Dear Cutlery

Letters written by Russian students.

Letter 1

Dear Spoon,

I am Soup with mushrooms. Do you like me?

I was cooked about two hours ago. You know, my main ingredients are potatoes, vermicelli, and of course mushrooms fried with onions.

Some members of the cook's family - her husband two of her daughters have already tasted me. So now there is little of me. By the way, the cook herself, her name is Ann, never eats the food she cooks. Her husband, Thomas, has eaten me with sour cream. Ann's daughters have eaten me with a slice of bread with mayonnaise.

Unfortunately, my life is not very long, because usually I am not cooked in big quantities. So tomorrow Ann's family will have dinner and my life will be over+ Besides, tomorrow I won't be as tasty as I am now.

The most pleasant event in my short life is the acquaintance with you, my dear Spoon. I'm shy, but I'd like to+ I'd like to say that I love you. You are so pretty, so graceful and sweet. I am so glad to be acquainted with you, my dear!

Hope to hear from you soon

Love,

Soup

(by Alexandra Guseva).

Letter 2

Hello, a plate of soup!

I haven't seen you for ages! How are you? Just now I am lying on the table in the kitchen and nobody is using me now. I am crying+ I want YOU!!!

I decided to write you this letter, because I want you to know about my feelings. I fell in love with you the moment I had my first visit in you. You were so warm, sweet and wonderful that I practically have no words to describe how I was impressed. I was full of sausages, different vegetables and it was really fantastic. And one of the brightest moments was when I realized what it is shchi: cabbage, onion, potato, carrot! M-m-m, so tasty!

Also, I really love when you, plate, are full of soup of processed cheese, because I feel myself like in a cheese paradise. As I remember, soup of processed cheese contains: 200 grams of processed cheese, potato, carrot, onion, fried green vegetables and sour cream. Oh, so fantastic!

But I really hate broccoli! Why, why do people put broccoli in soup??? I want to escape at once, when I find myself in a plate of soup with broccoli.

I hate being washed in a dishwasher, because it always leaves too much FAIRY" on me+ I love soft hands of my mistress!

In conclusion, I can say that I want to be with you every single day, every single hour! Don't break my iron heart!!!

Love,

Spoon.

( by Arthur Belov).

Letter 3

Dear Spoon,

I am thinking about you all day & night...
You are the Best!
Unfortunately, you are so far from me - in that dresser. Oh, I am waiting for the moment when one of the members of the family decides to have dinner, so we can meet again. We are so common. We suit each other, don't we? We are both wooden, with the same picture & I can't understand, why our mistress separated us, but everyone knows that we are from the same complete set!!!
See you later...

With Love,
Your Plate.

P.S. Please, try not to beat the bottom of my plate. To tell the truth it is so painful...Beforehand, I'd like to thank you.

(by Olga Prokopovich)

Letter 4

Dear Soup,

I'm writing this letter from the cupboard, which is my home. Sometimes it's dark here, but I don't mind, because I've got accustomed to the darkness and I have a lot of friends to speak to, so I never become bored.

I'm in a very good mood now, because I've just been washed after dinner. You know, it's so terrific to feel yourself clean and bright like a new copper kettle!

I know that you were cooked by our hostess for dinner. I'd like to ask you what tasty things you are made of if our masters were so pleased that the Plates came to the sink almost clear (And they were very satisfied with this as they are almost crazy about their cleanliness and tidiness)!

You see, I've tasted so many delicious dishes that, perhaps, none of my family has tasted (well, my sister usually stay at home and I was taken several times for a picnic!) and I still can't understand what products you include that give you this rich flavour! I've tasted roast chicken with mashed potatoes (I even still remember the flavour of the chicken - it was not undercooked, but just done to a turn), a fish in aspic with a lot of vegetables, different herbs and spices ( I could distinguish caraway and tarragon and there was something else what I couldn't understand, but the combination of these ingredients was inexplicably admirable) and for dessert something very special - an apple - pie with cinnamon from Russia. It was the first foreign food I tasted. I liked it very much the apples were especially tasty so fresh and juicy that I served for my masters with great pleasure. But this was nothing in comparison with you! I hope, you'll tell me about yourself, but be quick!

Yours sincerely,

The Spoon.

P.S. I asked my best friend, the Fork, to hand this letter over to you. She'll wait until you write the reply.

(by Alexandra Grintsova).

Letter 5

Dear spoon,

I'm missing you so much. Since you've left me two horrible days past, I've not seen you since then. You almost broke my heart, if I only had it, but now I think I have. I've never written to any spoon before, because I was too popular with them and too proud to write to any spoon. But you've appeared and my life has changed forever.

To tell you the truth I'm very nervous now. I don't know where I stand, and still I don't know about your feelings towards me. What can they be? You are a goddess, a silver spoon. And look at me! I'm just a plate, not a silver one, not even made of china but a simple plate. The only one difference from the others is my uncomplicated pattern. I'm used for soup and porridge. But recently, awfully - smelling food (I don't even know what it was) has been put into me. I think I'm getting older. When I appeared in the kitchen for the first time I was the most beautiful thing there. I was so proud. How silly I was. I thought that there was nothing in the world that could be more beautiful than me. And I was wrong. My beauty is nothing in comparison with yours. When I met you, you were so exquisite, your body was covered with such wonderful roses, your movements were graceful and refined. The soup and were ugly when your were near by. That night I couldn't sleep, it was breathtaking to think about you. But what shall I do with my love? We'll never be together. I know you won't be able to bear my love. I even can't understand why I'm writing this letter. May be it'll be better to tear it up and you'll never suspect about my feelings. No! It will be better for you to know what I feel, and if you turn me down I'll throw myself on the floor and break into pieces.

Your madly loving plate with soup.

(by Oksana Kostina-Panicheva).

To write or not to write

This is the question

I'm just a spoon, not silver one

And not a wooden one

I'm not that spoon which is

So used for music

I'm aluminium, I'm soft and amusing.

Conveying food to someone's mouth

I should be proud, very proud

Soup, stew or ice-cream - never mind

I'm tasteless, deaf and also blind.

But if you think I'm Cocaine spoon

You ll be as dead as William soon.

I'm also an indicative cubic measure

Be sides, I always work with pleasure.

But sometimes someone with poor table manners

Hang me from nose and never cares.

I have a lot to say and write and speak about

I am the best one spoon in spoonful crowd.

Please write me back as soon as you can

I'm just a spoon, your grateful fan.

(by Helen Karnaukhova).

Editorial: These student letters have been submitted by Elena Kashina from Russia, whose students` creative work was inspired by Mario`s ideas. The framework is self explanatory and can be used creatively, e.g. a toothbrush writes to the toothpaste, or computer mouse writes to the monitor.

Please check the Creative Writing course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Humanising Large Classes course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Creative Methodology for the Classroom course at Pilgrims website.