Pretty scrambled eggs

Sunny Seychelles? It is not. It hasn't been for two months or so now - instead we've had lots of strong winds and rain. Poor holiday makers who have paid hard-earned cash to come here. Last year was lovely - lots of glorious sunny days and calm seas. Therefore much safer weather for lifting crates of sooty tern eggs from the islands (where they are harvested at this time of year)onto the waiting barges. In spite of rough seas and pitching barges this year, 1,000s of eggs survived intact and unscrambled and are being consumed with relish. Many people go mad for them.

It seemed like a good day to scramble the intact ones we had in the fridge. They have been staring at me every time I opened the door, for over a week now. I'd had a mental block about them, having been told that they're bright orange when cooked and taste of fish. But they were a pretty apricot and didn't taste fishy to me - not sure I could tell them apart from hen's eggs if it weren't for their colour actually. So, what is all the fuss about then?

Another taboo in my mind (small 'spoilt person' mind) was powdered milk - boarding school memories perhaps. Everyone here knows that you don't get fresh milk in the Seychelles, (except perhaps in the posh hotels?) but mostly one can get long life milk. Lately though, only a few shops have had it in stock, and at a price. So I bought and mixed up some powdered milk and found it isn't at all bad.

There was quite literally a bun fight at the supermarket on Wednesday. A new batch of baguettes was just coming out of the ovens. People stood ready near the empty bread baskets with their plastic bags and as each basket was put down, there was frantic pushing, shoving, grabbing and stuffing of bags. Flour is another product that is hard to find at the moment. Maybe this is why there seems to be a shortage of bread in some shops too. No-one seemed to want the small whole grain loaves at Rs30 each.

Then in the same supermarket, there is an enormous pumpkin on display - a whopping 63 kgs, almost big enough to carry Cinderella to the ball. But there are no mice to be seen, and it is not for sale. It is cordoned off, with a 'don't touch' sign. It was grown hydroponically here on Mahe - a Chinese project. I wonder if it will ever be eaten. It could feed a lot of hungry people.

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. Mad dogs and Englishwomen go out in the afternoon rain. I've just seen some bedraggled tourists in their colourful holiday attire, walking along, leaning into the wind and rain. There were also some Seychellois playing volleyball on the beach. I've come home and got out a jersey (South African for cardigan), which smells of mould - it has languished in the cupboard for over a year. I am having a nice cup of Earl Grey tea - we're running out of coffee.