#62 - Always look on the bright side of life...

Yippee!
Bulky bandages on hand are off.  Of course this is because they want me to start using it.  Actually, it hurts more now than it did when I burned it because the burned area contracted so I have to keep it from contracting more.  Apparently there's no guarantee that the skin will stretch out so now it's a discussion of when the hand will be back to being able to do what it needs to do (2 more weeks - just in time for Christmas and just in time to require a return visit to London to finish the practical exams - time TBC with school). 

So - using the hand kind of sucks, but the pain is a reminder of being alive - and being grateful that it wasn't worse.  I saw a toddler today leaving the burn unit.  She had put both hands on the oven door just before her mother was about to put her in her high chair for dinner.  Bandages over both hands almost to the elbows - how can anyone feel sorry for themselves when faced with that sight?

The bright side
I would never have gone out to Roehampton if it hadn't been for the burn unit.  To get there, I get on a bus from Hammersmith and you go over the Hammersmith Bridge.  It's blue - looks a bit like the one out of Bridget Jones's Diary.  Due to the hour of my appointments, I get to see the sun shining on the Thames, turning it into a brighter version of what I call the moon path (the silver path you get on the ocean under a bright moon on a still night).  Even better, the mornings have generally been sunny.  If there is rain or if it is overcast, that tends to roll in later in the day so there has been an opportunity to get at least a couple of minutes of sunlight most days.  Hope to remember to take more photos when I go back to the hospital next week.

Also, since I can't cook (and going to class is torture because I want to cook so I don't go unless there is something specific I am trying to learn/review) there's time to do some of the things I haven't had time to do.  Like get a haircut!  And more laundry. I got behind because I was always washing my uniform, but now there's time to do regular stuff too.  (I miss my dryer!)

Last demo/practical
This afternoon was the last demo with an associated practical class (exams don't count).  It was also the last one with Chef FJ.  It's debatable whether he will miss us - certainly he won't miss us annoying him on a Friday afternoon, but perhaps he'll miss other aspects.  Hard to tell - note to self:  follow up when I come back to take the final exams.

The demo involved monkfish - not one of the most attractive fish out there and definitely not one I like to prepare as much as some of the others we've done in the past.  However, it was delicious so I will be thinking whether I can try this dish with substitutes.  I think it would be really nice with some of the local fish we get at home.  It kind of has teeth and it's kind of slimy looking.  You get a very nice not-fishy taste from it though, which is good if you are introducing someone to fish or if you are cooking for someone who's not fond of fish.  Generally I stay away from salmon or other oily fish unless I know that the person I'm cooking for likes it.

Finals
Written exams are over and a collective sigh of relief mingled with depair have wafted down the streets of Marylebone.  There will be some rejoicing as of Thursday, then more buckling down as people prepare for the 6-hour marathon that is thePatisserie final.  I think it terrifies people more because unlike cuisine, generally you can't fix something if it goes wrong because you usually find out too late (i.e. the sugar sculpture broke and you have half an hour left (we budget about 75 minutes for it) or your cake sponge was too dense or whatever.  Of course this depends, as some things are easier to fix than others.

And yes, I still have to discuss the schedule with school but I intend to return to London to take the final exams. It was too much work to let go without at least attempting the exams (although it will be beyond a bummer if I fail, the possibility of which is always present). Graduation will be a chance to see everyone and say goodbye, but my group will finish without me. Watch this space for photos of newly minted chefs with their tall hats and a couple of medals.

Must go - things that used to take just a little bit of time can now take up to 3 times as long.

So until next time, may the bright side of life be easy to find.