I got picked up from my overnight hostel by the host and got driven to this posh house surrounded by fields, horses, sheep and the vineyard.
The place itself can be described as charming, but in the middle of nowhere. Though there are neighbours (the sheep farmer, for example), the closest supermarket (in Rangiora) is about 20 mins away by car.
There I learned how to train vines, how to finely chop onion and garlic using the motion of the knife, how to prepare la roux and bechamelle sauce (and several other sauces that use it as a base), and as promised I learned how to taste wine.
I tastes several varieties over my two week stay there, and my favourite so far is the green ginger wine. It is a sipping wine. Dark red and heady, it is sweetish and spicy.
I had 3 days off, so I was working only 4 days out of 7 in the week. I spent my days under the warm sun in a t-shirt and shorts prunning and tieing down vines, taking care of the dishes, keeping the kitchen spotless, setting up the table and helping to cook. I used a lot of my father's recipes at the time - and the host seems to like those a lot. Other times we would do a recipe that the host decided upon and that was yummy too (but generally involved using a lot of pots)
Since the host was actually british, we did do several classic british recipes such as mash and bangers, fish and chips, yorshire pudding and roast.
While the novelty of domesticity was fun for a few days it did wore off. I guess as much as the host liked it, and I liked learning something new, I have no desire to become a domestic godess of any sort at this point (or at any other, if I can help it) in my life.
During the meal, and for the entire evening afterwards (often till midnight) we would spend it listening to classical music and talking about all sorts of stuff - from politics to lifestyles to art and movies. It felt like such a traditional household. So much that one weekend we even went to a dinner party!
It is a bit unreal for me. I mean I never thought I would be sitting at what is basically a strangers home, at the other side of the world, sipping expensive wine (Cabaret! with chocolate dessert) and discussing themes of madness and hell in art (Heirnymous Bosch, Goya, I must thank thee for making me look like I have a lot to say on the subject).
Again though, nice as it was, and different! I don`t think this sort of conventional lifestyle grabs me enough to want to strive towards it. But I am glad I got to try it out for size!
A day before I was leaving, the host took me to Lyttelton, which is what lies on the other side of the mountains you see from christchurch. Located in the center of what is a volcano crater is a small town and oneof the largest ports on the South island. And it does look like a crater. Surrounded by walls of mountains in a circle, at the center of which there is water. Apperently at some point in the very distant past, the sea burst through oneo f the walls pof the crater and filled it in with water.
I even spotted a few Russian Ships (Ivan Galubetz, heh), and according to the host a lot of them stop here for refuelling and what not, especially since it's the last stop before Antarctica. Like Christchurch, the town was very heavily hit by the earthquake and evidence of that is everywhere.
Note to self: Download China Girl album by Vanessa Mae - it has a nice chinese style violin. And try out the Planet suit (classical music).
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