Chicken
Hello Xuan and everyone,
Only 2 days to go until your exam, Xuan. I think we all have our fingers crossed for you. Good luck and I am sure you will let us know how it went. Best wishes also to Ha from Viet Nam who wrote that students all over Viet Nam are having their final exams right now. What are you studying, Ha? I hope you are not too stressed.
Well, talking of stress, last night’s chicken problems turned out all right in the end. You are right, Merce, I am an optimist and have a very optimistic view on life. I couldn’t help taking some photos of the whole thing. I forgot to take the camera to the hotel at the weekend. Steve offered to trek back to our flat (2 streets away...) to retrieve it, but I wouldn’t let him. If we had really been on holiday, we would not have been able to get it, so I said we had to follow the rules and not go back for anything that we had forgotten. Anyway, when we finally got home I really wanted to take some pictures.
Here the children are happily jumping on Steve in the kitchen. The chicken is in the oven, not cooking.
In protest at not being fed, the children decided that they really needed to attack daddy.
What was planned as a family meal, turns into a romantic dinner for mummy and daddy. This was an unexpected treat. I put one of our favourite jazz CDs on (Love Songs by Dave Brubeck) and we sat and waited for the chicken to cook.
At last it was ready!
Mmmmm delicious. Steve is actually a really good cook. We ate the chicken with sautéed potatoes, green veg and gravy. 
Now, a few replies to everyone.
Merce – I think I agree with you, that people who have travelled a lot can be more used to solving problems than those who haven’t. I think it certainly makes you very resourceful and resilient.
Hello Mimee and welcome to the blog. Please ask any questions about grammar that you like. Good luck with your Spanish studies.
Hi Silwal – thank you for your concern about our electrical equipment. We have called out a technician to come and look at everything. This evening, we just used the microwave to heat up some take-out food.
Hello Cris – can you guess what star sign I am? I am a Virgo and Steve is a Libra. In Chinese astrology, I was born in the year of the Rat, and he was born in the Year of the Dragon. According to details displayed on the table mats in a Chinese restaurant we used to go to in Delhi, we are very compatible. What star sign are you and Oscar?
Hi Duke Lee. You asked me about how to improve your writing. Writing is a difficult skill to improve – you need to have a proper reason to write and you need to have something to say, as I think you comment on in your post. My advice would be to keep reading the blog and to make a comment when you have something to say. Why not ask some of the other readers some questions, and in return, they might ask you some things. This will then give you a good reason to write a reply.
Hello Ana Paula – yep, childhood is a great time! When you’re an adult, you can’t jump up and down on your dad’s tummy as he lies on the kitchen floor and you’re too big to play hide and seek. But, there are good things about being an adult. You can eat a whole bar of chocolate and you can do all of the things you always knew you would do, despite being told the opposite by your parents, when you finally get a place of your own (do you know what I mean…?)
Hyoshil – good to hear from you again. I have been thinking about the sentence you asked me about. Do you think they might have said, “it must be the biggest kitchen we’ve seen so far”? Can I ask you, why were you looking at colour schemes. Are you planning to do some painting?
Hello Elina – Finland sounds like a very efficient country. I think children love all kinds of transport. How old is your son – does he like trains as well?
OK, its getting later here. As my mum used to say when my sisters and I were little, ‘It’s time to climb the wooden hill to Bedfordshire’ (meaning, ‘get up the stairs to bed’ – ‘Bedfordshire’ is a play on words containing the word ‘bed’ and is meant to sound like a made-up name for a region in the UK. There are other expressions to mean ‘time for bed’ like ‘it’s time to hit the sack’ or ‘let’s turn in now’. Can you think of any other expressions like these in English? What expressions do you have in your own language for this?
Night night everyone,
Anne
xxxx
compatible - get on well together
resourceful - can think of lots of ideas to solve problems
resilient - tough or hardy, can withstand a lot
Comments
Sawatdi kha,Ann I think your Steve is a wonderful family man and l like the pictures of the children playing with Steve. they look so playful and joyful. Your answer was as clear as a bell, and thank you for putting me out of my misery. We have been expanding our house for 6 months and the time has come to think which colour we would like to paint the lounge, rooms and so on. I hope that you don’t think I am a real pain in the neck because I am going to ask you another question. Can I replace “expanding” with “extending”? if you don’t mind I’d love to share my secret with you which is I used to be confused “gravy with “ grave? Once I actually asked a waiter to bring more grave (I meant to say” gravy”). Luckily we were regulars on the pub and the waiter understood what I wanted. I didn’t realise that I had made a silly mistake before he asked me whether I enjoyed the beef with gravy. I felt so embarrassed and I could have died. whenever we go to the pub I always exchange a secret and meaningful smile with him. Take care and see you again!xx
Hello Anne. Some days ago I wrote a story about the man with the umbrella under the rain, but it never appears. It seems something wrong is happening with the teacher blog. Anyway, I want to congratulate you for how clean is your kitchen. The floor looks like a mirror. I noted that Steve and the children are on socks or with nude feet. Do you ussually avoid using shoes in the house? Bye.
Hi Anne, thank you very much for your comments. Let me ask you a question (is correct that phrase?): In my last comment I wrote, more or less, that I think you have a very optimistic WAY OF LIFE. You have answered me: "I HAVE A VERY OPTIMISTIC WIEW ON LIFE". Did I make a mistake using the expression "way of life" Thank you in advance for your answer. Have a sweet night. Mercè
Hi Anne,I just am writing to tell you a funny expression used in my town to mean"it 9is time to go to bed"that is "Passano i pisani"which is"the inhabitants from Pisa are arriving:Any explanation is possible:Can you imagine one?Bye Bye for now.
Hi Anne, I didn't know expressions you use to say go to bed and I' m very interested in idioms, I have done an exam on english idioms, but I have to improve my language properties. A question: Have you ever been in tha Amalfi Coast? It's a lovely place, unique in its genre. Well, as you said, it's time to hit the sack, thanks for your time
Hi Anne and our cyber friends, Your kitchen floor is very similar to mine and I like the way you all were waiting for the chicken to be cooked. The situation is also a bit funny too. By the way, the chicken looks delicious. You are lucky to have a husband who can cook well. I can't say the same about Oscar; guess that he is an only child and her mother used to do all for him. On the other hand he is very good at doing the supermarket shopping. About the pictures, the four of you are really photogenic and both of you look as a happy couple. What a coincidence! Oscar is virgo and I am acquarius (I was also born in the year of the rat). He is extremely perfectionist and demanding, which sometimes it drives me mad. On the other hand he has a very good sense of humour, which I do not have. I don't remember other expressions meaning "it's time to bed" but in Argentina we usually say "I'll put myself into the envelope". I'll sign off. Pasta is ready. xxx Cris
Hi Anne! Yummy! The chicken looks delicious :-). Moreover, you and your family are so lovely on the pictures. By the way Anne, you´re right. There are also good things in being adult, and one of them is having your own place. I wish one day I could have mine. Best wishes, Ana Paula.
Thanks for your words. I am a fisrt year student at Ha Noi university of pharmacy. Actually, we have to learn so many subjects that we don't have much time for English , this is the first time I have joined a international blog likes this. Turn back to your optimistic view of life, have you seen 'the beautiful life', this is a very famous film, I admire the father, who is very optimistic and clever, very much.
Hi Anne, Steve and litlle dangle dollies! I want to join to the long row of comments expressing the eadmiration about your happy and positive attitude to the life. It is not so common to meet such persons, though, now there are lots of books in shops here which are full of advice dealing with the problem. Your photos prove in the best way what the familly happiniss looks like! Cheers!
My son is 3 years old and my daughter is 1 year old. Can I say: “They are of the same ages as Josh and Rachel”? If I talk only about our 3-year-old boys, I can say: “He is of the same age as Josh” or “They are the same age”. Am I right? I’m sure my son likes all kinds of transport, but mopeds, trains and planes are by far the best in his opinion.
Hi Anne, thank you for your blog that is always interesting and as the other said, showing a happy family. Chris said what I was thinking to write about going to bed. We say sometimes "I go to put me in the envelope". I suppose that is because you put yourself between the sheets.
Dear Anne, This time I am going to tell a real story which was happened about 15 years back. It was around noon. All of sudden, a strange man who was a little bit nervous, entered in the same restaurant where four of was enjoying tea with some snacks. For about 5 minutes he was not able to decide what to do and how to order food in restaurant. He started to look what other people were doing to order food. Most of people were ordering two items and then unknowingly he realised at least two things to be indicated in menu to order food. All the waiters and waitress in that restaurant were deaf and dumb. When they took his order, they looked strangely in his face but didn’t tell anything. He waited at least 45 minutes impatiently and at last his ordered were served. They were curd and dal (red lentils). He looked them in shocking way and ate them without saying anything. I remembered this story while reading comments by Hyoshil. At least in his case waiter was smart enough to recognise what he was ordering. It is always trouble to order food in restaurant unless you what they are and how they taste because I can’t eat food with strange aroma and taste which cause me nausea. Next time I will try to write story about my family because your family photo act as a catalyst (means) to remember me that story.
Dear Anne, I like the pictures of Steve with children, it show us family behavouir, it seems that Steve is very funny man, by the way Right now I am working with YD, which is stand for ( Youth Development Foundation) beforing I worked as finance asistant now I am working as project manager assistant, my daily task is to write purposal form project which very defficult, can you help how do write, how do I make prograph for each part looking forward to your comment
Dear Anne, I am going to write another story about my family which was happened three years back. As I already told you I am working in one of the casino in night shift. In that period, only after three years, I was scheduled to get one day of on Tuesday. In my the first day off, our children- a boy and a girl, grabbed me in such a way that I was just a pillow to them and started to play with me almost whole night and they didn’t allow us (me and my wife) to have a chat even for a couple of minutes. In that evening we visited restaurant and enjoyed really a feast. Even nowadays, every Tuesday (my off day) they start to order various food items to be prepared and want to enjoy as a festival. Now the boy is 11 and the girl is 6. Nowadays they can enjoy with me in the morning and in the evening but they want to share master bed in stead of their own bed during my day-off. Most of the time, they want to share what happened in school with me. Your family photographs forced me to recall my old story and how they enjoyed playing with me as your children are playing with their dad.
Hi Anne and everybody!!! The chicken looks very delicious, please send me a little bit hahaha!!!. You have a very beautiful family, so enjoy your days together. I think that the little moments cooking, playing, eating together forge stronger relationships and you are doing this work very well. Take care,
Hi Anne, I enjoyed the happy pictures of your family more than anything else, thank you for posting them, keep enjoying your life,regards,H.
Hi Anne, Felt good to know that you got new beautiful apartment. Do you pay monthly rental or lumsum for whole the leased period and how much? While changing rented accomodation, I also keep in mind that either it should near to the my Child School or my working place (but prefer near to Child school). Playing with Children erases all types of our stresses, develop child mentally and physically rapidly besides developing good balanced emotions into child. So Steve is a perfect husband and a great father.
Dear Anne, In Russia sometimes says literally "to pot and sleep" :-)and "it's time to sleep". My husband and I are both Libra. He adores to play with our small daughter. It's so funny!!! He agrees to cook meet only and can't find anything in a fridge if he is alone :-) You told about your chicken so tasty!!! Could you please let us a recipe of smth from English national meal.
Dear s. Looking at these pictures I feel a bit sad. Maybe sad is not the right word. A bit of nostalgia. I miss this tenderness. Now I have two monsters (teenagers) and only in a very few moments I can see inside them the kids I used to love. I’m waiting better times (Fortunately all has an ending). Enjoy them all the time, every moment you can. I would write also about “to write”. When I’m reading I understand a lot of words. But when I have to explain something these words don’t come to my mind.There are also a lot of basic words I don’t know. But I dont know that I don’t know. For instance if you say: you have a problem with your toilet and you have to explain it to plumber. Well….well…. I need practice in thinking and triying to express myself in concret situation. And this is dificult in a blog because there is a whole world beyond this blog. I’ll never tell you: Hello yesterday I phoned a plumber and I told him…..
hi,anne.Sorry to reply so late.I think I'v got what you mean about writing something.It's a interactive way,isn't it?Very good,and tns.I just have little chance to practise my English after nearly 10 years leaving college.See yah,later.
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