Beans And Nature

A Bean By Any Other Name.....

After all these years I'm still learning a significant amount of French. Having lunch with Daniel and Marie today, when we got to the coffee stage, it occurred to me to ask what a coffee bean was in French. I couldn't believe that the obvious “haricot de café” could be right but couldn't think what else to call it. The answer was “grain de café”. So I said: “Why not “graine de café”, since a “graine” is a seed? The answer was that “graines” are for sowing and “grains” are for eating, a nice distinction. Then I thought what bags of haricot beans were called in the shops and remembered they were called “haricots secs”. So why not “grains de haricots”? Because you wouldn't say that; you could say “haricots en grains”. Why? Don't ask.

Nature Red In Tooth And Claw

I've learned that it is dangerous to drive with the car window down. I much prefer that when driving around the countryside to keeping the window shut and using the air conditioning. However, driving back from Carpentras on Friday I was hit in he face by a wasp, bee or some other flying insect. Instinctively protecting my face, I swerved off the road and into a ditch. That would have been bad enough but a few yards from were I went off the road was a concrete pipe continuing the ditch under a driveway, which I duly hit at around 40mph. I escaped with a few cuts and bruises but the car is written off. That was an expensive flying insect.

Chelsea

I've not often mentioned my life-long and fanatical support for Chelsea football club (great restraint!) but have to say something now.  I'm tempted to say that what the team achieved in the last third of the season defied all belief (even mine) were it not for the fact that it was sheer belief, doggedness, obstinacy or what you will that enabled the team to achieve it.  Chelsea now have the ultimate European crown and, whilst the team won't be remembered for their elegant play in winning it, it will be long remembered for repeatedly defying all the odds.

My Mother

My mother is not eating and so is increasingly weak. So I shall go back to England on Thursday to see if I can improve matters. Is this nature's way of saying that when you've had enough you've had enough?