Maribel, Harry and Dindi got up at 4 am to fly to Sydney for a ten minute appearance on Cooking Live on Studio 10 Breakfast TV.
How on Earth with sharp knives and hot saucepans do you manage in the kitchen?
asked Angie, one of the hosts on Studio 10 Breakfast TV. Follow the link to watch my demonstration as I share cooking in a tactile kitchen with low vision.
‘Never work with children or animals’ is one of the best known pieces of advice shared in the entertainment world. In this adventure, it proved entirely wrong. Dindi accepted her working harness at about 4.15 am and simultaneously stepped into a new mode.
Her head straightens, her back is stationary, she become statuesque, proud one might say, of her assumed role of navigator and talented assistant. Dindi’s first flight with her new handler was exciting for all of us. We were give the star treatment by the airline, a row of three seats near the front door for ease of access, and Dindi had a nice new paper mat to sit on. The flight was swift and uneventful. Soon we found ourselves driving through early morning traffic to Network 10 headquarters near Blackwattle Bay.
Once we signed in we immediately felt at home in the professional hustle and bustle of live performance. Maribel had the full treatment by the Hair and Make-up team, who chatted throughout in a relaxing manner and this helped to calm any nerves. Dindi simply collapsed in an elegant heap wherever she was placed, a complete natural.
Wheeled Kitchen
Maribel had a few minutes to explore the wheeled kitchen bench and prepare some ingredients. Then we learned that our expected half hour was in fact under ten minutes. Cooking Live on TV was going to be an express event.
Suddenly, and ad break and Maribel whisked off to meet the hosts in the allotted 90 seconds. Dindi and I stood just outside the camera field so we could watch and encourage our intrepid leader. Maribel launched into her segment with characteristic enthusiasm, taking the reins with no hesitation.
Suddenly, it was all over and we were at a loose end. Finally, we decided to go down to the rocks for a quick walk, some breakfast, and then back to Melbourne. All in a days work.