18:00 Vi
spiser aftensmad og derefter bruger vi aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser
”University Challenge” og ”Only Connect”, to af de få tv-programmer, der ikke
er egnede til meget dumme mennesker ha ha ha!
Som vanligt,
når vi ser ”University Challenge”, prøver vi at svare på spørgsmålene før de
unge studerende (med deres skarpe unge hjerner) gør det. Undertiden gør vi det
flere gange i løbet af programmet og vi føler os ”episke”, ”fantastiske”
dermed, og i aften er sådan en aften – hurra! Vi lider endnu ikke af demens,
gudskelov, men det er ikke klogt at prale af det og friste skæbnen – uha! Hvem
ved, hvad ligger lige om hjørnet !!!!
21:00 Vi
fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser ”Kew’s Forgotten Queen”, en
interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om Marianne North (1830-1890), én af
verdens mest produktive botaniske kunstnere.
I midten af
det 19. århundrede, da de fleste engelske middelklassekvinder brugte hoveddelen
af deres dage i deres stuer, rejste North, som middelaldrende, alene i fjerne
lande, som for eksempel Borneo, Japan, Brazil, Sydafrika, Australien, Indien
osv, gennem tætte jungler osv, i søgen efter eksotiske planter og blomster
(inklusive insektædende) for at male dem. Hun opdagede også mange, hidtil
ukendte planter, der blev nævnet for hende.
Programmets
vært er den charmerende Emilia Fox, én af mine yndlingsskuespillerinder, der i
løbet af programmet rejser ”i hælene” på North gennem Borneos jungler.
Programmets vært er den charmerende skuespillerinde, Emilia Fox
Det er
interessant at sammenligne Norths komplicerede påklædning plus hendes store
viktorianske kjoler, underskørter osv med Fox’s simple påklædning (jeans og
top). North var en slank kvinde indenunder, men hun måtte tage en masse tøj på.
Fox er endnu slankere – du godeste! Det er meget nemmere for Fox at rejse
gennem tætte jungler – ingen tvivl om det!!!
Fox er endnu slankere end North og hendes påklædning er meget lettere – ingen
tvivl om det!!!!
North, som
botanisk kunstner/maler, invaderede et helt mandligt felt. Hun kunne kun have
succes ved at være meget meget determineret, som alle kvinder der i det 19.
århundrede (og efter???) blev succesfulde. Det snakker Lois og jeg lidt om. Lois siger, at
disse succesfulde kvinder for det meste blev glemt efter de døde, mens de
succesfulde mænd kan blive for evig berømt. Alle har hørt om Joseph Banks for
eksempel, der rejste til Australien sammen med James Cook, men hvem har hørt om
Marianne North?
22:00 Vi går i
seng – zzzzz!!!!!
04:30 Jeg står
tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtester. Bagefter
laver jeg to kopper te og bringer dem op på vores soveværelse. Vi går i bad og
bagefter spiser vi morgenmad.
09:00 Terry,
vores venlige lokale altmuligmand ankommer, og han går i gang med at
reparere vores havelåger. Efter 90
minutter er arbejdet færdigt og han skal af sted.
11:15 Gillian
ankommer for at tune vores klaver. Hun kommer 45 minutter sent, men det
forventer vi, når Gillian kommer. Hun kommer altid sent, selvom, som i dag, vi
er hendes dagens første job – uha! Nogle mennesker dukker altid sent op, andre
dukker altid tidligt op – det drejer sig om temperament, synes jeg. Mens Gillian
er her, hører vi lidt om hendes liv, som er så kaotisk som nogensinde!
14:30 Til
sidst er Gillian færdig med arbejdet, og hun skal af sted. Jeg sætter mig foran
vores computer og skriver anvisninger og kontaktdetaljer, som vi vil give vores
naboer, Frances og Stephen, der skal passe på vores huset og på Minx, Alisons
kat, mens vi i de næste tre dage bor i Oxford. Alison er vores ældste datter,
der bor i København, sammen med Ed, sin mand, og deres tre børn. Familien
forlod deres kat hos os, da de for 4 år siden flyttede til Danmark.
15:00 Jeg går
i seng og tager mig en kort, meget forsinket eftermiddagslur – zzzzzz!!!! Jeg
sover i vores yngste datter Sarahs gamle værelse, så Lois kan pakke i vores
soveværelse uden at forstyrre mig – hurra! Hun vil ikke have tid til at pakke i
aften, fordi hun vil deltage i et bibelseminar i Brockworth.
16:00 Jeg står
op og vi slapper af med en kop te på sofaen.
English translation
18:00 We have
dinner and then we spend the evening watching TV. They show "University
Challenge" and "Only Connect", two of the few television
programs that are not suitable for very stupid people ha ha ha!
As usual, when
we see "University Challenge", we try to answer the questions before
the young students (with their sharp young minds) do it. Sometimes we do it
several times during the program and we feel "epic",
"fantastic" with it, and tonight is such an evening - hurrah! We
don't suffer yet from dementia, thank God, but it is not wise to boast of it
and tempt fate - oh dear! Who knows what is around the corner !!!!
21:00 We continue
to watch TV. They show "Kew's Forgotten Queen", an interesting
documentary about Marianne North (1830-1890), one of the world's most
productive botanical artists.
In the mid-19th
century, when most English middle class women spent the main part of their days
in their living rooms, North traveled, in middle age, alone in distant countries
such as Borneo, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, India, etc., through
dense jungles, etc., in search of exotic plants and flowers (including insectivorous ones)
to paint them. She also discovered many previously unknown plants that were
named for her.
The program's
host is the charming Emilia Fox, one of my favorite actresses, who during the
program travels "on the heels" of North through Borneo's jungles.
The program's host is the charming actress Emilia Fox
It is
interesting to compare North's complicated dress plus her big Victorian gowns,
petticoats, etc. with Fox's simple attire (jeans and top). North was a slim
woman underneath, but she had to put on a lot of clothes. Fox is even slimmer -
my goodness! It is much easier for Fox to travel through dense jungles - no
doubt about it !!!
Fox is even slimmer than North and her attire is much lighter - no doubt about
it !!!!
North, as a botanical
artist / painter, invaded a totally male field. She could only be successful by
being very very determined like all women who were successful in the 19th
century (and afterwards?). Lois and I chat a little about that. Lois says that these successful
women were mostly forgotten after they died while successful men could be
famous for ever. Everyone has heard of Joseph Banks, for example, who traveled
to Australia with James Cook, but who has heard of Marianne North?
22:00 We go to
bed - zzzzz !!!!!
4:30 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish
vocabulary tests. Afterwards, I make two cups of tea and bring them up to our
bedroom. We take a shower and afterwards we eat breakfast.
09:00 Terry, our friendly local handyman arrives and he
begins to repair our garden gates. After 90 minutes, the work is finished and
he leaves.
11:15 Gillian arrives to tune our piano. She comes 45
minutes late, but we expect that when Gillian comes. She always comes late,
even though, like today, we are her day's first job - oh dear! Some people
always turn up late, others always up turn up early - it comes down to
temperament, I think. While Gillian is here we hear a little about her life,
which is as chaotic as ever!
14:30 Finally, Gillian finishes work, and she leaves. I
sit in front of our computer and write instructions and contact details that we
will give our neighbors, Frances and Stephen, who are to take care of our house
and of Minx, Alison's cat, while we stay in Oxford the next 3 days. Alison is
our oldest daughter who lives in Copenhagen, along with Ed, her husband and
their three children. The family left their cat with us when they moved to
Denmark 4 years ago.
15:00 I go to bed and take a short, much delayed,
afternoon nap - zzzzzz !!!! I sleep in our youngest daughter Sarah's old room,
so Lois can pack in our bedroom without disturbing me - hurrah! She will not
have time to pack tonight, because she would like to attend a Bible seminar in
Brockworth.
16:00 I get up and we relax with a cup of tea on the
sofa.
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