Monday, April 12, 2010

I'll never trust a green bean again

Girlfriend flies home to Italy on Thursday for a short visit before heading off to Ibiza where she'll spend the summer working in the dive school. The placement is part of her university course so she goes early but Younger Son has exams to do before going to Ibiza too.

Husband and I are off to Devon tomorrow for a few days so we took her out for a farewell meal last night. As we didn't know what restaurants would be open on a Sunday we opted for the eat-as-much-as-you-like curry buffet (at Younger Son's prompting). We went to one of our usual Indian restaurants and they had a good choice of curries to suit everyone.

I carefully chose curries that didn't look or sound too hot and everything was fine. I was merrily eating a fairly innocuous prawn curry when I came across a green bean. Now it didn't occur to me to wonder what one green bean was doing in a prawn curry. I just assumed they'd done what I do: found a solitary bean in the bottom of the fridge and thrown it in a curry. (You mean you don't do that?)

It was in my mouth for perhaps 2 seconds before the pain set in, and with it the realisation that I was chomping on a chilli. I'm afraid I forgot all sense of table etiquette and spat it out into my hand. But it was too late. the damage was done and irreversible.

Now you know me, I don't like to draw attention to myself, especially not in a crowded Indian restaurant. So I was very subtle as I rocked to and fro on my chair, eyes crossed, one hand thumping the table with the other covering my open mouth and the merest hint of a whimper escaping.

To quote the great Basil Fawlty, I think I got away with it.

15 comments:

Devonshire Dumpling said...

Ha! you wimp.

I have no sympathy at all. Come down to my mud hut and eat "different coloured beans"!

CalumCarr said...

No you didn't!

We all saw you but we remained discreet until we left the restaurant.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Hi Liz.. getting a bit worried about you!

You bought Olive bread and didn't think about Olives which you don't like..you go for a curry and think its a green bean :-)

Liz Hinds said...

Orange baked beans, dd? I can cope with those ... when they go in anyway ...

THank you for your tact and discretion, calum.

You're getting worried about me, anne? How do you think I feel?!!

jams o donnell said...

Been there, done that Liz!

James Higham said...

eating a fairly innocuous prawn curry when I came across a green bean.

Immediately knew. :) Sorry for your mouth.

Lia said...

You make me laugh so much Liz.
I promise if you ever visit me that there will be on beans green or otherwise on your plate.

I however have to ask....where have you been all these years you can't tell a green bean from a green chilli.
Oh Liz you have lead a sheltered life bless.lol

much love
Lia
xx

Leslie: said...

Reminds me of the time I got take-away sushi (my first time) and as I was putting the little rolls on a plate, I noticed what appeared to be a piece of avocado. So as I just LOVE avocado, I popped it in my mouth and began to chew! AWWWWRR flames started emanating as though I were a dragon on fire! I swallowed a bit of it and it felt like my esophagus was on fire and I COULD. NOT. BREATHE! Imagine me bent over the sink with the cold water running and me trying desperately to wipe off every trace of whatever that was! I honestly thought I was going to have to phone 911...Oh and there were tears running down my face, too! From now on, I refrain from using the wasabi....*whew*

sally in norfolk said...

This made me laugh so much and made me remember the time i also ate a chilli :-(

nick said...

I blame Manuel. He must have been helping the chef again.

Rose said...

This is why I like to wear my reading glasses when I go out to eat:) Curry isn't nearly as popular in the U.S. as it is in the UK; now I'm sure I'll never try it.

Gledwood said...

... "working in the dive school"...

I thought for a moment you meant she was going to the sort of school I got educated in~~ haha!

Liz, I was trying to get back in your blog to posts from times past and couldn't find the "older posts" button... do you know where it is?

Furtheron said...

:-)

Reminds me of an "all you can eat" pizza buffet we once went to.

Mrs F came back to the table with a piece of the hot-as-hell-covered-in-chillies one. My son and I looked at each other with surprise... she doens't do hot...

She took a huge mouthful... and yes she hadn't really been paying attention.

Of course because we'd not said anything it was all our fault!

Puss-in-Boots said...

Ye gods, Liz. Chomping into a chilli...ouch! Sounds as if you were more circumspect than I would have been...

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

The soul of discretion obviously . After all , no one rushed towards you brandishing a fire extinguisher .