Things quiet down after the busyness of work week ... a week mostly spent in the kitchen, feeding the gardeners, room cleaners, fence painters and whatever else the international brigade was doing ... a change of pace midway to swap shift with Bob meant some fresh air and sunshine in the garden and the Grove, clearing brambles ... and speaking of sunshine, a highlight one evening was a very powerful talk from Paco, a doctor from Leon, erstwhile teacher at Brockwood and sometime researcher into vitamin D, specifically D3 ... with compelling evidence about the effects of D3 deficit, caused by limited body exposure to direct sunlight ... his success with treatment with very high doses of D3 supplements on a range of diseases ...
The week was celebrated Saturday evening with a DIY cabaret, including sketches, songs, piano performance and the OHM choir well known to visitors to Stanhope circles over the years ... interesting not least for the return to national groups, or language groups anyway, after the week transcending such old fashioned behaviours ... Spanish being the second most spoken language here at the school at present, what with folks from Mexico and Argentina as well as Spain itself ... and all Anglophile, not so common on the Costas ... Paulo spoke of our casual arrogance in his insightful blog last year ...
Guest Helper is the new designation, though the chef role continues along with learning life in the kitchen ... and observing teams and their dynamics as personnel vary ... fascinating to see the usual dramas playing out at a more sensitive level ... certainly less shouting and cursing than other commercial kitchens experienced as a waiter, though maybe times have changed too ... that was some time ago ...
A day off Thursday and a lovely visit from a dear friend from the past and maybe eternally ... a nice change of pace, lunch at the Centre and a long walk through the woods and fields with sunshine and showers ... the typical British Summer and a metaphor also for the relationship!
Reflecting on the question of Tribe and is this mine, as Wednesday is booked for the train trip north ... where other parts of tribe lie ... daughters, of course, though geography is not crucial to maintaining that connection, since heart connection is of the non-local field ... Place and whoever is around there maybe? Anyway, Stanhope has been that place for a while and calls quietly again ... whether the Retreat House is still for sale, who knows? Let's see next week ...
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