Artichoke Conversion

Somebody out there clearly understands the headache of weight conversions (or is it volume?), that comes with our array of international recipe books: Last Sunday they kindly gifted us a metric chart which includes the following entries helpful to our situation:

10 mentals = 1 centimental

10 rations = 1 decoration

2 wharves = 1 paradox

2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds

There are 21 further entries, which you shall be spared. But I will mention, that on the same day there arrived a single artichoke, followed the next day by an email with the following negative conversions:

1 artichoke ≠ a summer

1 artichoke ≠ the feeding of a monastery

1 aritchoke ≠ easy handling in the bowl

Therefore the artichoke now sits in the wee decorative niche outside the Dhamma Hall, where it has served, this week, as a talisman in the apocalyptic weather - guarding us from the thunderbolt that nearly hit the hill, and the flood waters that swept the lane.

…Looking at the forecast, things aren’t likely to improve over the next week. Therefore, it is with much regret that myself and Ajahn Abhinando leave in the next few days for Holland and Switzerland respectively, whilst Ajahn Munindo returns to take over the brolley, so to speak.

What does that mean practically?- Amongst other things, the short term loss of our able work monk; that next week instead of a blogger with no censor, we have a censor with no blogger; and that Jay takes charge of the kitchen, which, with the help of Maureen, Lisa and Chan, now has a renewed compost system and more bins than ever: They would gratefully receive the following kinds of peelings:

• potato
• onion
• vegetable
  

not for the bin, but also helpful would be:

• long-life whole/semi-skimmed milk
• dried milk powder
• cheese
• soya milk
• tamari/shoyu soya sauce
• de-caff coffee

whilst down at the stores the following would be useful:

• wood for wood-burning stoves
• bottle brush
• Large Letter stamps (2nd class)
• kettle
• mansize tissues

thanks also, but we've plenty of olive oil, kitchen utensils, toothbrushes, instant coffee, tea bags, towels, honey, pasta, lentils, spices, cakes and biscuits, juice