29/06/2019
The continent has been heating up to 40C and even higher in some places. It's our turn today to be above 30C, rather gentle compared to our neighbors. We are having Temaki party tonight.
Next week is my last French class of this term. Despite I got on less with the current teacher than my very first one, I have to say I did progress and learn loads of stuff. I now need to consolidate and not to mix up all tenses.
Next September, I will go for the next level.
Saturday, 29 June 2019
Saturday, 22 June 2019
2019 weekly - Week 25
19/06/2019
We got another unannounced "assessment" tonight. The school now is doing something very different, a "surprise" test at the end of every term. But we are still three weeks away! Anyway, our teacher gave us test papers at a level above ours. Probably intentionally. After taking the official A2 exam, that confirmed my suspicion for the whole year: she's been teaching us as we were B1!
I have been struggling most of the time during this learning year. The first two terms were just demoralizing. Most of the time I only understood 50% of the recording. Reading was 10% better. I don't know what others felt. Certainly some of the students were very good from the start, B1 ready. But not me. I persevered because I still dream about speaking French like a local and I want to make my A1 teacher proud. I will be grateful until the end that I have A as my A1 teacher. She has motivated me so much that I still have fire in my belly to continue, despite feeling like a loser pretty much every time in a class.
20/06/2019
I don't like what I am seeing. Politics these days is about selecting the one who causes less harm. This is sad. Voters, please wake up and be a bigger version of yourself. It's not about tomorrow, end of October or next year. It's about what kind of society you want for your off-springs, for many generations to come!
21/06/2019
Summer solstice! Did you enjoy the longest day today?
It's Friday today and it's occasionally sunny. Not too cold. Not a bad British summer solstice if you ask me.
I've been binging Killing Eve S2 in a controlled manner, no more than 2 episodes each time. I don't know why the critics are whining about. It's still good, perhaps the element of surprise and intrigue is less because now we've have known the main characters so well. The writing and the acting is pretty awesome. I love all actors in the show. They are just brilliant!
We got another unannounced "assessment" tonight. The school now is doing something very different, a "surprise" test at the end of every term. But we are still three weeks away! Anyway, our teacher gave us test papers at a level above ours. Probably intentionally. After taking the official A2 exam, that confirmed my suspicion for the whole year: she's been teaching us as we were B1!
I have been struggling most of the time during this learning year. The first two terms were just demoralizing. Most of the time I only understood 50% of the recording. Reading was 10% better. I don't know what others felt. Certainly some of the students were very good from the start, B1 ready. But not me. I persevered because I still dream about speaking French like a local and I want to make my A1 teacher proud. I will be grateful until the end that I have A as my A1 teacher. She has motivated me so much that I still have fire in my belly to continue, despite feeling like a loser pretty much every time in a class.
20/06/2019
I don't like what I am seeing. Politics these days is about selecting the one who causes less harm. This is sad. Voters, please wake up and be a bigger version of yourself. It's not about tomorrow, end of October or next year. It's about what kind of society you want for your off-springs, for many generations to come!
21/06/2019
Summer solstice! Did you enjoy the longest day today?
It's Friday today and it's occasionally sunny. Not too cold. Not a bad British summer solstice if you ask me.
I've been binging Killing Eve S2 in a controlled manner, no more than 2 episodes each time. I don't know why the critics are whining about. It's still good, perhaps the element of surprise and intrigue is less because now we've have known the main characters so well. The writing and the acting is pretty awesome. I love all actors in the show. They are just brilliant!
Saturday, 15 June 2019
2019 weekly - Week 24
09/06/2019
If someone asked me about the best thing being in 40s, I would say I really enjoy just being myself.
10/06/2019
Stop The Car. KILLING EVE Season Two is OUT!
13/06/2019
I've forgotten how much I like Muse. I like their The 2nd Law the best but the 2018 one is very close.
From their 2018 album, Simulation Theory (how evocative, especially for me!).
If someone asked me about the best thing being in 40s, I would say I really enjoy just being myself.
10/06/2019
Stop The Car. KILLING EVE Season Two is OUT!
13/06/2019
I've forgotten how much I like Muse. I like their The 2nd Law the best but the 2018 one is very close.
From their 2018 album, Simulation Theory (how evocative, especially for me!).
The Void
Sunday, 9 June 2019
I make - La Poule Au Pot
La Poule au Pot is a traditional dish in France, stemmed all the way back to Henri IV from Béarn in southwest of France. The royal version is rather elaborate with sausage stuffing inside the poached chicken. But for two people, I do it with chicken pieces and no stuffing. Browsing through the internet, it seems common to serve with rice or potato and with a white sauce or tomato sauce. I like the idea with a sauce on the side. I also prefer rice over potatoes to further benefit from the bouillon. This is a very tasty poached chicken dinner with homemade stock saved for later.
Poule au Pot
For the poached chicken
- 4 to 6 chicken pieces, drum sticks and/or thighs
- 1 onion, studded with 2 cloves
- 2 leeks, cut into batons of index finger length
- 2~4 carrots, large pieces
- 2 ribs of celery, large pieces
- 1 turnip, quarters
- bay leaves
- thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon of coarse salt (please half the volume if using table salt)
- 1/2 cup of white wine (optional)
- 1.5 liter of water or enough to submerge the chicken
- Bouillon cooked rice
For mushroom white sauce
- 250 g white mushroom sauteed with 1 tablespoon of oil
- 50 g flour
- 50 g butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1~ 1-1/2 cups chicken bouillon
- 2 tablespoons of cream cheese (or cream)
- 2 tablespoons of cream cheese (or cream)
- nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon (optional but nice)
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon (optional but nice)
- Salt to taste
Put all the ingredients for the poached chicken in a big pot and bring it to boil. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat to low, cover and cook gently for 1 hour. Heat off and rest the chicken in its liquor until room temperature.
To prepare mushroom white sauce, make a roux with flour and butter. Add in cold milk. Stir constantly. Ladle in chicken bouillon in several rounds to make the sauce with constant stirring. Add a few grates of nutmeg and stir in cream cheese and sauteed mushrooms. Heat off. Add in tarragon leaves if using. Taste and season with salt.
To serve, put the bouillon cooked rice in the middle of the plate. Arrange the chicken and vegetable pieces around and finish with the white sauce.
Saturday, 8 June 2019
2019 weekly - Week 23
04/06/2019
I took my DELF A2 this afternoon and arrived at home at 5pm.
Overall I feel relived that the exam is over and I can relax a little. Even though learning never stops, one would say. I was mostly worried about the oral part since it's an interview type of model. Not only do you have to say something about chosen topics on the spot, but also in French! Luckily I had a familiar topic from the envelope which I drew randomly. It's about learning foreign langues. C'est parfait! I'd prepared a bit for this topic at home so I was less nervous during the oral exam. Another topic I drew (there are two on-the-spot oral productions) was about preparing a list of food for a party. It was between the food or the gift so I chose food since I am more familiar with its vocabulary. The examiner was very nice. He helped me when I struggled during the conversation. I am forever grateful.
Ah, it's good to be lazy for a while :-)
I took my DELF A2 this afternoon and arrived at home at 5pm.
Overall I feel relived that the exam is over and I can relax a little. Even though learning never stops, one would say. I was mostly worried about the oral part since it's an interview type of model. Not only do you have to say something about chosen topics on the spot, but also in French! Luckily I had a familiar topic from the envelope which I drew randomly. It's about learning foreign langues. C'est parfait! I'd prepared a bit for this topic at home so I was less nervous during the oral exam. Another topic I drew (there are two on-the-spot oral productions) was about preparing a list of food for a party. It was between the food or the gift so I chose food since I am more familiar with its vocabulary. The examiner was very nice. He helped me when I struggled during the conversation. I am forever grateful.
Ah, it's good to be lazy for a while :-)
Saturday, 1 June 2019
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