I’m hanging out in the crowded staff room while my colleagues are engaging in our annual “Guac-Off”: a Guacamole making competition complete with salsa and chips, Corona, freshly mixed drinks (looks like pineapple margaritas) and camaraderie.
The competition has been an annual event for the past four years. Six contestants get 25 minutes to make their own version of the beloved avocado dip. The winner gets bragging rights, a trophy, a vaguely South American-looking vest (which someone pointed out is Bolivian and not Mexican at all, and called last year’s winner culturally insensitive, and then the conversation devolved into trash talk, so you can see how seriously people take this contest) and a pair of avocado themed Happy Socks.
The air is filled with garlic, cilantro and loud opinions. It’s quite an inspired theme because guacamole is a very popular dish and everybody has a preference for how it should taste. At the same time guacamole is crazy versatile and much more can be done with it than you might think (or want). Past entries have included pomegranate seeds, bacon, grapefruit, chipotle hot sauce, and chocolate. An entry from three years ago sparked massive controversy for including Roquefort cheese (a sheep’s milk blue cheese) which people either loved or loathed and haven’t been able to stop talking about since.
I am not great in these situations (the person blogging during a social situation isn’t great at socialising?! Nooooo!) I’m getting better at being more connected at these events – or at least, I kinda understand that it might be important to try. I wasn’t even going to stay for the competition, but a new teacher, my classroom neighbour, had entered the contest and was disappointed that I wasn’t going to be there. So I stayed to cheer her on and taste her food.
I do forget what an amusing event the Guac-off is. It is an interesting little facet of our school culture.
Learn Through It 
First of all, your asides are wicked funny: “the person blogging during a social situation isn’t great at socialising?! Nooooo!” or “The air is filled with garlic, cilantro and loud opinions.” These descriptions are great. Second, can you please explain why a school in Belgium has a guacamole contest? Is it just me, or is that odd? Maybe that explains the crazy guac options…hmm… Third, um, I want to have a guac-off in my department at school. Today was the last day before our March break, so we ordered shawarma and I brought a rum cake…good, but not as good as a guacamole contest. I’m glad you went so you could tell us about it.
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Technically, Belgium has a colonial connection to Mexico because in 1864 Napoleon installed Maximilian I and Charlotte of Belgium as the first and only Emperor and Empress of Mexico (The Mexicans did not care for this and they eventually beheaded Maximilian, which drove Charlotte to insanity). However, I don’t think any of the organisers of the Guac Off know about this connection. They just really like guacamole.
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hahahahahaha
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Isn’t it funny how when you give teachers a chance to compete so many interesting things surface? You learn so much about your colleagues and maybe yourself, too. I hadn’t ever heard of a guac-off before!
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WHY HAVE I NEVER BEEN TO A GUAC-OFF? This is a brilliant idea for a party, and I will be suggesting it at our school immediately. And now I need to go buy avocados.
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