I've Moved!

As of May 1st, I moved up into the hills, to Plateau Caillou. This is a beautiful western city looking out over the Indian Ocean. It's incredible how quickly the climate and temperatures change depending on where you are in Reunion Island. The mountains are known for their departure from the hot, dry temperatures of the low-lying beach communities. On my first night in the new place, I felt the sensation of cold for the first time in months.

Moving from La Saline was a project and a shocking discovery in how much stuff one accumulates in a short period of time. Ms. Austria, the dear helping hand, assisted in digging me out of the rat's nest I had somehow constructed for myself over the past year. Miraculously everything fit into the car and--more or less--into my new room.

I am living with the Jean-Jacques family: friends I met over the course of this past year. Everyone describes our house ambiance as a "courant d'air." At any given time there can be as many as seven of us and as few as one. My role is "Native English Speaker" and I keep the party alive with hilarious miscommunications and international dinners. It's a nice change from my quiet studio life. Now that my high school teaching contract is over, I'm working less and finding it fun to spend time with humans.

My new house:

And my new dog (who comes included with the house):

Heavy Hitters

Sometimes you have to take one for the team, surrender yourself to science, and become an experimental guinea pig. I had been hearing about Lycee Hotelier's, Restaurant d'Application, in Plateau Caillou since I began working there five months ago. In this restaurant on campus, the school's waitstaff and culinary students hone their skills on the willing public. Last week I was invited by a colleague in the English department to see our kiddies in action.

As a sixteen year old I may have successfully whipped up a box of macaroni or toasted a mostly un-scorched grilled cheese, but anything beyond that would have been too physically and emotionally taxing. Never mind serving this food in an elegant 4 star-esque environment where you needed to acknowledge which fork is for what. Nightmare!

With these prejudices of my own teen-age self in mind, I arrived at the school's restaurant with my friend Caroline, ready for anything. What awaited us was a truly impressive display of serious culinary aptitude and professionalism. I was impressed. The funnest part was being treated like celebrities by our students who pulled out all of the stops for us. We popped our heads into the kitchen where kids were hard at work in tall white chef's hats making quiches, tarts, beautiful roasts, and heavenly desserts. On the floor, the waitstaff students jetted around, serving customers and advising them on wines.

You may go to this restaurant expecting a patchwork of student errors, but would leave mesmerized by the talent and ability of these rising culinary heavy hitters. You would also need to fully prepare yourself for some insanely delicious food and friendly, competent service.