Wednesday 27 May 2009

Learning at Work


You have not yet met
the Professor who shall be nameless
but he has a mischievous sense of humour.

He sends me a link to
the Learning at Work Day homepage.
He knows that I will be entertained
by the list of prizewinners of the
'Name the Fruit and Vegetable' Competition.

The Professor who shall be nameless
does not mention that
a Very August Colleague
is a prizewinner.

As luck would have it,
the Very August Colleague
is the next person to come into my office.

I congratulate the Very August Colleague
on this extraordinary achievement.
He glows with pride.

I got 33 out of 40.
I am amazed.

Not everyone can identify a Mangosteen, you know.
I am impressed.

I thought it was VERY unfair
that I was expected to know it was a Medjool Date.
I just wrote Date.

I am sympathetic.

I didn't recognize the Dragon Fruit
but who would?


I would!
I say.

He looks doubtful.
He is, after all,
a widely travelled,
highly respected,
senior Professor
who gets letters published in the Guardian.
If he doesn't recognise a Dragon Fruit,
it is unlikely that I will.

But it is true.
I would recognise a Dragon Fruit.

*****

Later, MrsM recounts the story to MissM.
She looks slightly mystified.

Why did he win?
What did he call it?
Oh! I SEE ...
I thought it was 'NAME the Fruit and Veg...'
like 'Billy-Bob...the Carrot'


MrsM realises that she may have to
sharpen her act before
she gives up the day job.

10 comments:

blackbird said...

One can see how that might happen.

Steve the Dragonfruit.

dragonfly said...

I reckon I could give him a run for his money...when I opened your post, I thought 'ooh, a dragonfruit!'. But sadly, not 'ah, Derek the Dragonfruit!'

trash said...

Why would he not recognise the Dragonfruit? Perhaps his ivory tower does not face a S.E. Asian direction?

Gina said...

Looks very feminine to me... Davina the Dragonfruit?

Anonymous said...

Drusilla ?

Perhaps someone could come up a complete alphabet - does anyone remember Annie Apple ?

dottycookie said...

I recognised the dragonfruit, but being the mother of small children I would probably name it simply "Dragonfruit" - after all, the car is called "Car", the red bunny is called "Red Bunny" etc

Tall Small saw it and said "I like dragonfruit!" I have no idea where she has seen one, let alone eaten one.

MrM said...

sometimes I despair of MissM. How many times has she been told that it is Billy-Bob the Beetroot which translates well into French as MrsM, my betterave ;-)

Mary said...

David the Dragonfruit

Rhiannon said...

Good grief!
You should send him to sporcle...
Also, I am not entirely sure i would recognise a dragonfruit, so if that was one at the start of the post I could be in trouble...


xxx

Anonymous said...

That is a quiz I would like to enter.

Perhaps it is Eric, like the halibut.