This week on Thursday the staff from three of our companies in Manila, Hong Kong and Bangkok are all flying off to meet up in Hanoi, Vietnam for our yearly company holiday. MrD and I do not usually join them because I figured the workers have a better time if the bosses are not around. I seem to remember that was the way I at least felt all those many years ago when I actually had a boss or a real job.
While the cats mice are away MrD has asked me to prepare a party for him this Saturday from 2 - 7 for about 15 "G" guests who are all strangers to each other. The party is to help celebrate his birthday on Dec. 1 when he will be back in Vancouver. I won't be there. I will stay here longer and try to get some R&R on my favourite beach island of Boracay.
I have no problems with party requests. It is all part of what I do as a trophy H. Most of the invites are people I know more than he knows anyway. But I simply will not spend the time slaving in our hot tropical kitchen with this heat even with the air con sucking up the ozone layer.
Being the trophy H that I am I am efficient at planning parties. I have imported smoked Canadian venison, caribou and a couple of kinds of elk along with a few too many blocks and wheels of good old Canadian cheese to add to local tasty bits I can throw together for our guests.
Keep it simple. Keep it tasty and keep it coming is my way of battling the heat on any level.
There is a local farmer's market on Saturday so I can go early and stock up on loads of fresh fruit. The mangoes still warm from the trees are my favourite bites these days but a bit messy for party finger foods. But there is a bounty of good eats out there to satisfy any crowd. I will also pick up an armload of flowers like I normally do on Saturday mornings.
Here in Manila we have a fantastic cleaner Joseph who comes in 5 mornings a week to keep the palace immaculate and up to standards for MrD who some might consider a clean freak. I always head out on morning errands when the cleaner comes to give him all the space to do what ever cleaners do. What he does is beyond me because we really aren't that dirty or disorganised. I did notice he always does things like line up all my spice bottles in neat rows in the cupboard with all the labels facing out. Joseph the cleaning demon also enjoys sorting the kitchen drawers every day so all those spatulas and wooden spoons are in order and facing the same direction. The forks spoons and knives are stacked in perfect lines every morning. Once I came home and Joseph had folded the dirty laundry. But he will be in Hanoi with the rest of our staff from the office and doesn't work weekends anyway.
So glad MrD loves to clean up after parties. We are such a good balance. I cook. He cleans. He makes it. I spend it.
Now where did Joseph file my cheese boards?
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