2/3 of the way through the CIA!

Weeks 19-20

These last two weeks have flown by as they tend to as Christmas gets closer. Even as I write this with the screen door open in a T-shirt, I have a hard believing that it’s the 22nd of December. It’s hard to get into the holiday spirit when it’s sunny and 55 outside. David and I finally got our Christmas cards out, and all of our shopping and candy making is finally done.

School was interesting these last two weeks. My instructor and the teaching assistants are having a power struggle, ending with the chef director getting involved. It made for a uncomfortable learning environment for the last two weeks, with lots of lectures about us leaking our instructors dislike for the teaching assistants to the teaching assistants. Talk about unprofessional behavior! Besides that the class went well, we made mole, tamales, ceviche, Peruvian popcorn (which pops on the inside, not the outside, kind of like a corn nut) and lots of other fun foods of the Americas.

The most interesting part of the week was on Tuesday when we had a “snow day”. The winery up the road for the CIA blew an electrical transformer, so the CIA was without power. It’s not safe to cook only by using emergency flood lighting, so we were sent home early. By 8:30 I was back home and David and I were able to do some last minute Christmas shopping and had lunch at a brewery in Santa Rosa. It was a great day off.

I’m really looking forward to coming home for Christmas, even if it is for a few minutes. I hope everyone has a great Christmas season.

Xoxox
Abby