Another good day

Hello another good day of my Christmas / New Year hols.
Got up played about on the computer, sorting things out a bit (including the blog).
Out with dogs and the new camera - FAB! Canon 450D









Took a heap of photos to try it out and the beauty of digital of course you can take and delete without all that expensive developing malarky.

So trundled around the woods snapping away listening to another audio book not Burns perhaps but kept me entertained.

Then home to collect Twiglet and off for a dook, good for the exercise quotient and for the sore ankle. Then a lovely dinner, reading, some telly, IM with my sister and off to bed. Retiral is 20 years away will I survive?

Cultural divide III (it's b..... Freezing )

I am sitting on the train heading south from the Highlands to the Lowlands and on pops this chap who us a firm believer that burning alcohol is the most efficient way to keep warm. Well it might be in some situations but unfortunately taking said alcohol via the oral route from a can really does not work and just makes one sleepy, a bit fally downy and in this case it also tampers with the volume control on the voice and ear bits of the brain .

So on he comes and finds a nice wee seat in first class before going of into the land of nod only to he redirected to standard class by the conductor.

Now this conductor is a right card either by fault or design he announced that the platform at kingussie had a LOW platform and passengers should my the LOW platform all said in a LOW voice. Not sure if this was for comedic effect or to add gravitas to his conductor status amusing anyway.

So back to our hero who is slowly realizing that he has problems with his thermoregulation so he decided to phone a friend. It could also of course have been his man servant and our hero is actually a millionaire but I don't think so.

"I need a vest, can you be a pal and pack me one ? A vest!.......A VEST...... Am freezing!!!" ( I doubt this to be the case as I am sitting with rolled up shirt sleeves, the heatings on and the mixture coursing through his veins is chemically similar to the antifreeze in my car).

By now the carriage is well aware of his condition and eagerly await the next attempt at vest education.

A V.E.S.T..... to wear ( he then proceeds to describe to his chum the where's , why's and how's of vest wearing all with the less than desired result)....a #*!€¥%^ VEST (he repeats obviously a graduate of the Brit abroad language school shout louder, spell it out and you are bound to be understood).
"that's right a vest coz am cold"
(and it's seems obvious that his chum is also a graduate as this seems to be mission accomplished)

So success his chum understood finally but I did wonder if this was not another cultural divide perhaps he should have used the Scots word
SEMMIT
"aye a semmit"

But then again the entertainment value would have been severely compromised.
Never mind the silk mens pants this chap needs a vest " coz he'll be freezing!"







-- Post From My iPhone

Cultral divide II

Still in the bar reading well that's my excuse I'm really listening to a women berating her husband ( I can see her wedding ring ) about 7 metres across the busy bar.
No secrets here tonight she is giving him a real roasting over his shortcomings, her feelings of not having a life, the sacrifices she has made and her age etc etc she is not a happy lady.
Bizzarely she breaks of her tirade to loudly cheer on the Barbarians rugby team (yes it's still on) before turning her wrath back to him however she had just accused him of not paying attention to her as he watches the match. Is that not what she is doing ?
Anyway rocket fuelled by red wine and a complexion to match her sweater - puce she is on a mission,wonder when they are going for breakfast as a few of us would probably like to view the morning edition.
Knowing smirks being exchanged across the bar from men who are thanking their god that it is not them.
Would it be breaching a cultural divide if I just told her to get a room then she can get a bottle of red and verbally flail him in the privacy of their room. I really just want her to shut up but ill just go upstairs and enjoy my piece and quiet. Because that is a toobwude divide to cross.


-- Post From My iPhone

Cultural Divide

So here I am on the road in the Highlands yesterday the most northern town Thurso that was a journey and a half.
Can't drive as I damaged ankle ligaments last week so decided to try the plane not very green but needs must. Anyway due to snow in the north plane stuck therefore unable to initiate circuit so flight cancelled. Options reviewed with help of Fegrig command in the shape of Twiglet bus out - snow and not a good idea sitting on a bus for 8 hours. I did not mention that my back went into spasm clearing the snow that morning.
So option the train I like the train but it's a long journey 8 hours for 500 miles not too quick but it's a bit like the train that stops at all the stations and probably delivers the milk as well feels a bit like a post bus - post train ?
Anyway Thurso yesterday and the capital of the Highlands, Inverness today arriving here by train the Brass Monkey express gosh it was cold.
So here I am had a wee swim - physio for the back and ankle and witnessing the cultural divides.
I'm sitting in the lounge having my dinner. The lounge is populated by men,workers from all over the UK with a table surrounded by some chaps from Yorkshire the table has prime position in front if the TV only thing in the way is a small table with one small gent so no impediment to their viewing especially as they had booked the channel to watch the Australia vs Barbarians rugby match.
First cultural divide coming up large group up to the bar
" is there football on and can we watch it?"
Not unlike asking your Dad really especially if game is going on past your bedtime
"sorry TV booked by the rugby watchers" informs the manager cultural murmuring on the pros and cons between the oval and round ball ensues by the followed of the latter who move off to perhaps fund another TV showing football.
Whilst this is going on the rugby watchers are having their appetites whetted by a rugby magazine type programme and are not noticing the small gentleman has been joined by two friends.
Another cultural conundrum is about to unfold first they are not speaking English so you can see the niggle factor rising with the rugby crowd. The three are joined by one then two and ultimately by four others their collective volume now quite loud and it's in the tongue of the Gael.
Our rugby gentleman are really getting upset now fearing that their rugby viewing is about to be compromised, steam, fume, gnashing of English teeth.
Now here is the last cultural divide instead of sitting fuming, instead of becoming hypertensive with the pressure rising in the arteries why not offer to swap tables?
Is it because we are British and the thought of approaching a group of strangers, poilitely negotiating to swap tables and crossing that cultural divide is just one divide too far.
Anyway this approach would not provide as much entertainment would it?
Slaandjivaa!
Fegrig



-- Post From My iPhone