Venezuela

Well, we got off to a shaky start, but I think we (Ivana, Ivanelis and I) will have a grand time together. Today I informed them they must speak English in the house (unless speaking to family in Venezuela). It is much better and I can help them with their sentence structure. On the first day, it seemed they knew little (if any) English, but they know quite a bit. Once in awhile we have to pull out my Spanish-English dictionary, but that's okay.

Ivana is going to help me make paella some time. Should be fun. Both girls like to cook, so we will probably do some of that together. Hopefully, they can teach me a thing or two.

Ivanelis' brother is here, too - in St. Catharines, that is - and has been here with two other Venezuelan friends. These two girls are much more social than the others. The phone has already been ringing after 2 days of school - actually one and a half.

Anyways. time for bed

Now You're Cookin'

Wow, hard to believe its been so long since my last post - time sure has flown - I missed lots of the birthdays: Christina, Anton, Kira, Julia and Daniel and Justine. Pretty pathetic. It's not that I didn't think of them, I just thought of them on the wrong day and was busy/forgetful on the actual day of their birthdays. The girls from Korea, Linda and Wendy, returned to Korea on Monday - had them downtown at 4:45 AM to get the bus to Toronto with most of the other 95 Korean students. We had a lot of fun together. They met a lot of my family, but not all.

Tonight I will be joined by two more girls, these from Venezuela. They will live with me for two months - until April 10th. We will probably have more opportunity for visiting than with Linda and Wendy.

School is very busy - lots of reading to do - learning lots - of course, that is the point, isn't it? So far I enjoyed everything I made - except the Nasi Goreng - too much sambal oelek. Wendy liked it - but she is used to Korean food, which includes kimchi at every meal. Kimchi is quite spicy.

Anyways, time for volleyball, then a phone call between 9 and 10 to let me know when the girls arrive.

Eclair, anyone?

So today I had only one class - baking. We made choux pastry - eclairs and cream puffs. Very tasty. I brought 2 boxes home with me. I had to go to Beamsville, so Bev got some, Arnie & Marcy got some, Marty & Brenda got some, then Gilles and the boys at my one client's got some. Then some of the residents in my building got some. And I had some, too. I have one cream puff left . . . I will be eating that shortly. Too bad you don't live close by - you could have had some, too. Oh well, that's what happens when you live on the wrong side of the skyway.

Tomorrow I start at 1:30 - Math - fun, wow! then Health and Safety. All done at 4:20. Of course I will be working before school starts - gotta pay the mortgage.

Time to put my feet up and do some studying.

Student Chef

So today was my first day of classes and I also found out where and when I have to pick up my ESL students from Korea. I had to leave my first cooking lab early to go to a meeting and get info. So I will get a phone call Friday evening around 11:00 or 11:30 to let me know when they are 15 to 30 minutes outside of St. Catharines. So it will be late. (When they go home I have to drop them off at 5:00 a.m., so 11:30 pm is not bad at all.)

It is going to be busy, because they will have to be picked up almost every day, except Fridays. Saturday they get dropped off somewhere and picked up again later.

Oh well, I am way too tired. I am going to bed. Tomorrow is only one four-hour class and that's it.

Good night.

Orientation

Today was my first day at Niagara Culinary Institute. it was orientation day. I bought my books and supplies a few days ago. Good thing, too, 'cause otherwise I wouldn't have got a parking pass. I got the last one. Without the $89 for four months, I would have had to pay $4 per day. I had to go and get a pair of shoes for in the kitchen - so I am wearing them now. I need to break them in some before my 5-hour class in the kitchen on Monday.

I am lookin' forward to the practical end of the course most of all. The rest scares me a bit. I hope I can remember everything I need to remember.

I also got the last locker in the NCI area today. There are probably lockers in other areas of the college, but since most classes are in the NCI, that's a good place for my locker.

So Monday reality sets in. And then on Friday, another reality sets in - I will have 2 roommates, both from Korea. I know their names and ages and that's it. Their bedroom is all set and ready for them and I really hope they like it. I'll find out Monday evening where I have to pick them up, what school they will attend, where the bus will pick them up, etc. hopefully our schedules will coincide somewhat.

Pray for me!!

Unemployed

So, as of 5:00 pm tonight, I am no longer employed at KD. After 6 2/3 years, I am moving on - to tastier pastures - Chef Training at the Niagara Culinary Institute. Yay!

Papa Smurf

So, Saturday night Christina and Deziree, Julia, Nadine, Justine, Kira and Candice were over. Most of us went to Bead Dazzled and some of us bought beads, etc. After an elongated supper, we sat around the dining room tables and strung beads on necklaces, earrings and bracelets. We listened to some tunes, including an old Papa Smurf tape. Back in the day, when Christina, Julia, Justine and Candice were about 12 years younger, they came over to my place for a weekend and we listened to Papa Smurf over and over and over and .... yeah. So Saturday night we listened to it . . . only once. Actually enjoyed it and most of us were singing along.

All but Candice spent the night. I didn't get enough sleep. After morning church service I went home and bundled up the last of the air beds and then bundled myself into my bed and slept for about 3 hours. Got up in time to have a quick bite before evening service.

It was a fun weekend and I definitely would like to do that again. Next time, I will have more food -- of course, I will also be well into my chef training - so food definitely shouldn't be an issue. Maybe next time we'll get Waverly and Michelle to join us. Then there'd be twice as much giggling going on.

On that note, time to rearrange my furniture. G'nite.