Unschooling: Kippers and Other Conversations

We’re watching Masterchef. In tonight’s episode, there’s an identification challenge. Laid out on a table is an array of small, large, speckled, dark, pink, long, flat, thin, goggled-eyed, scaly fish. The contestants stand in a line waiting for their turn to choose one of the fish and identify it. When someone makes a mistake, a judge says in a regretful tone, “I’m sorry, that’s not correct. You’re moving into the elimination round.” On Sunday, some of the contestants will cook for their lives. Someone will be going home.

Gemma-Rose mutes the sound of the TV during the ad break, and Imogen asks, ”Could you identify any of those fish, Dad?”

”No,” says Andy, “I’m not familiar with many fish.”

”I can recognise tuna and salmon… if they’re in a can,” grins Gemma-Rose.

”I know what battered fish looks like,” says Charlotte. We like beer-battered fish and chips!

”I can identify kippers,” I say

”Kippers?” My girls raise their eyebrows.

”Years ago, Dad and I used to eat kippers for breakfast. They came in plastic bags. They were easy to cook. All we had to do was drop the bags into a pan of boiling water and leave them for a few minutes.”

”Were they nice?”

”They must have been because we bought kippers every weekend. That was before we had any children.”

Andy and I often tell stories from ‘the time before kids’. Our children are fascinated by our past lives which are, in many ways, very different from theirs.

”What exactly are kippers?” asks Sophie.

”I think they’re smoked fish,” I reply. “I don’t know much else about them.”

Imogen takes out her phone and starts googling. Then she says, “‘A kipper is a whole herring, a small, oily fish, that has been split in a butterfly fashion from tail to head along the dorsal ridge, gutted, salted or pickled, and cold-smoked over smouldering woodchips. In Britain, Ireland and some regions of North America, kippers are most commonly consumed for breakfast.’”

”Are kippers good for you? Is smoked food good for us?”

More googling. Soon we’re going to be kipper experts!

“I wonder if it would be useful to be able to identify lots of different fish,” someone says.

”We don’t eat much fish.”

”Maybe we should. it’s good for us.”

”It could be fun to know the names of fish.”

”If I applied to be a Masterchef contestant – which I never will – I’d learn the names of lots of different things: fish, condiments, fruits, herbs, spices…“ Sophie says. “I’d be prepared for all kinds of identification challenges.”

”Years ago, I wanted to identify different breeds of cattle,” I say. “I wanted to know what kinds of cows are in the paddocks between here and town.”

Conversations are wonderful, aren’t they? We share stories. We ask questions. If we don’t know the answers, we google to find out more. We exchange opinions. And because we enjoy talking about things that interest us and are relevant to our lives, we usually remember what we learn.

“Do you remember those cows with the black belts around their middles? The ones that used to be in the fields along the western road? They were Belted Galloways.”

”I wonder where those cows went. Do you think their disappearance had anything to do with the drought?”

Our conversation continues. So does Masterchef. Somehow we manage to talk and watch at the same time!

Photos

Andy, Gemma-Rose, Imogen and Sophie are in the kitchen making coffee and cooking dinner.

Things you can do

Have some conversations with your family and other people.

Watch Masterchef.

Learn to identify fish or cows or shells or birds or flowers or cars or something else. I’d like to identify the beautiful bird calls that I can hear when I’m running or walking through our bush. What about you? What are you interested in? Is there anything you’d like to be able to recognise?