Danskcolin: Mandag den 28. november kl 1630 til tirsdag den 29. november 2016 kl 1629

18:00 Lois og jeg spiser aftensmad og derefter bruger vi resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. Vi glæder os altid meget at se mandag aftens programmer, fordi BBC2-kanalen udsender 3 tv-quizzer, Eggheads, University Challenge, og Only Connect – hurra!

Som altid sidder vi og venter på det første obligatoriske multiple-choice spørgsmål om Danmark, og i aften skal vi ikke vente længe – det foregår kl 18:25. Det er uden tvivl den tidligste tid, når det kommer til mandag aften, at Lois og jeg har hørt det obligatoriske danske spørgsmål, og det sætter os i et meget godt humør, der varer hele aftenen (og natten!!!).

Disse danske spørgsmål bærer overbevisende vidnesbyrd om, hvor meget briterne interesser sig for alle aspekter af dansk kultur – ingen tvivl om det!!!!

Det er lidt af en skam, at Eggheads-holdet desværre

aldrig har hørt om de danske "Robert Awards" - uha, hvor pinligt!!!

21:30 Vi fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm, ”Tricks of the Restaurant Trade”. Programmet handler angiveligt eller overfladisk om tricks restaurationsbranchen bruger, men det er faktisk bare en general dokumentarfilm om forskellige aspekter af maden, man spiser på restauranter og hjemme. Programmets vært er den charmerende Kate Quilton, og den betænksomme kok, Simon Rimmer .

Desværre er dette dokumentar endnu ét eksempel af den ærgerlige moderne stil – det springer konstant fra det ene emne til et andet (og tilbage igen). Jeg synes, at programmets producer tror, at seerne ellers snart kommer til at kede sig. Så derfor er der masser af underholdende stunts og vittigheder, men det er nemt at gå glip af den lejlighedsvisse oplysning – uha, sikke et vanvid!!!

Programmets værter taler om take-out frokoster. Vi hører nogle oplysninger vi allerede kender: for eksempel, salater kan være sunde, men dressingen kan fordoble kalorietallet. Men det er lidt af et chok at hører, at nogle kendte restaurantkæder giver forkerte oplysninger om salt- og sukker-indhold af salater eller desserter (i sær ”froyo” – frossen yogurt – angiveligt et sundt alternativ til is!) . Programmets værter kontakter disse kæder og de lover at kigge igen på deres ernæringsinformation – du godeste! Sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!

Programmets hovedvært, den charmerende Kate Quilton,

afslører at mange kendte restaurantkæder giver forkerte

ernæringsinformation på deres produkter – sikke et vanvid!!!!!

Mange firmaer har for nylig lukket deres personale-kantiner, så flere og flere medarbejdere køber take-out frokoster på lokale restaurantkæder (valget af restaurant og ret afhænger for det meste af, hvor hurtigt restauranten serverer!) og sidder foran computeren og spiser dem der, selvom ernæringseksperter siger, at det er sundere, at spise sammen med kollegaer og snakke med dem, så man ikke spiser for hurtigt.

Mange restaurantkæder og supermarkeder taler om ekstra-sunde ”superfødevarer”, som for eksempel rødbede, grøn te, blåbær, granatæble juice, men faktisk er mange almindelige frugter og grøntsager lige så sunde som såkaldte ”superfødevarer” – du godeste!

Programmet er faktisk temmelig interessant, hvis man ignorer de distraherende stunts og vittigheder. Men Lois og jeg kan ikke forstå, hvorfor så mange mennesker vælger ”take-out” så ofte – i nogle tilfælde tre gange om dagen – du godeste! Sikke et vanvid!

Hvorfor vælger folk at købe take-out kaffe, i stedet for at sidde på et bord på en café? Hvor er nydelsen i at drikke kaffe bag rettet?

Hvorfor vælger folk at købe take-out morgenmad, når de kan stå op lidt tidligere og spise derhjemme?

Hvorfor vælger folk at spilde et kort frokostpause ved at smutte ud og snuppe en hurtig take-out frokost, når de kan bringer en lækker madpakke med på arbejde?

Ræk mig lige opkastningsposen, Alice !!!!!

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzzz!!!!!

04:45 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtester. Jeg mindes min afdøde lillesøster, Kathy, der ville have haft fødselsdag i dag (hun ville have fyldt 69 år, hvis hun endnu levede). Det er mig umuligt at forestille mig Kathy som ældre dame – hun så altid så glamorøs ud. Efter en stribe usuccesfulde forhold i England flyttede hun til USA i 1983, mens Lois og jeg derhenne boede. Hun flyttede ind hos os i nogle måneder, men endelig fandt hun sammen med en sød amerikaner, Steve, som hun 2 år efter giftede sig med.

Tilbageblik til november 1984.

Min og Lois’s 3. og sidste thanksgiving-måltid i USA.

Min lillesøster Kathy sidder på højre side af billedet

10:00 Vi kører over til det lokale Sainsburys-supermarked for at købe ind. På vej kører vi forbi Waghornes, den lokale slagter, for at købe kød og brød. Vi kigger også ind i det lokale posthuset for at afsende 2 Cotswold kalendere til Lois’s slægtninge i Australien: Stephen i Adelaide og Sylvia i Melbourne. Vi kommer hjem og slapper af med en kop te på sofaen.

12:00 Det er hundekoldt i dag. Men vi stålsætter os og går ud i baghaven. Vi opsamle vores haveaffald og putte det i vores brune haveaffaldspand. Vi opsamler de døde blade og putte dem i sorte sække – Lois vil lave huller i sækkene og tilsætte et par dråber vand, så vi næste år kan gøre dem til kompost – hurra!

13:00 Vi spiser frokost og derefter går jeg i seng og tager mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur – zzzzzzz!!!!

15:00 Jeg vågner men bliver liggende inde i sengen. Min smartphone biper - jeg har modtaget en email fra vores svigerbror, Steve, i USA. Det er rart at høre fra ham. Han siger, at han for nylig havde tandproblemer og måtte betale for noget meget dyr dental arbejde. Du godeste! Tænder er ligesom computere efter min mening – de er helt fine, når de virker godt, men de er bare en plage, når de ikke virker – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!!

Steve sender mig en Daily Telegraph-artikel. Det ser ud til, at skørbug har gjort et come-back i Australien, fordi flere og flere mennesker enten ikke spiser frugt og grøntsager, eller koge grøntsager for længe, så C-vitaminet forsvinder – du godeste! Sikke en skør verden vi lever i!!! Lois og jeg besøgte Australien for første gang tidligere på året, og vi bemærkede, at der er en mangel på sunde mad på menuen i mange restauranter – du godeste, hvad for fanden lærer australske elever på de lokale skoler?!!! Fish’n’chips er landets livret – det findes på hver menu på hver restaurant – uha! På nogle måder er australierne mere britisk end briterne – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!!!!

15:30 Jeg står op og kigger lidt på internettet. Vores datter, Alison, har lagt et par fotos op på Instagram. Jeg ser, at Isaac, vores 6-årige barnebarn i København, i dag har optrådt i sin skoles krybbespil. Han spiller en vigtig rolle – kromanden (iført blå stribede pyjamas og nathue!), og han skal også synge en lille sang. Alison siger, at hun er meget lettet, fordi Isaac glemte ikke sine linjer, og sang sin sang meget godt – hurra!

Kromanden (Isaac) er i seng med sin kone ved midnatstid,

da nogen banker på doren – du godeste!

Mary ankommer – du godeste!

Hotellet har ingen fri værelser!!!

Isaac er centrum-scenen, mens showets morsomme slutning

rykker nærmere - hurra!

16:00 Lois og jeg slapper af med en kop te på sofaen.

English translation

18:00 Lois and I eat supper and then we spend the rest of the evening watching TV. We always very much look forward to seeing Monday evening's programs because the BBC2 channel broadcasts three television quizzes, Eggheads, University Challenge and Only Connect - hurrah!

As always, we sit and wait for the first obligatory multiple-choice question about Denmark, and tonight we do not have to wait long - it occurs at 6.25pm. It is undoubtedly the earliest time, when it comes to Monday evenings, that Lois and I have heard the obligatory Danish question, and it puts us in a very good mood that lasts all evening (and night !!!).

These Danish questions bear convincing testimony to how much the British interest themselves in all aspects of Danish culture - no doubt about it !!!!

It's a bit of a shame that the Eggheads team

has never heard of Denmark's "Roberts Awards" - oh dear, how embarrassing!!!!

21:30 We continue to watch TV. They show an interesting documentary, "Tricks of the Restaurant Trade". The program is allegedly or superficially about tricks the restaurant industry uses, but it is actually just a general documentary on various aspects of the food you eat in restaurants and at home. The program's host is the charming Kate Quilton and thoughtful chef, Simon Rimmer.

Unfortunately, this documentary is yet another example of the vexing modern style - it jumps continuously from one subject to another (and back again). I think that the program's producer believes that viewers would otherwise soon get bored. So there are plenty of entertaining stunts and jokes, but it's easy to miss the occasional piece of information - oh dear, what madness !!!

The program's hosts talk about take-out lunches. We hear some information we already know: for example, salads can be healthy, but the dressing can double the calories. But it is a bit of a shock to hear that some well-known restaurant chains misrepresent salt and sugar content of salads or desserts (especially "froyo" - frozen yogurt - supposedly a healthy alternative to ice cream!). The program hosts contact these chains and they promise to look again at their nutritional information - my god! What a crazy world we live in !!!!

The program's main host, the charming Kate Quilton,

reveals that many well-known restaurant chains give wrong

nutritional information on their products - what madness !!!!!

Many companies have recently closed their staff canteens, so more and more people are buying take-out lunches at local restaurant chains (choice of restaurant and dish depends mostly on how quickly the restaurant serves!) and sitting in front of their computer and eating them there, though nutritional experts say that it is healthier to eat with colleagues and talk to them, so you do not eat too fast.

Many restaurant chains and supermarkets talk about extra-healthy "superfoods" such as beetroot, green tea, blueberries, pomegranate juice, but in fact many common fruits and vegetables are just as healthy as the so-called "superfoods" - my god!

The program is actually pretty interesting if you ignore the distracting stunts and jokes. But Lois and I cannot understand why so many people choose "take-out" so often - sometimes three times a day - my god! What madness!

Why do people choose to buy take-out coffee, instead of sitting at a table in a cafe? Where is the pleasure in drinking coffee behind the wheel?

Why do people choose to buy take-out breakfast when they can get up a little earlier and eat at home?

Why do people choose to waste a short lunch break by popping out and grabbing a quick take-out lunch when they can bring a delicious packed lunch to work?

Pass the sickbag, Alice !!!!!

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzzz !!!!!

04:45 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish vocabulary tests. I remember my late sister, Kathy, who would have had a birthday today (she would have turned 69 years old, if she were still alive). It is impossible for me to imagine Kathy as elderly lady - she always looked so glamorous. After a series of unsuccessful relationships in England, she moved to the United States in 1983, while Lois and I were living there. She moved in with us for some months, but finally she got together with a nice American, Steve, whom she married 2 years later.

Flashback to November 1984.

Mine and Lois's 3rd and final thanksgiving meal in the United States.

My little sister Kathy is on the right side of the picture

10:00 We drive over to the local Sainsbury's supermarket to shop. On the way we drop by at Waghornes, the local butcher, to buy meat and bread. We also look into the local post office to ship 2 Cotswold calendars to Lois's relatives in Australia: Stephen in Adelaide and Sylvia in Melbourne.

We get home and relax with a cup of tea on the sofa.

12:00 It's freezing today. But we steel ourselves and go out in the backyard. We collect our garden waste and put it in our brown garden waste bin. We collect the dead leaves and put them in black sacks - Lois will make holes in the sacks and add a few drops of water, so next year we can make them into compost - hurrah!

15:00 I wake up but stay in the bed. My smartphone beeps - I have received an email from our brother-in-law, Steve, in the United States. It's nice to hear from him. He says he recently had dental problems and had to pay for some very expensive dental work. My God! Teeth are like computers in my opinion - they are perfectly fine when they work well, but they are just a nuisance when they do not work - I know that for sure !!

Steve sends me a Daily Telegraph article. It seems that scurvy has made a comeback in Australia because more and more people do not eat fruits and vegetables, or cook vegetables for too long, so the vitamin C is lost - my god! What a crazy world we live in !!! Lois and I visited Australia for the first time earlier this year, and we noticed that there is a lack of healthy food on the menu in many restaurants - my god, what the hell do Australian students learn in the local schools? !!! Fish'n'chips is the country's favorite food - it's on every menu in every restaurant - oh dear! In some ways, the Australians are more British than the British - I know that for sure !!!!

15:30 I get up and take a look on the internet. Our daughter, Alison, has put a couple of photos up on Instagram. I see that Isaac, our 6-year-old grandson in Copenhagen, appeared in his school nativity play today. He plays an important role - the landlord (wearing blue striped pajamas and nightcap!), And he also has to sing a little song. Alison says she is very relieved, because Isaac did not forget his lines, and sang his song very well - hurrah!