That would be me. I have to be the messiest cook in the world. Every time I cook noodles, they are all over the kitchen. I can't break an egg without it drooling all over the counter... and flour. Let's not talk about flour.
So I've really been trying to keep up our tradition of making pancakes every saturday once we got here. I went online and searched for the french names of the ingredients (no, my girls do not like crepes). I have gone to 3 stores and STILL cannot find all the ingredients.
Our school was offering a french cooking course every friday (mainly to know the words found in french recipes), so I jumped on it. HOW FUN. I love to cook, and I get to make french pastries. Win-win.
I showed up today and we labeled ingredients. Then we read (in french) the directions. Then she split us up into groups of 3or 4 to make our first dish: profiteroles (creme puffs). Of course , all the beginners were in a group together, but we actually made the best batch thanks to Sonia, our portugeuse grandma. They were great! I am going to love cooking class...
So I took the oportunity to ask my teacher where I could find baking powder. She couldn't understand me. I thought maybe I was pronouncing the word incorrectly, so I repeated it and then asked other students to help me. She really had NEVER heard of baking powder. She tried to tell me to get yeast. I kept telling her no, but when she finally walked away, another girl told me what the problem was. THERE IS NO SUCH THING HERE. and baking soda is only for cleaning. She said that's why french people love cookies so much from america is because they don't have anything like that they can make.
Then the girl disappeared and returned with a new can of baking powder that someone had mailed her and told me I could have it... sniff sniff... I'm gonna love it here (and perhaps teach a few things myself)
Friday, January 10, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Bravest girls in the world
I can't tell you how proud of my girls I am. I never would be able to do what they are doing right now. We went on saturday to visit the school Ella, Zoe, and Ada would be attending. The liason met us out front and gave the tour and tested the girls to find out what grade they would be placed in. Ada cried, Zoe did well, and Ella gave the America answer of "English is the most widely used language" to a READING comprehension test (the answer was Chinese due to the amount of people who live there).
Ada was placed at the school even though she was way behind on math, and the youngest student to learn french there. Zoe was placed in 2nd grade even though she's way behind on math. And Ella is in the highest grade, and is well on her way to the college (middle school).
Day one came. I really didn't know what to think as we were walking there (in the rain no doubt). We were supposed to drop them off at the gate and run for our school so we could drop off Nyla and get to class without being late. How can I drop my girls off at the gate of a school they've never been to. I can't walk them to class, and they can't even ask where to go.
When we showed up, everyone was standing outside, staring at us. The gates opened.
There my sweet girls were. They wrapped their arms around each other, and walked together into the school, arm in arm.
I cried. How could I not? I've never seen such bravery.
We came back at lunchtime , though.
2 hours of party in the middle of the day, and no school on wednesday.
All in all, it is going well. Ada cried a little, but the only other american girl there waved at her, and her day was made right as rain.
Today we dropped them off, and girls were actually standing at the gate calling Ella and Zoe's name.
"It's boring." they say, but then again, 8 hours of no one being able to talk to you or you understanding what they say or teach can do that to you.
They do enjoy English class. "They can't say the TH in sixth" "They were writing and crying" "They all ask and write down things for me to read and answer"
I'm so proud of my girls. France is looking up.
Ada was placed at the school even though she was way behind on math, and the youngest student to learn french there. Zoe was placed in 2nd grade even though she's way behind on math. And Ella is in the highest grade, and is well on her way to the college (middle school).
Day one came. I really didn't know what to think as we were walking there (in the rain no doubt). We were supposed to drop them off at the gate and run for our school so we could drop off Nyla and get to class without being late. How can I drop my girls off at the gate of a school they've never been to. I can't walk them to class, and they can't even ask where to go.
When we showed up, everyone was standing outside, staring at us. The gates opened.
There my sweet girls were. They wrapped their arms around each other, and walked together into the school, arm in arm.
I cried. How could I not? I've never seen such bravery.
We came back at lunchtime , though.
2 hours of party in the middle of the day, and no school on wednesday.
All in all, it is going well. Ada cried a little, but the only other american girl there waved at her, and her day was made right as rain.
Today we dropped them off, and girls were actually standing at the gate calling Ella and Zoe's name.
"It's boring." they say, but then again, 8 hours of no one being able to talk to you or you understanding what they say or teach can do that to you.
They do enjoy English class. "They can't say the TH in sixth" "They were writing and crying" "They all ask and write down things for me to read and answer"
I'm so proud of my girls. France is looking up.
 |
| My girls on their first day. 50 and rainy, but all smiles |
 |
| my girls school work... Ella Aced her test. Zoe practices math and Ada practices cursive |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)