Confession time – I really did go to a lotto (bingo) afternoon in the village hall last week.
It’s only the second time I’ve ever been to a bingo game in any country. The first was a couple of years ago in another village. This time, there was a group of us – Nic, Duff, Margaret, Elizabeth, Paul and me – and so we headed off to try our luck.
The more serious players had proper metal discs (which were very deftly picked up with a magnetic wand at the end of each game) to put on their number cards.
Us ‘newbies’ were most definitely not that organised – we were given a plastic cup of corn kernels.
However, the lack of the right kit certainly wasn’t detrimental to my game!
Third game of the afternoon – I realise I have one number to go in a line. Next thing, I’m calling out “quine!”.
Yes, I’d won myself one of those amazing prizes hanging up on the stage.
You’ve got to love it – coat racks being put to good use, displaying all the dried hams, guinea fowls and chickens. Bottles of wine and boxes of oysters below. The other meats were in the fridges.
Once it was verified that I had in fact won, I was given a handwritten note of what the prize comprised. We thought we could understand all of the items, but were puzzled by what we thought was ‘langue du porc’ (pig’s tongue).
While I knew the other items wouldn’t go astray (the oysters, guinea fowl, chicken and wine), I knew I wouldn’t be eating the pig tongue.
And as hard as I tried, I couldn’t convince anyone else in our group to cook it and give it a go.
So it was decided I would offer it to my neighbour – the very one who reluctantly returned the hare I’d inadvertently killed a few weeks back.
Wrong! – tripped up again by the French language. When I went to collect the winnings at the end of the games, I was presented with a huge pack of pork chops and two roasts. The handwriting that we’d mis-read said ‘longe de porc’ (loin pork chops).
And let me say that we all had a veritable feast that very evening back at my place – oysters, and the roasted poultry.
All the chops and roasts have been divided up amongst the family and are now in our respective freezers.
Was it a fun afternoon?
Yes - definitely - especially given the outcome.
Will I become a regular bingo player?
I think probably not, but watch this space ………!
It’s only the second time I’ve ever been to a bingo game in any country. The first was a couple of years ago in another village. This time, there was a group of us – Nic, Duff, Margaret, Elizabeth, Paul and me – and so we headed off to try our luck.
The more serious players had proper metal discs (which were very deftly picked up with a magnetic wand at the end of each game) to put on their number cards.
Us ‘newbies’ were most definitely not that organised – we were given a plastic cup of corn kernels.
However, the lack of the right kit certainly wasn’t detrimental to my game!
Yes, I’d won myself one of those amazing prizes hanging up on the stage.
You’ve got to love it – coat racks being put to good use, displaying all the dried hams, guinea fowls and chickens. Bottles of wine and boxes of oysters below. The other meats were in the fridges.
Once it was verified that I had in fact won, I was given a handwritten note of what the prize comprised. We thought we could understand all of the items, but were puzzled by what we thought was ‘langue du porc’ (pig’s tongue).
While I knew the other items wouldn’t go astray (the oysters, guinea fowl, chicken and wine), I knew I wouldn’t be eating the pig tongue.
And as hard as I tried, I couldn’t convince anyone else in our group to cook it and give it a go.
So it was decided I would offer it to my neighbour – the very one who reluctantly returned the hare I’d inadvertently killed a few weeks back.
Wrong! – tripped up again by the French language. When I went to collect the winnings at the end of the games, I was presented with a huge pack of pork chops and two roasts. The handwriting that we’d mis-read said ‘longe de porc’ (loin pork chops).
And let me say that we all had a veritable feast that very evening back at my place – oysters, and the roasted poultry.
All the chops and roasts have been divided up amongst the family and are now in our respective freezers.
Was it a fun afternoon?
Yes - definitely - especially given the outcome.
Will I become a regular bingo player?
I think probably not, but watch this space ………!
Picking up the prizes - and the moment when I realise that it's pork chops (Nic was filming here, to record the moment when I was to take delivery of the pig's tongue!)
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