Interesting conversation with neighbours

[Clair]

[quote user="Panda"]To answer someones question about food in Uni canteens, the food was good in the one I frequented in Poitiers, with lots of salad choices.  Students have cards to buy food with, I guess these are allocated as part of funding but I didnt have one (being a mature strudent) so have no idea.   There were two types on campus though, fast food style (with loads of chips) or more restaurant style with healthy choices.[/quote]

That was also the case when I was a student in Chambéry many, many moons ago.

I used to buy carnets of canteen vouchers with my grant, but even without the grant, the campus canteen was cheap and seconds/leftovers were free at the end of the self-service line!

[woolybanana]

[quote user="Panda"]To answer someones question about food in Uni canteens, the food was good in the one I frequented in Poitiers, with lots of salad choices.  Students have cards to buy food with, I guess these are allocated as part of funding but I didnt have one (being a mature strudent) so have no idea.   There were two types on campus though, fast food style (with loads of chips) or more restaurant style with healthy choices.[/quote]

So Panda, after students were we?[6]

[just john]

 [quote user="Théière"][quote user="just john"] I am at odds with some of these comments (Having lived in HK for a while); Very few chinese in the new territories and beyond have American chains as we know them, and in those that are there, a tiny chicken wing is the main order, often I've eaten a meal while they are still nibbling the wing[:$]
[/quote]I wasn't talking about the new territories, specifically the Island and Kowloon side.
It was several years ago but the children on the island were consuming burgers just as in western chain.[/quote]

Granted[:)] Though I regard these as Hong Kongese while 'Chinese' usually refers to across the border, although they usually only have one a day, unlike many of their US/European counterparts.

[quote user="woolybanana"]HK Macdo was always hugely busy. And some of my students were very chubby little things![/quote]

Ahh,[:)] True, usually No 1 sproglet is that valued/spoilt, Food is the reward/penalty they pay for that; the rest of us (me) just overeat[:D]. 

 

[Panda]

[quote user="woolybanana"]

[quote user="Panda"]To answer someones question about food in Uni canteens, the food was good in the one I frequented in Poitiers, with lots of salad choices.  Students have cards to buy food with, I guess these are allocated as part of funding but I didnt have one (being a mature strudent) so have no idea.   There were two types on campus though, fast food style (with loads of chips) or more restaurant style with healthy choices.[/quote]

So Panda, after students were we?[6]

[/quote]

Hello WB, I was after learning French, cheeky!  I was ancient to my fellow students of course...

[sadie]

[quote user="Swissie"]Fresh veg should be used asap- sell by dates are silly as it depends whether the weather is hot, humid, etc - whether kept if the fridge or not , whether stored away from light, etc. One reason I can think for UK fruit to keep longer, is that it is usually sold way before it is ripe - still rock hard. Like apricots for instance. Here I buy apricots which are  full of sunshine and ready to eat - ad yes, if you don't eat them within a few days, they'll go. I gave up buying such fruit in UK because they were inedible when bought - and were still tasteless a week later. Fruit and veg need a little planning - and I try and cook them within a day or 2- and freeze if necessary. Much prefer buying tasty, ripe fruit- even if it means buying little and often.

 

[/quote]

I can't entirely agree with you. I bought some apricots in Leclerc a few days ago - they looked fine but they were rock hard. A couple of weeks previously I bought some in Grand Frais which were superb. Trying to buy avocados around here is a lose, lose situation. I remember having a conversation with a Parisien lady while we were picking over the "pierres" her word She said that it was "not like this in Paris"

I must stick to Grand Frais. Those of you who do not have access to one of their stores have my condolences.

[pachapapa]

Avocados+brown paper bag+apple+banana+dark+warm=ripeness.

[woolybanana]

Ah, Panda, when we were young experienced older women were a prize beyond price, so I expect some of those lads were eyeing you with lust in mind!!

[sadie]

[quote user="pachapapa"]Avocados+brown paper bag+apple+banana+dark+warm=ripeness.[/quote]

It won't help to ripen two or three for a specific meal and if I want to make guacamole I have to plan the rest of the meal around when the avocado is ready!

[mint]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Ah, Panda, when we were young experienced older women were a prize beyond price, so I expect some of those lads were eyeing you with lust in mind!![/quote]

Really, Wools, if you must bring everything down to the level of sex, at least get your facts right.

Pandas are notoriously difficult to get to mate; especially in captivity!

[woolybanana]

I will have to ask the students at Poitiers Uni if they remember!!

'Up' to the level of sex, please!

[mint]

Poor old boy, so you think you're still UP for it then?

[woolybanana]

'up for' and 'up to' are very different things, old girl! By the way, some of your fellow pilgrims round here today, couples with horses and carts and their world goods, each cart towing a small trailor. That is the easy way to go. Why not take a donkey with you to carry the loads?

[mint]

Yes, Wools, definitely willing to take a donkey.  Do you have large hairy ears and a broad back then, Dobbins?[:D]

[woolybanana]

So we have met then!

[mint]

Really?  Surely, I would have remembered?[6]

[woolybanana]

Surely you remember tickling my ears?

[mint]

Well, my dog prefers her tummy tickling.  Ears don't sound exactly much fun to tickle?

[Jon02]

Picking up on the French TV channels investigating the rise in food prices. The thesis that the answer is no, it’s just there’s more to spend money on is interesting in that it feels rational at first and then disbelief kicks in. Hence I wonder if the media got a strong steer from the State on their conclusions; it’s always been an emotive topic. Older folks don’t have yoof expenditure patterns and certainly my neighbours notice lots of food price inflation. And we’ve noticed that our Leclerc bill now exceeds our Waitrose bill. Of course some of that is down to weaker sterling. But by no means all.