Salmon and pride

Pip came round for tea for what felt like the first time in absolutely ages - I think it was soup season last time she ate here. I made orange crusted baked salmon with new potatoes and courgettes, with a strawberry crumble for pudding. We opened Pepe's nice fizzy white wine, and had a good old chat. Afterwards we went to the Red Lion and then to Fuel and carried on talking. I'd told Pip about the parents' stories project earlier in the evening, so when Jos came over to say hello, she said that she knew how his parents had met. It was funny. Pete met us for a pint later on, and was dead sweet - he nagged Pip about not being in the studio enough, and then proudly showed me his phone pictures of the photos of Pip as a kid as we all walked home. He's very into her, I'd say. Very into her.

Conservation, conversation.

With the new job, and associated drama I'd let the bigger picture career-wise slip out of view until today.

I had my first go at conservation volunteering today. In the morning we erected a fence around a bank in the lake at Chorlton Water Park. The fence was designed to keep waterfowl from eating the plants we put in. The roots of the plants will make the bank more resistant to erosion.



In the afternoon we thinned (non-native) Norway Maple saplings from a patch of woodland so that the indigenous flora could thrive, and planted bluebells. The group is made up of some nice people, and I had a brilliant time. Five hours on volunteering doesn't sound like much, but the satisfaction that I got out of it was reassuring - I'm making the right move, I can tell.



Pepe came round for some help with what we've dubbed testa merda - the shit test - a fiendishly difficult listening paper for his non-native English Speaker examination. It's bitchingly tough! Even Louise, who speaks several languages, thought it was hard. Once we'd nailed testa merda, we went on to some tasks for the speaking exam, in which Pepe gives a few short talks / speeches about various parts of his life. We talked about his home village, Montecalvo, and about his twenty-two years of naval service. He told me about his trip to South America, about his time in the Med after 9-11, about boats he'd sailed on and women that he'd known. It was fascinating. Five hours flew by.

Ten hours of work on a Sunday wore me out. In a good way.

NTS2

NTS1

Pepe update

Pepe wrote:

Hi DTRMCR,

How are you? I hope everything is ok! It has been a long time since I have heard from you. I think the main reason we haven’t seen each other is our jobs. I’m not too bad. Here in Rome I’ve the same usual life, only work!!! It’s (very) demanding and every day I finish work at 7:00-7:30PM about!!! (Now I remember the meaning of “about!!!!” can you remember? (it’s was your explanation/lesson) This word stays always in the middle) I’m feeling very tired.

Three days ago Martina sent me an e-mail. She told me a few things e.g. a few days ago you met her and then you have talked about “Giuseppe” (that sounds good, it’s a good news when a friend remembers me); she wrote to me that in her flat there is a room available and she has invited me to go back to Manchester. Now I’m thinking about it!!!!

Next Monday, when my boss comes back to the office, I’ll ask him if it is possible to take a 2 o 3 week holiday (still have to take 24 days of leave from last year!!!!)
Hopefully, I think it might be possible during the second half of April. I’ll get some days off.

Please give my best regards to Paul and all friends (Alison, Tom Wood, Steve, Holy etc. etc). Is Shit-man watering the plant???

Take care my friend

So he'll be back round here soon, excellent news. I think Holy is supposed to be Ollie Keck.

At least 12 weeks of recycling

At least 12 weeks of recycling, originally uploaded by chiptooth.

Guiseppe Lo Conte brought that box of Foster's lager round to watch the first game of this year's RWC, back on September 7th.

and possibly even more, originally uploaded by chiptooth.

Giuseppe writes:

"hi David how are you?
I'm sorry. i haven't written you before, because i was on board for 20 days!!
on 8 oct I failed the test!!!! i cant believe (in my opinion there something of strange!!!!! maybe mafia!!!) i'm very angry, furious and frustrated!!!
the life continue!!
sorry again!!
see yuo soon"

What a lovely mis-tranlation: "The life continue" - how very Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.