sketches in English ...THIS WEEK !

 Tomorrow and Friday at the Maison de l'université  Mt st aignan 8.30pm ! Should be very good ! Join me and others there !
 Titles above in French ... bring your friends !


http://www.stillkiddin.com/spectacles/silly-%E2%99%AB

Dinner at la Petite Bouffe Rouen.. Only English spoken !

Come and Order your meal in English from the English Menu! and speak only English between mouthfuls...

 A small selection :
                                                                 Starters
                                      Small white-sausage and Fresh scallop salad
                                      Lobster and prawn "Verrine"
                                      "Parfait" of Goat cheese and smoked salmon
                                                              Main Dishes
                                      Thai Beef
                                      Pork in Caramel with figs or apricots
                                      Lasagna with eggplant, thyme and tomato
                                                   
                                                       Choice of Cheese

                                                              Desserts

                                       Cheesecake with redberries
                                       Profiterolles with hot chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream
                                       Rhubarb crumble

                                     Tea/Coffee

                                    Wine and soft drinks included !

These are just some of the delicious dishes... but because " La petite Bouffe" use mainly fresh ingredients, dishes may vary on the night.

 2 Possible Nights Monday 11th June and Tuesday 19th June 8pm (1 table of 14 per evening)

Price  only  25  euros for a whole evening of Good food, a chance to speak English in a " real life situation" and to  make new anglophile friends  .... and  of course  with some Native English Humour  thrown in !

Reservations  to p.abcbooks@gmail.com by 4th June at the latest.

A little bit of culture .... This week in Rouen

 .....I  think  it's in French  ( ?)
 but if you have never seen any Shakespeare , now is the time :
http://www.scoop.it/t/rouen/p/1666125640/mini-shakespeare-la-piccola-familia-rouen-fr

In parallel  to the Olympics , The Globe theatre London  is staging Shakespeare in 38 languages and  ..
In Rouen THIS Sunday , at the place st Marc you can see an extract of Henry  V1 played by the piccola familia .. click on the link for more info ! I cannot join you, sadly  but next week there is also a  VERY English   Film  which I will and you should see . Its a comedy with brilliant English actors  called   Indian Palace .
http://www.commeaucinema.com/bandes-annonces/indian-palace,225513-video-22596

The avant premiere is on Tuesday 8th at 8pm

 There is also a VERY American film by Madonna  ( ?!) coming out called W/E  But the critics are not good. It's about  Wallace Simpson  and  (King) Edward  who abdicated for her. You may have already seen the KINGS SPEECH  in a very different style. If not You  MUST  first .. It was  So British and Brilliant !..

 .. and don't forget next weekend 12th / 13Th  Sign up for two English afternoons of Tea / cake and  Conversation .. see the  previous blog below.

philoso...tea !

                        The next " Theme night" is a "theme" afternoon ! 2 afternoons  in fact.
 Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th May from 3.30pm to 5.30 pm  at the Cellar
Tea and Cake included...

 Come and discuss or listen to :


" There are neither bad books  nor ugly women !"

on Saturday...


and /or


on Sunday :

   "Who says the English can't cook "


 Invited Guest : English speaking Cook from " La Petite Bouffe" Rouen,


                                                            Julien leger   

Two fun subjects to discuss  and learn about  amongst fellow anglophiles !


ps both Men  AND women  are welcome on BOTH DAYS !
All ages and levels welcome to register.. but it helps if you enjoy talking  and sharing your ideas!

 Both of these will be starting points to meet new people and to talk about "What we read and why " .."and What the English eat  and how."..

 Come and share your thoughts and experiences and share English  recipes for food and  for life !

 15 euros  per 2 hour session or 25 euros for the 2 sessions :  English tea and cakes included of course...

 Regular Abc  Cellar students can  replace  or catch up their class sessions by subscribing to a weekend session or consider it as their " free theme night" offered with 10 sessions booked.


 ( Minimum of 5 participants . Theme afternoon limited to 10 participants . So  Sign up quick at p.abcbooks@gmail.com First Come First Served !

Happy St patrick's day !!

 Things have been quiet here; the quizz nite was cancelled due to health reasons .. but don't worry there will be another  soon... contact me at P.abcbooks if you are interested.
 So .. today is ST Patrick's day ...the place to be is Dublin and  Temple bar . but I'm sure the Irish bars in Rouen will be full tonight. Here is a st patricks quizz for you :http://www.beliefnet.com/section/quiz/index.asp?sectionID=10000&surveyID=67
http://www.beliefnet.com/section/quiz/index.asp?sectionID=10000&surveyID=67

 enjoy the " craic" ..!https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSk4eWnf_nMwJq-qjailC9s3kycBxWMgzXCLl_vx3ZY3w0hndXYfw ... and if you've never tried it .. try the guinness ! Cheers !

Moving on ...

 I was delighted to be well enough to welcome " Crystal tears " on Friday and to welcome old and new faces to the Cellar. The concert was really appreciated : Kate's  crystal clear voice was a pleasure to hear and was beautifully accompanied by Olivier who gave a surprising lute   rendition of " Yesterday" which the audience joined in with. Indeed the Elizabethan belief that one should " sing tolerably" before being considered a gentleman was  fulfilled. ..

 So what  next ? well, I'm more or less back on form , and the holidays are looming.  I'm going to try out my spanish for a few days, then will be "teaching" teenagers back at the cellar from the 5th to 9th march from 1pm to 4pm all week .  The course is called " Hop over the channel " ( see poster) so if you have dynamic, eager teenagers in your midsts please tell them to contact me. I need 2 more people ! For the adults, classes are maintained that week...


  By popular demand there will be another games night on Thursday 15th march at 7.30pm. So sign up now !
 ( 12 euros) Places are limited. to 16 .. and there  are still tea towels and Dvds of scotland to be won !!! :) and other things of course.

 On a more personal note I am still looking for ideas for a place in Rouen to hold my Birthday party, The cellar walls, though crumbling at times, are not expandable.. so please tell me if you have ideas of a hall or bigger cellar in Rouen... The invitations will go out soon. ! So  it will be another opportunity to speak English and meet new people with similar interests .... or just people who would be happy to see me turn 38 again !:).. keep me posted ! and happy holidays for those who have some ...

Happy Birthday..(.s)

 to Charles Dickens ;200 years ago today .! if you've never read anything by him  now is the Time. Great Literature  to be read and at the Abc Bookshop some of his novels are at only 3 euros : HARD TIMES , PICKWICK PAPERS , OLIVER TWIST and others ... even google's logo was a hommage to him today !

Extract from “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens

The room in which the boys were fed was a large stone hall, with a copper at one end; out of which the master, dressed in an apron for the purpose, and assisted by one or two women, ladled the gruel at mealtimes. Of this festive composition the boys had one porringer and no more – except on occasions of public rejoicing when he had two ounces and a quarter of bread besides. The bowls never wanted washing. The boys polished them with their spoons again till they shone again; and when they had performed this operation (which never took very long, the spoons being nearly as large as the bowls), they would sit staring at the copper, with such eager eyes, as if they could have devoured the very bricks of which it was composed; employing themselves meanwhile, in sucking their fingers most assiduously, with the view of catching up any stray splashes of gruel that might have been cast thereon. Boys have generally excellent appetites. Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures of slow starvation for three months. At last they got so voracious and wild with hunger, that one boy who was tall for his age, hinted darkly to his companions that unless he had another basin of gruel, he was afraid he might some night happen to eat the boy sleeping next to him, who happened to be a weakly youth of tender age. He had a wild, hungry eye and they implicitly believed him. A council was held; lots were cast for who should walk up to the master after supper that evening and ask for more; and it fell to Oliver Twist.

The evening arrived; the boys took their places. The master, in his cook’s uniform, stationed himself at the copper; his pauper assistants ranged themselves beside him; the gruel was served out; and a long grace was said over short commons. The gruel disappeared; the boys whispered to each other and winked at Oliver; while his next neighbours nudged him. Child as he was, he was desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery. He rose from the table; and advancing to the master, basin and spoon in hand, said, somewhat alarmed at his own temerity,-

“Please, sir, I want some more.”

The master was a fat, healthy man; but he turned very pale. He gazed with stupified astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds; and then clung for support to the copper. The assistants were paralyzed with wonder, the boys with fear.

“What!” said the master at length, in a faint voice.

“Please, sir,” replied Oliver, “I want some more.”

The master aimed a blow at Oliver’s head with the ladle, pinioned him in his arms, and shrieked aloud for the beadle.

 on another  more pleasant note...

 Congratulations to Marie Christine who won the scottish tea towel she had been longing for !

 .. and just to let you know you there is preview showing of the THATCHER film the Iron lady at the Docks next Tuesday at 8.15pm  In English of course.  ! Join me  there if you haven't been invited to a Valentine's day dinner .. ( I haven't  either ).; so  I will just nourish my mind   and be with friends instead... what better way is there to spend valentine's day !?!
 ...... and to finish

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

Another Birthday... ?

 Mine  soon.. I'm not 200  yet though ! .. I would love to spend my Birthday with members of the Cellar who could come and speak English with  old friends and new people ; my only fear  ( 'it's a real one ) is that the cellar is TOO small  to welcome you all . SO if you have any brilliant  ideas of a place in the centre of Rouen for  47 people, then please let me know.. ( evening of 17th / 18th March.) I will provide all  the drinks and  all you  quiche and cake bakers can bring samples of your cooking skills for us to taste. Frederic will supply  live music from his  piano ( portable) ! ...
to be followed....

Another Mystery ?? and more theme evenings..

 Well , the Burns Night was a success , even if we had difficulty understanding the " Ode to a Haggis" .. tasting haggis was a new experience for many  of those present , and it went down well ! Thanks to Caroline from the  Irish Shop  in Rouen who came and invited us to smell ( not drink) different Whiskies. Perhaps later in the year we will organise a Tasting session ....

 As soon as I can I will reveal THE LEGS of the one man who came and wore a " sort of kilt" ...

 To encourage you to read the documents I  Distributed  here are some  questions .. the  first  3 people  to contact me on the blog  comments or by mail will win a Scottish  Tea towel .. or a DVD showing the sights of Scotland .. so get to your brochures....

 1) What is the name of the film on the " correct/ incorrect" exercice ?
 2) How does the journalist's father refer to Aberdeen ? ( last article)
3) What is the expression " amber bead" a reference to in the Ode to a Haggis ?

 So   keep an eye on the blog for the next events ..
 " Crystal tears" .. on Friday 17th Feb ...
 A dinner for 14 at the " petite" bouffe in March ; ONLY ENGLISH SPOKEN !!  ( Order your meal  from an English menu in English !) If there is a huge demand this evening can be done twice .. it is limited to 14 each time including 2/ 3 native speakers .... Alot of people have already shown an interest! 2 hours of English Conversation in a " real life"  situation.
 And we will of course find a  suitable way to Celebrate St Patrick  in March with music and product tasting! without getting totally drunk as seems to be the custom over there !

 In April Guilhen the magician will be  back with his show ... date to be announced and of course there will be another games  Night soon  and perhaps a " Speed  talking / dating in English !!!

 Keep you eyes on the blog please I will also organise half days on Saturdays and Sundays at the cellar for 3/ 4 hours of English with " Tea and  Scones".... and if you know teenagers ( nice ones) who want to do English afternoons ( 14/16 year olds) in  the second week of the hols 5th to 9th march then please tell them to contact me for details..

 Thanks again to those who came and made the evening so enjoyable !



 Tell  your friends about the Cellar ... Hope to see you soon...

Another Loch ness type mystery from scotland ?

 Have a look at this link :  See a  little of Edinburgh and .. listen to Scottish news ...



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/fast_track/9680129.stm

A little recipe idea .... before" Burns Night"

 .. and we say the Scottish people are " tight" with their money ?? ( Thank You Marie Christine for this idea to feed my teenagers !;)

Toast sandwich is UK's 'cheapest meal'

Britain's 'cheapest' lunchtime meal was unveiled by scientists on Wednesday - the toast sandwich.

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is reviving the mid-Victorian dish, which, unsurprisingly, consists of two slices of bread around a slice of toast.

The society is so confident in the repast, it will offer £200 to anyone who can create a cheaper alternative.

The meal, costing 7.5 pence, was first promoted by Victorian food writer Mrs Beeton.

It is taken from Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management which became a best-seller after its appearance 150 years ago next month.

To celebrate that anniversary, the RSC decided to focus on meals that reflected "stern days" to come in Britain, rather than one of the book's many "table-groaning creations".

The meal was recreated by a chef at the RSC on Wednesday and offered to people outside their London offices.

The RSC's Dr John Emsley said: "You simply put a piece of dry toast between two slices of bread and butter, with salt and pepper to taste.

I've tried it and it's surprisingly nice to eat and quite filling.

"I would emphasise that toast sandwiches are also good at saving you calories as well as money, provided you only have one toast sandwich for lunch and nothing else."

The toast sandwich provides about 330 calories, and consumers could opt for the healthier alternative of margarine instead of butter - an ingredient not available to Mrs Beeton because she was writing her book before it was invented.

"Of course, when we finally emerge from these dark days we will seek something more celebratory from Mrs Beeton's pantheon of rich recipes to welcome back the good times," Dr Emsley added.

Continue reading the main story

Mrs Beeton's toast sandwich

Toast sandwich being prepared

     * Toast a thin slice of bread

     * Butter two slices of bread and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste

     * Place the toast between the two slices of bread-and-butter to form a sandwich

     

RSC employee Jon Edwards said: "In my student days I thought a meal of '9p noodles' from Tesco was the epitome of thrift - but a toast sandwich is tastier, quicker, has more calories and comes in at just 7.5p."

Mr Edwards added that the 21st Century version of the toast sandwich is healthier than the one from Mrs Beeton's era because of the vitamins and minerals - such as calcium - that are added to bread today.

British Dietetic Association spokeswoman Melissa Little said there were ways to make the toast sandwich much better for not that much more money.

Ms Little said: "You can add an egg for 8p, it's not much and it would give you some protein and keep you fuller for longer - and it would make it taste much better.

"Half a can of sardines for 19p would provide good fats, you would get some fish, and again make you feel fuller for longer.

"Even adding some vegetables, such as cucumbers or carrots - would give you some more nutrients."

She suggested the exercise did highlight that people are struggling to pay for grocery bills and looking for alternatives.

The more people talk about making healthy meals for less money, the better informed people would be, she said.

The first instalment of of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management was published in 1861. It sold over 60,000 copies in its first year of publication and nearly two million by 1868.

As well as recipes the book contained advice on household management, childcare, etiquette, entertaining and the employment of servants.