Food miles

Wandering around the supermarket today I was struck, again, by the distance some foods travel in order that we can enjoy them out of season. Pineapples from Puerto Rica (Cue West Side Story, the film on which Shakespeare based Romeo and Juliet, Natalie Wood, Somewhere, etc) and green beans from Ghana for a start. And then I saw these.

Now we all know that Hot X Buns are in season in this country around about Easter - March/April time - so where are these from? Are they forced in greenhouses in Guernsey or flown in from afar? British HXBs should be plucked fresh with the morning dew still on them, dried and packed within a couple of hours and enjoyed with lashings of butter and tea - preferably in bed as a breakfast treat. I don't doubt that these imports will be okay but it still feels strange that seasonal produce is available all year round. 

Of note - there was one sad little haggis still on the shelf. It was a vegetarian haggis. Now I'm happy that those from Vegetaria would wish to celebrate Burns Night but, perleeeeeeeeeeeeese - a vegetarian haggis? What madness is that? I've probably raised this before. By it's very nature a haggis is red in tooth and claw and taking out all the animal-based ingredients might leave a tasty dish but it is a spicy veg mix rather than a haggis.

In other news. We've had snow showers but they haven't amounted to much. Wet snow, big fluffy flakes, but they haven't settled. You'll know if any does settle because it'll lead the BBC News and frozen folk will be interviewed blaming everyone.

Other, other news. I supported an online tutorial this morning. the way we work round here is that each tutor leads an online tutorial and supports a colleague on their tutorial through the course of the module - I did mine back in November. We had six students and Graham did a smashing job of leading which left me time for reflection (and tea drinking). For a couple of hours we were talking to a screen and getting response as text on the screen - only a couple of students had microphones. This means that it can be difficult to get any real discussion going and, perforce, the tutorials can feel didactic. It is what it is but I do wonder whether we might need to rethink how we use these tools. This last will only really mean anything to those who are involved in this stuff but Blip is a place to shove thoughts that I can come back to later - I really cannot rely on my memory much any more.

Dry January is drawing to a close and I'm happy for everyone who made it. I started last; about 23.00 last night, but I've stuck with it. I might have a glass of beer this evening to celebrate.