Hurricane Honey: Week 2: Settling in/ French Food Fiesta

Vigan Town Plaza by night

So last week, the boys and I (husband and his best friend, double-D, D-squared, D 'n D) decided to get healthy, and get lean. We agreed to cut out all carbs, and stick as closely as possible to an Atkins-type eating regimen. Also: cut out drinking, and start exercising. The plan didn't even last a day.

By the afternoon, we had 2 French kiteboarders staying with us, who'd been sent to the area by a mutual friend, and had been told to look us up. S has been living and working in Thailand for over a decade now: scuba instructor, resort owner, and now-kiteboarder. A is a chef, who works for 6 months of the year in his native Normandy, and then travels for the other 6 months all over the world, teaching kiting and really living his life. Needless to say: both are very interesting, well-travelled, and cool.

So excited was Chef A at our well-equipped, well set-out and well-stocked kitchen that he took it upon himself to cook dinner for us all EVERY night, for the 9 nights that they were here! It was AMAZING. Delicious food plus delicious wine (how can you eat French cuisine without French wine?!) = FOODGASM. 'twas a lovely and unexpected blessing.

Impromptu Hat Party - which came about as I was unpacking my hats.

Crepes flambé, stuffed with caramelised raisins and bananas. Yes, REALLY.

Fresh tuna from the market, about to be grilled to perfection

Now that they've gone though, Project Lean-'n-Mean is back underway. I even started a jogging routine yesterday! "How to run 5k in 8 weeks". I'm excited. This is a big deal for me. I LOATHE jogging - always have - but this seems to be a very sensible way of getting into it, and I'm ready. Living in a hot place like the Philippines as I have been for the past 2 years, you wear only loose and flowy clothing all the time. Then suddenly, when you find yourself back in the big city, nothing fits any more! Tres bizarre! The pressure is ON. Challenge accepted.

Other than that, I continue to gradually make my way through the box-unpacking and home-organising. I am relieved that I have so much time in which to do it all, and no crazy deadlines to stick to. I'm enjoying putting my things out, hanging things up, creating a space that is mine.

Home sweet home. My earrings hanging up on display.

Boxes, boxes, boxes, boxes... only 3 more to go now!

I also received my University materials earlier this month, and have assignments due both this week and next week, so I've been (reluctantly) working on those too. And I had my second kite-lesson, which went great until I managed to get in the way of the kite ropes while D was teaching some of the local kids and cut up my neck. Schoolgirl Error. I know better now.

The other big thing that happened this week was my decision to head to South Africa next month. I'M SOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!! I'm supposed to complete a 10-week teaching prac at a South African school as part of my PGCE (Postgrad Certificate in Education), and I've been working like a maniac to get this organised: finding potential schools to contact, emailing these prospective schools, charming them in writing, and generally trying to convince them to accept me as a student teacher in their school. I shall be submitting my 3 options to the University today, upon which they will choose one school, contact them, finalise it all, and then I'll be heading "home" for a while! The plan is to be there for the second term, which in SA runs from April 10th to June 22nd. After this, I intend to stay in SA for a while longer, head to Cape Town to see my godparents and godbrothers, and various other wonderful people whom I haven't seen in a long time.

Today I'll attempt to get a flight for this trip. It's all a bit up in the air though, as I'm not sure where I'll be coming back to, what I'll be doing afterwards, where I'll be living. D is thinking about heading to Europe for the summer to teach kiteboarding there, as there's a lot of money to be made and saved in just a few months. I think the best solution for me is to just play it by ear, and watch it all unfold.

It's all I can do, really. Ride the wave to the next adventure. ;)