It’s about a travel I made once. I reached a kind of island, it was called “Marina Regis” or something like that. On this island there were 34 small people living. They looked very young and cute and had a friendly and open minded behaviour. But they were also unorganized, loud, running helpless around everywhere and had big difficulties in listening and communicating espexially when they had to make something to eat for themselves.
So I decided to stay there for a while and to help them a little bit. But that was much harder than I had expected. It seemed that they nearly never understood what I was telling them. They spoke a lovely language – nearly every word ended with a “-tje” – which was sometimes a little bit similar to mine, but mostly it wasn’t. So I listened to them and learned some of their words. I remarked for example that I had to say to them “DUKJE” when I wanted them to start with cleaning. And their way to clean was totally strange. On one side their faces looked like “Uuuuoooaaahh, I really hate it!!!!” On the other side they spent so manyu hours with something to clean what I would do in half an hour that I concluded that they probably loved it.
When we cooked something the most of them were very motivated to learn what was to do. Alone that they seemed to have a total different understanding than me when I told them sentences like “Start early enough!” of “Be ready in time!” Also the word “always” had in their minds a meaning like “for the next five minutes” or “until I sleep the next time”.
Fortunately they were so nice, friendly and lovely that it was in total always a pleasure to live with them in spite of these communication problems. They listened and communicated better and better and became more and more independent. So I deceded after around two months that it was time for me t o leave. I think they learned in total enough to survive. No one of them knew everything that was necessary but all together they did. I hope after my departure they talked enough to each other that they were able to have a life with nice food and not so much self made stress. But I think they managed it as long as they followed the golden rules:
- Make a good planning the day before including a schedule, the amounts of food that you need for a meal and where you can find it. The better the planning, the less stress you have the next day!
- Start early enough and do it as quick as possible. The time never stops running and there may always appear a problem you haven’t expected
- Taste the food, taste the food, taste the food. During you cook and direct before you serve the meal.
- You can only use what you have in your storage and what you have you can only use once. There is Albert Heijn on your lovely island. Only water around you.
- And last but not least:
FILL IN THE *** STORAGE LIST!