I warned you in the last post that now was the time I started to nag about Christmas, didn't I? So it's at your own peril that you continue to read!
Not being a member of the human race that accepts blindly everything that I'm told, many years ago I thought about exactly what I thought Christmas SHOULD mean to me. What I accepted from what society dictated I should think/feel/believe about Christmas. How I would decide exactly what my values and personal beliefs are, so that could align with what the rest of you were doing at that time of year.
My conclusions were the following, assuming you're not at all religious:
There has to be some point in life where we all need to down tools, sit back and rest and reflect on life. All doing it at the same time is good, because then we are all mutally sharing something, and in this day and age, it's not often we all share the same thing at the same time.
You can't just keep going on and on with life with there being no deliniation in time. You HAVE to have time divided up into something like the 'year' measurement.
So - that leads us into Christmas, and the associated celebrations. The celebrations, for me, are sheerly that I have successfully managed to get through another year, both at work and at home.
So, using that logic - why the hell would I succomb to the exhortations of Harvey Norman et al to buy someone a new washing machine for Xmas? Or a gift pack of perfume from Myers?
No! It's about assessing your life, and reinforcing to those who mean most to you of your care and love of & for them.
How would I do this? By spending the most precious thing in life that you could possibly spend on them - your time.
I decided I would make (cook) things for the people I care about. And I do. Every year I keep a lookout for recipes and ideas that I can reproduce as Xmas gifts. I test things out. I buy odd things that will help to make up my gifts.
My family often laugh at me. But - it's all done from the heart. I know they'll remember the quirky gifts when I'm long dead. And maybe they'll keep it going.
My home made food hamper recipes for this year are currently at the trial stage. I'm experimenting with Kim Chi. I love eating it, but my success with making it hasn't quite had the same results as the commercial variety I favour.
Oh well - I've still got a few months to go.
Saturday, 4 August 2007
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5 comments:
I hear that the Queens Head do a nice Christmas Dinner?
Anon - they might have done a nice one at some stage of Christmas's gone by, but if my last dining experience there is any indication of meal quality, it wouldn't make my list of 'must go there' places, especially for Xmas Dinner.
But - as I always say, that's just one persons opinion.
My friend Chris & I had that discussion again the other night, with him arriving on my doorstep having had what he raved about as being THE best meal yet from his favourite place, Khaow Thai. I had had (takeaway) lunch from there that very day & had chucked it in the bin I thought it was so foul! (Well, it WAS Chicken & Cashews!!)
Chris was gobsmacked that he & I could have such opposing opinions about the place. I think he thought I was joking when I said the food there that day was SXXT.
I hate franchises. There I thought I would share that with you. But not without a point. CONSISTENCY, its the name of the game, or for some, or the point got lost.
What I am trying to say.... You can be consistently good or consistently shit, but with this everybody has the same experience and so nobody complains as such. Now I realise that this is subjective to taste, but it does have some relevance to your last comment. Good restaurants try to achieve consistency and excellence without sacrificing creativity, can be difficult through staff changes and rosters, but they try. When they fail, we often see great differences in opinion and quality.
I could waffle on here for ever, in the mean time, pre-yultide salutations.
Hi Cartouche - not quite sure what point you're trying to make here. Are you saying that Khaow Thai is a franchise, and that it is a good restaurant trying to achieve consistency & excellence etc?
Or are you saying that Khaow Thai is a good restaurant having a difficult time with staff changes & rosters so that's why we are seeing differences in opinion and quality?
I'm just trying to get it straight, not questioning your opinions!
Sorry Rita not suggesting they are a franchise at all (never blog when your too tired).
Was trying to say that at least in franchises you have consistency. It will be the same every time, and lets face it they change staff more than most people change socks.
Consistency levels are not limited though to franchises. I used to work in several hotels, where each gram of food would be precisely weighed, measured out and put together, all in the name of consistency. Its a good thing, its a bad thing, for different reasons.
Just thought I'd mention it.
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