OOH LA LA!

ONE OF THE THINGS I FORGOT TO mention that we did to keep our guests entertained was to attend the Alliance Francaise's "Cheese and Wine Evening" last Friday night. It's quite a nice thing to do, and gives visitors the impression (just that, unfortunately), that we are fairly civilised here ... ! A bit of "koolcha" like, you know wot I mean?

Indeed, when we are sitting there enjoying the alfresco evening, gently perspiring in the sweltering humidity, a glass of wine in your hand (or two ... ), even down to the French "waiter" and "waitress" (members of the AF). Those things combined with the chatter of rapid fire French all around really bring me back to our times spent in France - both when we visited as tourists (short hop via the Chunnel) and also the three years we spent there when my husband was transferred there in the early 90s. It was a wonderful time of my life, and I look back on it with fond affection. In fact, we came back with an unforgettable memento ...

HOWEVER, despite having lived there and in Europe for over two decades, one of the (many) things I am not fond of is cheese, especially the pungent ones which the French love (Brie for instance smells like condensed milk gone off to me - yukh! As for chevre (goat's cheese) - boy, it's like someone's unwashed armpit ... not that I have smelt many but I think that's what it smells like ... !!!). But I guess they may not be too fond of our belacan either yeah?

In fact, it is one of my little anecdotes: when we moved out to Tourrettes-sur-Loup in the South of France, although I didn't eat cheese, I could at least indulge in a glass or two (or more) of the other thing they are famous for: wine. Then I went and fell pregnant with our second boy so that put paid to that because of course one shouldn't drink at all when expecting! Great timing!!

So although I enjoy these evenings, it is more to see my husband enjoying himself tucking into the 12 or so cheeses that are specially brought in by hand all the way from France, and the social part of the evening, meeting other people and chatting to them.

It was a good opportunity for Bro-in-law and wife to see a few of the different nationalities we have here, and gave them a break from eating yet more local/Chinese food which of course has been on the menu rather a lot since they arrived!

It's good value too, RM60 for non-members, which includes a salad with a great French vinaigrette dressing, lots of bread - essential for the cheese I'm told - and the cheeses themselves, and a quite tasty strawberry tart with frangipanni flavour. I HAD to sneak a taste lah ... all in the name of duty of course. No corkage if you bring your own wines, or you can buy some there.