A bigger boat
'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Wed 24 Dec 2008 19:32
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So, there I was at El Corte Inglese meat counter.
'Youngblood' behind the counter didn't speak English. I handed him 15 chicken
breasts and my shopping list. It said (in Spanish, with the aid of a
dictionary):
10kg stewing steak in 1 kg vacuum-packed bags,
making 10 bags
15 chicken breasts vacuum-packed in 5
bags
15 steaks, vacuum-packed in 5 bags
He nodded wisely, in a pimply sort of way, then
shouted the order to Juan in the 'back office' . Juan stuck his head round
the door and was handed the 15 chicken breasts. Time passed. About 30 minutes
after the end of the 15 minutes it was going to take, Manuel appeared and gave
me three large vacuum-packed bags. I shook my head. 'Donde es perchugas de
pollo?'
Manuel disappeared.
Juan appeared
we attempted a conversation. Juan began to get the
idea and looked at the list.
Juan smacked 'Youngblood' round the head and told
me 30 minutes. He went into the 'back office', taking my list with
him.
Time passed.
Manuel appeared.
10 X 1kg bags of stewing steak
5 X bags of chicken breasts
A large plastic bag with vacuum-packed steaks
inside. It was rather heavy, but I'd had enough of this bulk-shopping
lark........mistake!
I beat a retreat to the checkout counter and paid.
Delivery was agreed for later on in the afternoon.
The meat arrived at the boat.
10X 1kg bags of stewing steak
5 X bags of pechugas de pollo
5 X bags of steak BUT not 15 steaks, 15 KILOS of
steak
Peter goes to the chandlery and buys a Waeco 50
litre portable fridge/freezer.
I need a bigger boat.
So, 'Boyz', if you read this we'll be on the
'Atkins' high protein diet across the Atlantic. A steak sandwich will consist of
a steak, smothered in a delicious sauce, placed between two slices
of.................steak
Merry Christmas
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