Søndag den 14. maj 2017 kl 16:30 mandag den 15. maj 2017 kl 16:29

17:15 Jeg hopper op på min kondicykel og tilbagelægger endnu 6 miles (10km). Som sædvanligt ser jeg på gamle popsange/videoer YouTube, mens jeg cykler, og hver gang stiller jeg året ét år tilbage. I dag er jeg nået tilbage til 1959, da mine forældre, mine 3 søskende og jeg boede i Sale, en lille forstad til Manchester.

Ed ”Kookie” Byrnes, en af  stjernerne af

”77 Sunset Strip” og min søster Kathys store idol

tilbageblik til sommeren 1959.

min søster Kathy (11), min kusine Kathleen (11)

min bror Steve (5) og mig (13).

Kathy var allerede flere inches højere end mig,

hvilket var lidt irriterende (indtil min senere "vækstspurt")

18:00 Lois og jeg spiser aftensmad og bagefter taler vi lidt på Skype med Alison, vores datter i København, og Ed, hendes mand.

vi taler på Skype med Alison, vores datter i København

og med Ed, hendes mand. Det er meget sjovt, men vi er alle trætte – du godeste!!!!

Ed snakker om de forskellige muligheder, når det kommer til hans næste job, efter sit nuværende job slutter i december. Han siger, at han er meget begejstret over, at firmaer i forskellige lande har vist stor interesse for ham og entusiasme over muligheden for at ansatte ham, og han ikke har følt denne begejstring i mange år.

Der er 3 optioner for tiden: USA, Hong Kong eller Holland.

USA-optionen ville være det bedste for hans karriere i det lange løb, men konkurrencen er skærp – han ville være om kap med kvinden, der er hans amerikanske modsatte nummer. Også er Ed lidt bekymret over Trumps ambivalens med hensyn til udenlandske arbejdere i ”amerikanske” jobs.

Den hollandske option er den, han ved mindst om – men han har aftalt at tale med nogle af firmaets lederskab i morgen (mandag) for at få flere detaljer. Ed og Ali er ikke henrykt af firmaets beliggenhed, i Zwolle, der er en ganske stor by, men desværre ligger den lidt ude på bøhlandet. Familien er i virkeligheden nødt til at bo i en by med en blomstrende udenlandsk koloni.

Men både Lois og jeg mærker, at Hong Kong er nummer 1 på Eds liste, fordi det pågældene selskab er meget meget interesseret i at ansatte ham, og det ville være et begejstrende sted at bo i for hele familien, med nye oplevelser (både i jobbet og i privatlivet), en ny kultur, og nye muligheder for at rejse i regionen.

Det er svært for Lois og mig ikke at dele Ed og Alisons begejstring, selvom det betyder, at de ville være i den anden ende af verden. Det ville være lidt egoistisk af os at tænke på vores egne behov og ikke at være begejstret på deres skyld – du godeste!

21:00 Vi bruger resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. Vores plan om at forbyde tv og elektroniske skærmer efter kl 21 er blevet droppet efter kun 2 dage – du godeste!

De viser det 4.  afsnit i den 2. sæson af ”Durrells”, der handler om den britiske Durrell-familie (Louisa, en enke plus hendes 3 sønner og 1 datter), der boede på øen Corfu i 1930’erne, en sandfærdig historie, baseret på de autobiografiske bøger,  som Louisas yngste søn, Gerald Durrell, den berømte naturalist, senere på livet skrev.

Et rørende afsnit. Familien er isoleret i deres hus i nogle dage på grund af en forlænget monsun. Lawrence, den ældste søn og kommende forfatter, er bekymret over sine testikler: han fik fåresyge, efter han gik i seng med kvinden, der ejer huset. Hans mor og søskende prøver at trøste ham, men de har ikke lyst til at se eller tjekke hans testikler, hvilket måske er forståeligt.

Lawrence, Louisas ældste søn er bekymret

over sine testikler, men hans mor er der for ham, som altid

Lawrences 3 søskende er også meget støttende.

Det er på sådanne tidspunkter, at det er godt at være

medlem af en stor familie – ingen tvivl om det.

Den yngste søn, Gerald, der senere på livet bliver en berømt naturalist, trøster stakkels Lawrence med nogle betryggende data fra dyreverden. For eksempel, han har fundt ud af, at løvgræshopperens testikler danner 14 % af dens kropsvægt. Denne oplysning gør desværre Lawrence til at blive endnu mere bekymret over sine egne testikler, hvilket er lidt af en skam.

Geralds ”betryggende” oplysning gør desværre

Lawrence endnu mere bekymret, hvilket er lidt af en skam

Moren, Louisa, er begyndt at savne sin afdøde mand igen, og prøver at kontakte ham, ved hjælp af en medium, der viser sig at være charlatan. Stakkels Louisa!!! Men hun lærer af oplevelsen og beslutter sig for at tænke fremover mere positivt.

Hun samler familien I stuen og fremsiger Ernest Dowsons berømte digt. “They are not long, the weeping and the laughter /    Love and desire and hate / I think they have no portion in us after / We pass the gate. / They are not long, the days of wine and roses: /     Out of a misty dream / Our path emerges for a while, then closes /    Within a dream.”

Louisa er begyndt at savne sin afdøde mand igen.

22:00 En meget rørende slutning. Lois og jeg går begrædte i seng – zzzzzz!!!!

04:15 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtest.

Jeg kigger lidt på nettet og jeg ser et charmerende ny profilbillede af Sarah, vores datter i Perth Australien, som hun har lagt op på Facebook.

Sarah, vores datter i Perth Australien.

Hun fylder 40 år næste måned

08:00 Jeg lunter ind i køkkenet og laver to kopper te. Jeg tager dem med op i soveværelset og hopper op i sengen til Lois. Vi drikker téen og står op. Vi spiser morgenmad.

10:30 Vi sætter os foran computeren og booker et gæstehusværelse i 4 nætter sidst i juli i Bournemouth-område. Lois’s fætters datter, Julia, har inviteret os til sit bryllup med Roy. Hendes første ægteskab endte for nylig med skilsmisse.

Julia, Lois’s fætters datter,

har inviteret os til sit bryllup sidst i juli

12:30 Vi spiser frokost og bagefter går jeg i seng for at tage mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur – zzzzzz!!!!

15:00 Jeg står op og vi slapper af med en kop te i sofaen. Lois fortæller mig om et teaterstykke, hun lige har hørt i radioen, baseret på en sandfærdig historie.

Den handler om en ugiftet mand i 1700-tallet, Thomas Day, der ønskede gifte sig med ”den perfekte kone”. Han adopterede to forældresløse piger fra et børnehjem, den ene rødhåret og 12 årig, den anden lyshåret og 11-årig, og han prøvede at uddanner dem til ”perfekte koner”.

Han ville ikke have at de kunne lide smukke tøj eller frisurer, og han ville ikke have dem til at være bange for smuds, så tvinger han dem til at lægge sig ned i mudder og blive beskidte. Han ønskede også at lære dem Rousseaus filosofi – det hele synes at være en underlig kombination. Efter nogle år afslog de to piger heldigivs at fortsætte med den slags uddannelse, så Days projekt mislykkedes. Sikke et vanvid!!! 

English translation

17:15 I hop up on my exercise bike and clock up another 6 miles (10km). As usual, I watch old pop songs / videos on YouTube while cycling, and each time I put the year one year back. Today, I have got back to 1959 when my parents, my 3 siblings and I lived in Sale, a small suburb of Manchester.

Ed "Kookie" Byrnes, star of "77 Sunset Strip"

and my sister Kathy's great idol

flashback to summer 1959.

My sister Kathy (11), my cousin Kathleen (11)

my brother Steve (5) and me (13).

Kathy was already several inches taller than me,

which was a bit annoying (until my later "growth spurt")

18:00 Lois and I have dinner and afterwards we talk on Skype with Alison, our daughter in Copenhagen, and Ed her husband.

We talk on Skype with Alison, our daughter in Copenhagen

and with Ed her husband. It's a lot of fun, but we're all tired - my god !!!!

Ed talks about the different options when it comes to his next job after his current job ends in December. He says he is very excited that companies in different countries have shown great interest in him and enthusiasm about the possibility of employing him and he has not felt this enthusiasm for many years.

There are 3 options currently: USA, Hong Kong or Holland.

The US option would be the best for his career in the long run, but the competition is fiercer - he would be in competition with the woman who is his American opposite number. Ed is also a little concerned about Trump's ambivalence with regard to foreign workers in "US" jobs.

The Dutch option is the one he knows least about - but he has arranged to talk with some of the company's management tomorrow (Monday) to get more details. Ed and Ali are not captivated by the location of the company, in Zwolle, which is quite a big town, but unfortunately it is a bit out in the wilds. The family really needs to live in a town with a thriving expat community.

But both Lois and I feel that Hong Kong is number 1 on Ed's list because the company in question is very interested in employing him and it would be a thrilling place to live for the whole family, with new experiences (both in work and in private life), a new culture, and new opportunities to travel in the region.

It's hard for Lois and me not to share Ed and Alison's enthusiasm, even though it means they would be on the other side of the world. It would be a bit selfish of us to think of our own needs and not be excited for their sake - my god!

21:00 We spend the rest of the evening watching television. Our plan to ban TV and electronic displays after 9pm has been dropped after just 2 days - good grief!

The 4th episode of the 2nd season of "The Durrells" is on, all about the British Durrell family (Louisa, a widow plus her 3 sons and 1 daughter), who lived on the island of Corfu in the 1930s, a true story, based on the autobiographical books written by Louisa's youngest son Gerald Durrell, the famous naturalist, later in his life.

A touching episode. The family is isolated in their house for a few days due to an extended monsoon. Lawrence, the eldest son and future author, is worried about his testicles: he got mumps after he went to bed with the woman who owns the house. His mother and siblings try to comfort him, but they do not want to see or check his testicles, which is perhaps understandable.

Lawrence, Louisa's eldest son is worried

about his testicles, but his mother is there for him, as always

Lawrence's 3 siblings are also very supportive.

It is at such times that it is good to be

a member of a large family - no doubt about that.

The youngest son, Gerald, who later becomes a famous naturalist, comforts poor Lawrence with some reassuring data from the animal world. For example, he has found out that the bush cricket's testicles make up 14% of its body weight. Unfortunately, this information makes Lawrence even more concerned about his own testicles, which is a bit of a shame.

Gerald's "reassuring" information unfortunately makes

Lawrence even more concerned, which is a bit of a shame

The mother, Louisa, has begun to miss her dead husband again and tries to contact him, using a medium who turns out to be charlatan. Poor Louisa !!! But she learns from the experience and decides to think more positively in the future.

She collects the family together in the living room and recites Ernest Dowson's famous poem. "They are not long, the weeping and the laughter / Love and desire and hate / I think they have no portion in us after / We pass the gate. / They are not long, the days of wine and roses: / Out of a misty dream / Our path emerges for a while, then closes / Within a dream. "

Louisa has begun to miss her dead husband again.

22:00 A very emotional ending. Lois and I go weeping to bed - zzzzzz !!!!

04:15 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish vocabulary tests.

I take a little look online and I see a charming new profile picture of Sarah, our daughter in Perth Australia, which she has posted on Facebook.

Sarah, our daughter in Perth Australia.

She will be 40 next month.

08:00 I amble out into the kitchen and make two cups of tea. I take them up to the bedroom and jump into bed with Lois. We drink the tea and get up. We eat breakfast.

10:30 We sit down in front of the computer and book a room in a guesthouse for 4 nights in late July in the Bournemouth area. Lois's cousin's daughter, Julia, has invited us to her wedding with Roy. Her first marriage ended in divorce recently.

Julia, Lois's cousin's daughter,

has invited us to her wedding in late July

 12:30 We eat lunch and afterwards I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap - zzzzzz !!!!

15:00 I get up and relax with a cup of tea on the couch. Lois tells me about a play she has just heard on the radio based on a true story.

It's about an unmarried man in the 1700s, Thomas Day, who wanted to marry the "perfect wife". He adopted two orphaned girls from a orphanage, one redhead and 12 years old, the other fair-haired and 11 years old, and he tried to train them to be "perfect wives".

He did not want them to like beautiful clothes or hairstyles, and he did not want them to be afraid of dirt, so he forced them to lie down in mud and get dirty. He also wanted to teach them Rousseau's philosophy - it all seems to be a strange combination. After a few years, the two girls refused to continue with such training so Day's project failed. What madness !!!