14th May 2010 (Friday)

Australian sponge fingers are BIG. Seriously oversized. I was up to my elbows in cream cheese and eggs today as I had to practically make a second batch of filling for my Tiramisu today – totally unprepared for the onslaught of Sponge Finger Gigantism that hit when I opened the packet.

Was making Tiramisu as we had to take something to the lab do that was on tonight – it’s meant to be something representing the place you come from, so for us I did cucumber sandwiches for the UK and Tiramisu for Italy. Both turned out rather nicely, actually. We arrived a little late for the sampling of other stuff (darn thing started out at 1 p.m. – who starts a party at that time? The Non wasn’t even out of school yet), but did try some very interesting and really very tasty chicken skin salad (Chinese speciality, of course). They were all fearfully rude about it but actually it was very nice – lovely flavour, you know sort of fresh-chili-and-lime type stuff with spring onions. The skin doesn’t taste of much but it’s boiled to buggery to be a sort of gelatinous strip, which I would be quite happy to eat plenty of, personally. Anyway, I got to meet quite a few of Pete’s lab (Ian’s lab doesn’t exist yet, of course, so it’s the next best thing – or possibly even the next-door thing). The Non behaved admirably despite not having a huge amount of entertainment directed her way, and was frankly quite a bit more mature in her demeanour that some of the ‘adults’ there… dear me. I know they’re young but not that young. Ah well, it’s all good stuff – they all seem very sweet but just give off that air of having been put in a box and petted mostly without acquiring a great deal of sense. Pleasant evening nonetheless, and we got home nice and early for the Non to get to bed.

I wonder what other gossip might be floating about. Not sure. I’ve been generally bibbling and pootling around various bits and pieces for the general ‘writing’ thing – today been drafting another piece for a competition – when I wasn’t entirely covered in egg, cheese, sugar and cucumbers, that is. Poetry’s not really my thing but it’s all good practice. Unfortunately I think all sorts of bits of ‘cleverness’ that would be very admirable in the early 17th century tend to get overlooked these days, don’t know why I bother putting them in but hey it’s for the exercise too, a bit like doing sit-ups or something. In any case, as long as one doesn’t spend for ever tinkering and wasting time on it I suppose it’s admissible.

Not sure what we’ll be doing tomorrow, ought to go somewhere fun, even if it’s just a little excursion like last weekend. Perhaps we’ll stick a pin in the map and meander off. Lots of love to you all, V xxxx