I won't go into the further dilemma of trying to buy frugally - however, I have started lists of what costs what where and I will try and keep my shopping down to a trip to Carrefour every other Monday and then a trip to Leader Price on the other one and a trip to the market in the week, with a trip to the Biocoop (organic shop) thrown in every now and then.
Back to the menu. Well, before that, I chuckled when Mum was over as she apparently told her vicar's wife that she would be eating pasta and tomato sauce and broccoli over here, as that is what I mostly cook - and lo and behold that is what I had planned for that day! How well she knows me... So another aim (and use of menu) is to cook with just a little bit more variety (though you must remember I have two rather fussy under 4s!). Oh, and another advantage is it allows you to soak and defrost things in time. If you remember to consult it!
Menu (and things to do)
Monday - colombo au poulet (defrost meat Sunday - I used a whole chicken as it is tastier, and cut off the breast meat for to make some meals for Baby JoJo. It made enough for another meal)
Tuesday - pasta carbonara - as I am out all morning it is my pasta day - quick and easy! The family loves it with croutons. If there is any leftover, my nephew always joins us, but unfortunately he was out of luck today!
Wednesday - sandwiches for lunch as we will be off to the beach.
Thursday - Chick pea curry and brown rice (soak the chick peas and the rice the day before. I've not made this before but am basing it on this recipe)
Friday - Minestrone soup (this is a recipe from my Gina Ford weaning book - need to soak beans)
Saturday - Bertie is out all morning so I keep it simple and make leftovers - I think we shall have tuna and potato pie that is in the freezer
Sunday - we eat with Mamie! saves cooking after church. She usually makes beef with rice and peas which is a traditional Sunday dish here
As Mum discovered, evenings are a lot more stressful, as Bertie is not back from teaching till 7pm or later, and I often have lots of tired, fractious or hyper children (not all mine!) running around the place! So it needs to be simple...It tends to be one of the following, but still needs a bit of work:
Salad and baguette
Omlette/scrambled egg (each time I hope the girls will start liking it, but they still don't!)
Pancakes (made with wholemeal flour and eggs from Mamie's hens!)
Soup
Oh, and breakfast is a choice of...
Bread and local jam (we are waiting for a new batch from Mamie!)
Porridge with cinammon and banana
Granola - this is my new discovery, based on this recipe here and with lots of grated coconut from Pika. It is most delicious and a big hit with Bertie!
If anyone has menu tips or suggestions for healthy meals with Caribbean ingredients I am all ears to hear!
Ok, I know all this off by heart and backwards, so why do I still not manage to achieve such a simple thing each week? Anyway, rather than rueing the past I am celebrating the fact that this week we actually have a menu! At present it is scruffily written on the back of an old envelope (more greeness!) but at least it is made.
One of my aims here has been to cook with local foods, and bit by bit I am trying. However, my other aim is to cook healthily and organically where possible. The two don't always go together... Then there is my desire to buy more local produce. But aside from some veg (and not all that much it would seem), the main thing the island produces is...sugar! Sugar, sugar and more sugar! I would actually like to try healthier alternatives to sugar, such as Sucanat, but then I feel bad at not buying the one local produce here! Oh, shopping is always such a mindfield! In fact, shopping locally here, seems to refer to buying produce from France!
I won't go into the further dilemma of trying to buy frugally - however, I have started lists of what costs what where and I will try and keep my shopping down to a trip to Carrefour every other Monday and then a trip to Leader Price on the other one and a trip to the market in the week, with a trip to the Biocoop (organic shop) thrown in every now and then.
I will be trying to cook extra each week, but my freezer is tiny and is already full of ice (I miss our no frost one!) and baby food for Baby JoJo, and unfortunately the big freezer has gone kaput downstairs, so it is not as easy to freeze things as I would like.
Back to the menu. Well, before that, I chuckled when Mum was over as she apparently told her vicar's wife that she would be eating pasta and tomato sauce and broccoli over here, as that is what I mostly cook - and lo and behold that is what I had planned for that day! How well she knows me... So another aim (and use of menu) is to cook with just a little bit more variety (though you must remember I have two rather fussy under 4s!). Oh, and another advantage is it allows you to soak and defrost things in time. If you remember to consult it!
Menu (and things to do)
Monday - colombo au poulet (defrost meat Sunday - I used a whole chicken as it is tastier, and cut off the breast meat for to make some meals for Baby JoJo. It made enough for another meal)
Tuesday - pasta carbonara - as I am out all morning it is my pasta day - quick and easy! The family loves it with croutons. If there is any leftover, my nephew always joins us, but unfortunately he was out of luck today!
Wednesday - sandwiches for lunch as we will be off to the beach.
Thursday - Chick pea curry and brown rice (soak the chick peas and the rice the day before. I've not made this before but am basing it on this recipe)
Friday - Minestrone soup (this is a recipe from my Gina Ford weaning book - need to soak beans)
Saturday - Bertie is out all morning so I keep it simple and make leftovers - I think we shall have tuna and potato pie that is in the freezer
Sunday - we eat with Mamie! saves cooking after church. She usually makes beef with rice and peas which is a traditional Sunday dish here
As Mum discovered, evenings are a lot more stressful, as Bertie is not back from teaching till 7pm or later, and I often have lots of tired, fractious or hyper children (not all mine!) running around the place! So it needs to be simple...It tends to be one of the following, but still needs a bit of work:
Salad and baguette
Omlette/scrambled egg (each time I hope the girls will start liking it, but they still don't!)
Pancakes (made with wholemeal flour and eggs from Mamie's hens!)
Soup
Oh, and breakfast is a choice of...
Bread and local jam (we are waiting for a new batch from Mamie!)
Porridge with cinammon and banana
Granola - this is my new discovery, based on this recipe here and with lots of grated coconut from Pika. It is most delicious and a big hit with Bertie!
If anyone has menu tips or suggestions for healthy meals with Caribbean ingredients I am all ears to hear!
Hitting The Shops And The Pool
Friday
Whilst Bertie was at work, we took the girls and their cousin to the shopping centre near us. They love sitting in this car, so for a change I actually put a euro in it to get it moving
Oh if only I could be there too, Baby JoJo squealed!
I have been thinking about getting a paddling pool for a while and so was delighted to find this one complete with ball and float. It is now up on on our balcony and the girls have a lovely time splashing in it. Or just lounging beside it!
On this particular occasion their cousin and our neighbour (who just happened to be wearing her swimsuit under her clothes!) came in too.
The only problem is emptying it. If we tip it all out, it floods our downstairs neighbours! So we have to carefully bucket it all down the back (where the blue towel is) so it goes into the gutter. Bertie has been muttering about putting up a gutter all the way round for a while - go for it I say!
Whilst Bertie was at work, we took the girls and their cousin to the shopping centre near us. They love sitting in this car, so for a change I actually put a euro in it to get it moving
Oh if only I could be there too, Baby JoJo squealed!I have been thinking about getting a paddling pool for a while and so was delighted to find this one complete with ball and float. It is now up on on our balcony and the girls have a lovely time splashing in it. Or just lounging beside it!
On this particular occasion their cousin and our neighbour (who just happened to be wearing her swimsuit under her clothes!) came in too.
The only problem is emptying it. If we tip it all out, it floods our downstairs neighbours! So we have to carefully bucket it all down the back (where the blue towel is) so it goes into the gutter. Bertie has been muttering about putting up a gutter all the way round for a while - go for it I say! Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Visitors
Saturday evening we were round at a SIL's flat for her son's 2nd birthday. This was the flat Bertie helped to paint a few weeks ago so we were full of admiration for the walls.
Sunday morning Bertie's friend popped by before 8am! That is just not normal! Unfortunately our downstairs neighbours know that we are in and awake so we can't even pretend to be away or asleep and not answer the door!
Sunday afternoon we went to see the future in-laws of Bertie's younger brother who is due to get married in December. In France, grr - we keep missing weddings due to being on the wrong continent! We were invited for 3pm so we arrived around 4pm, then made our excuses around 6pm...only to have them very firmly rejected and to be kept for another hour whilst food food and more food was plied upon us. They even had an electric gate to ensure compliance!
Monday morning a man selling pineapples visited the house and my MIL (belle-mere is so much prettier!) kindly called me down to purchase some. She is always very concerned about how much we get charged for things and that we are not ripped off - I used to never buy anything for fear of her disapproval of the price; now I just buy things and sneak them upstairs without her seeing them or look vacant when she asks me how much it was. Anyway, these pineapples came with her approval and at the stunning price of €1 per kilo, I was delighted to get 5.
Sunday morning Bertie's friend popped by before 8am! That is just not normal! Unfortunately our downstairs neighbours know that we are in and awake so we can't even pretend to be away or asleep and not answer the door!
Sunday afternoon we went to see the future in-laws of Bertie's younger brother who is due to get married in December. In France, grr - we keep missing weddings due to being on the wrong continent! We were invited for 3pm so we arrived around 4pm, then made our excuses around 6pm...only to have them very firmly rejected and to be kept for another hour whilst food food and more food was plied upon us. They even had an electric gate to ensure compliance!
Monday morning a man selling pineapples visited the house and my MIL (belle-mere is so much prettier!) kindly called me down to purchase some. She is always very concerned about how much we get charged for things and that we are not ripped off - I used to never buy anything for fear of her disapproval of the price; now I just buy things and sneak them upstairs without her seeing them or look vacant when she asks me how much it was. Anyway, these pineapples came with her approval and at the stunning price of €1 per kilo, I was delighted to get 5.
Friday, 29 August 2008
Setting Up Home
We spent the last couple of days doing tasks that LissaLou (rightly!) classes as boring things! Boring, but vital nevertheless!
Rather than the NHS, here we have Sécurité Sociale. In order to get any treatment etc, you need to have a number, then you pay and you get reimbursed the appropriate amount afterwards. I still think the NHS is simpler, though Bertie was arguing it out with me on the basis of the quality offered! As you can imagine (we are in the midst of French bureaucrocy, and laid-back West Indies on top of that!), getting a number is quite a lengthy process, which my laid-back husband hasn't yet got round to doing...So it was a with great joy that he discovered a gentleman he sat chatting to most of Sunday afternoon at church turned out to work in the very section of the Sécu that we need! We have handed in our European Insurance cards (formerly known as E111) and just need to hand in bank details, then hey presto!
Re the bank, Bertie decided to open a new account at La Poste. Would you believe, he went along to do so and the lady who opens accounts is on holiday for the month of August!! I love it! In any case, he needed an attestation de résidence so he got his mum to write one out and took it to the police station where he met a former schoolfriend who did it immediately for him. It's all about who you know here...! And apparently I don't need a carte de séjour here which is good.
We are still waiting our cooker. Bertie phones every few days and they say it will be ready for collcetion in a few days and so on... Perhaps they are making it?
In the meantime we keep checking Paruvendudom which is the Loot of Guadeloupe, with extra items included. Still no car, but we saw a possible fridge which we checked out yesterday. It was clean, it worked, we paid! (The fridges we have seen previously have been pretty horrible, including at the place for troquer, where people leave items with a price to haggle and the store takes a fee too.) As a bonus, he was selling a nice kitchen cupboard too! We just need to arrange a trip with Bertie's sister's huge car to get it home, then no more traipsing up and down the stairs or having items mysteriously disappear!
Our neighbours go back to France on Sunday so I am planning how we will spread ourselves over the top floor. My own bedroom beckons! Though we will have Baby JoJo with us for the meantime. It is funny starting from almost scratch again, we have been buying tea towels, measuring jugs, chopping board etc etc.
On the job front, Bertie is applying for the position of English Assistant which is 12 hours a week. Again, a lady at the church on Sunday gave him the details of who to contact, all very helpful!
Rather than the NHS, here we have Sécurité Sociale. In order to get any treatment etc, you need to have a number, then you pay and you get reimbursed the appropriate amount afterwards. I still think the NHS is simpler, though Bertie was arguing it out with me on the basis of the quality offered! As you can imagine (we are in the midst of French bureaucrocy, and laid-back West Indies on top of that!), getting a number is quite a lengthy process, which my laid-back husband hasn't yet got round to doing...So it was a with great joy that he discovered a gentleman he sat chatting to most of Sunday afternoon at church turned out to work in the very section of the Sécu that we need! We have handed in our European Insurance cards (formerly known as E111) and just need to hand in bank details, then hey presto!
Re the bank, Bertie decided to open a new account at La Poste. Would you believe, he went along to do so and the lady who opens accounts is on holiday for the month of August!! I love it! In any case, he needed an attestation de résidence so he got his mum to write one out and took it to the police station where he met a former schoolfriend who did it immediately for him. It's all about who you know here...! And apparently I don't need a carte de séjour here which is good.
We are still waiting our cooker. Bertie phones every few days and they say it will be ready for collcetion in a few days and so on... Perhaps they are making it?
In the meantime we keep checking Paruvendudom which is the Loot of Guadeloupe, with extra items included. Still no car, but we saw a possible fridge which we checked out yesterday. It was clean, it worked, we paid! (The fridges we have seen previously have been pretty horrible, including at the place for troquer, where people leave items with a price to haggle and the store takes a fee too.) As a bonus, he was selling a nice kitchen cupboard too! We just need to arrange a trip with Bertie's sister's huge car to get it home, then no more traipsing up and down the stairs or having items mysteriously disappear!
Our neighbours go back to France on Sunday so I am planning how we will spread ourselves over the top floor. My own bedroom beckons! Though we will have Baby JoJo with us for the meantime. It is funny starting from almost scratch again, we have been buying tea towels, measuring jugs, chopping board etc etc.
On the job front, Bertie is applying for the position of English Assistant which is 12 hours a week. Again, a lady at the church on Sunday gave him the details of who to contact, all very helpful!
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Random Things
It is pouring with rain today. Very noisy.
LissaLou has just had her hair redone. The excitement is wearing off and her patience is wearing thin for the length of time it takes to do and undo!
We went shopping on Monday and ordered a cooker - very exciting! We just need a fridge now. I am looking forward to taking control of my own cooking. Less salt, less meat, more veg are on the menu! We also bought local bananas for 29cents a kilo, yummy! And just as exciting, we got a yoghurt maker. Mango yoghurt coming up!
I have started a list of price comparison and who sells what to help me in my efforts to shop frugrally and healthily. Leader Price is also a good shop with a great variety of pastas (all the other shops just sell macaroni!) and organic flour! Did I mention that I saw flour for making bread here? It cost €6, or £4! I shall stick to buying bread - especially now I have found that our local baker sells baguette complet (wholemeal).
Bread is sold from a van here, which drives around giving a cute tootle. I shall see if he can deliver my complet when he is back from his holidays.
In view of our forthcoming cooker, Bertie worked hard to clear out the kitchen space yesteday and it looks much improved. We don't have any cupboards though, just a sink.
I saw a tiny lizard and a huge cockroach in my room and am living in fear now...! Of the latter mainly. I have decided lizards are ok as they eat mosquitoes and flies.
The girls are getting much less bitten now which is an answer to prayer (we had it as part of our bedtime prayer for several nights with them!) but they still have lots of scabs and scars.
Today's myth - tickling babies makes them stammer later in life!
Someone in the family died so Bertie's parents went to the wake last night. First time I have ever seen his dad in trousers and shoes! Only the second time he has left the house except to go to Pika.
There was a family meeting two nights ago, discussing issues like land and...their aunty's presence, which has unsurprisingly turned from a few days to over two weeks! We await the next turn of events...
You anti-Olympics folk, how could you fail to marvel at Michael Phelps achievement, especially in the butterfly race where he came from behind and got it by a hundredth! Team GBR have stormed ahead, tee hee to France! I couldn't believe they have BMX racing though!
Enough randomness from me, I am off to make yoghurt!
LissaLou has just had her hair redone. The excitement is wearing off and her patience is wearing thin for the length of time it takes to do and undo!
We went shopping on Monday and ordered a cooker - very exciting! We just need a fridge now. I am looking forward to taking control of my own cooking. Less salt, less meat, more veg are on the menu! We also bought local bananas for 29cents a kilo, yummy! And just as exciting, we got a yoghurt maker. Mango yoghurt coming up!
I have started a list of price comparison and who sells what to help me in my efforts to shop frugrally and healthily. Leader Price is also a good shop with a great variety of pastas (all the other shops just sell macaroni!) and organic flour! Did I mention that I saw flour for making bread here? It cost €6, or £4! I shall stick to buying bread - especially now I have found that our local baker sells baguette complet (wholemeal).
Bread is sold from a van here, which drives around giving a cute tootle. I shall see if he can deliver my complet when he is back from his holidays.
In view of our forthcoming cooker, Bertie worked hard to clear out the kitchen space yesteday and it looks much improved. We don't have any cupboards though, just a sink.
I saw a tiny lizard and a huge cockroach in my room and am living in fear now...! Of the latter mainly. I have decided lizards are ok as they eat mosquitoes and flies.
The girls are getting much less bitten now which is an answer to prayer (we had it as part of our bedtime prayer for several nights with them!) but they still have lots of scabs and scars.
Today's myth - tickling babies makes them stammer later in life!
Someone in the family died so Bertie's parents went to the wake last night. First time I have ever seen his dad in trousers and shoes! Only the second time he has left the house except to go to Pika.
There was a family meeting two nights ago, discussing issues like land and...their aunty's presence, which has unsurprisingly turned from a few days to over two weeks! We await the next turn of events...
You anti-Olympics folk, how could you fail to marvel at Michael Phelps achievement, especially in the butterfly race where he came from behind and got it by a hundredth! Team GBR have stormed ahead, tee hee to France! I couldn't believe they have BMX racing though!
Enough randomness from me, I am off to make yoghurt!
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Organic Shopping In Gudeloupe
Is pretty much a non-starter! It really is so expensive here! The only cheap things are junk food, of course, and there is a real dearth of healthy stuff. Shopping was an eye-opening event and left me musing on my budget and ingredients for the coming year. EcoMax was relatively cheap but one of the worst places I have ever visited! Even worse than KwikSave from my uni days... Carrefour is very expensive and did actually have an organic aisle but €7 for a box of cereal is a bit painful. I have otherwise seen two organic shops so I will go and visit them at some point.
One of the worst things to buy here pricewise is nappies - a far better incentive to using reusable ones than the money back scheme in Islington, is being charged €20 for a pack! So if you are coming over to see me, leave a little space for a pack in your bags!
On the positive side, Bertie's Dad brings plenty home from his countryside plot, known as Pika. But it mainly seems to be fruit and tubers/starchy food. Bertie has offered to grow broccoli, peppers, carrots etc for me, which sounds great!
One of the worst things to buy here pricewise is nappies - a far better incentive to using reusable ones than the money back scheme in Islington, is being charged €20 for a pack! So if you are coming over to see me, leave a little space for a pack in your bags!
On the positive side, Bertie's Dad brings plenty home from his countryside plot, known as Pika. But it mainly seems to be fruit and tubers/starchy food. Bertie has offered to grow broccoli, peppers, carrots etc for me, which sounds great!
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