Sunday, 13 August 2017

Lørdag den 12. august 2017 kl 16:30 indtil søndag den 13. august 2017 kl 16:29

17:00 Lois og jeg er meget trætte igen. Vi har prøvet at holde vores forkølelser nede, men de afviser at forsvinde. Det kan være, at vi lider af en sekundær infektion, men det er vi ikke helt sikre på.

Jeg er bekymret over, at der er tusindvis af opgaver i haven, som jeg ikke har energiniveauet eller lysten til at klare: ”projekt græsklipning” og”projekt hækkeklipning” er de vigtigste. Baghaven er ved at blive en sand jungle – yikes! Og hvor længe før Bob, vores nabo, begynder at droppe høflige antydninger???

Scillas oldnorsk gruppes møde er bestemt til onsdag eftermiddag, og vi har vores danske gruppes næste møde den følgende uge – endnu mere arbejde der. Pokkers!

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad og smækker benene op foran fjernsynet. De viser tv-quizzen Only Connect, ét af de få tv-programmer, der ikke er egnede til meget dumme mennesker ha ha ha. Programmets vært er den charmerende Victoria Coren Mitchell.


Et af aftenens to dystende hold har indiske rødder, og hedder ”Extras” (statister  eller baggrundsskuespillere). Jeg har ofte tænkt, at statistroller ofte lyder mere interessante, end hovedrollerne. En af ”Extras”-holdet i aften spillede engang rollen af en kynisk, midaldrende tesælger på et tog, en rolle, der virker at tilbyde ubegrænsede muligheder for at udføre i praksis mange af de mest berømte teorier om skuespil (metodeskuespil for eksempel), og som er en rolle, der ikke nødvendigvis udgører et tilfælde af racistisk sterotyper, hvis instruktøren behandler det sensitivt nok.

”Extras”, et hold bestående af
erfarne baggrundsskuespillere

Et meget intellektuelt show igen, hvilket er en forfriskende forandring, når man tænker på de gennemsnitlige BBC-serier. Så derfor er det lidt af en skam, at programmagerne har en så sjofel tangegang og fortsætter med at prøve at få så mange ”vulgære” ord op på skærmen som muligt, delvis for at genere programmets charmerende vært, Victoria – det er Lois og jeg helt sikre på.

Denne uge for første gang udtrykker Victoria sin vrede mod dem, hvilket Lois og jeg er meget glad for. Endelig har hun fået nok, da hun ser spørgsmål efter spørgsmål, og svar efter svar indeholder, eller består af, vulgære eller pinlige ord. I aften for eksempel endnu et spørgsmål, hvor svaret er ”tits”, en fugleart, men også et vulgært  engelsk udtryk for patter eller bryster), og også endnu et spørgsmål, der indeholder ordet ”anus”.



(Sidste 4 bogstaver i de fjerneste planeters navne).
Victoria har endelig fået nok – og hun protesterer
mod striben af vulgære ord, der popper op i quizzens mange spørgsmål og svar

Hurra! Lois og jeg håber begge to, at Victorias forståelige udbrud vil  ”få renset luften”, stoppe denne endeløse strøm af sjofelheder, og få programmagerne til at opføre sig fremover mere modent.

22:00 Vi går i seng – adskilte senge og værelser igen på grund af vores forkølelser. Zzzzzzz!!!! Zzzzzzz!!!

04:00 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtest.

08:00 Jeg hopper op i sengen til Lois og vi drikker vores morgenté. Vi står op og spiser morgenmad.

09:00 Jeg graver mit eksemplar af Gunnlaugs saga frem, en oldislandsk tekst, som er vores U3A oldnorske gruppes nuværende projekt, og jeg begynder at læse den 11. kapitel for alvor – og jeg prøver at forstå grammatikken og ordforrådet lidt.

Det lykkes Hrafn, en islandsk skjald, at gifte sig med Helga, Islands smukkeste kvinde, efter Helgas far giver ham tilladelse til det. Men Helga virker deprimeret under deres bryllup – hun er faktistk dybt forelsket i Hrafns rival, en anden skjald, der hedder Gunnlaug, der har været ude i udlandet: Norge, England, og Irland. Men hun hævner sig på Hrafn ved at give ham sex kun sjældent. Stakkels Hrafn!!!!

Lidt senere på året, om vinteren, er der et andet bryllup, der finder sted, og både Hrafn, Helga og Gunnlaug er blevet inviteret til festen. Gunnlaug er nu kommet tilbage fra udlandet. Helga virker deprimeret igen, og under festen hun kigger konstant på sin forelskede Gunnlaug, hvilket er lidt ydmygende for stakkels Hrafn, hendes ægtemand. Sagaens forfatter kommenterer, at en kvindes øjne vidner om, om hun er forelsket eller ej – kloge ord!!!  Men stakkels Hrafn (igen)!!!! Og Helga har nu holdt fuldstændigt op med at have sex med sin ægtemand.

Helga (Morgana Robinson) og Gunnlaug (Rik Mayall) – 
deres kærlighed er forbudt nu, hvor Helga er Hrafns kone – stakkels Helga!!!!

Gunnlaug og Helga snakker lidt i smug under bryllup – faktisk i køkkenet, og Gunnlaug forærer hende den dejlig kåbe, som kong Ethelred 2. (den Rådvilde) gav ham i London, da Gunnlaug tilbød at hjælpe Ethelred med at forsvare landet mod danskerne. Sikke et skør verden vi lever i !!!!

Helga i køkkenet ved brylluppet –
Gunnlaug og Helga (Hrafns kone) sniger sig ind i køkkenet
for at snakke i smug under festen. De lover deres udødelige kærlighed
og Gunnlaug forærer hende en dejlig kåbe, han fik i England

Mange år senere, skrev nogen en sang om én, der altid kan findes i køkkenet ved fester, men jeg formoder, det ikke var Gunnlaug, der inspirerede sangen. Men hvem ved, underligere ting er sket.


Jeg var teenager, da jeg først fandt ud af, at køkkenet var det bedste rum at være i til fester. Der findes normalt et bord og køkkenstole, så er det meget nemmere at spise og drikke. Og der er ikke så meget larm – man kan snakke uden at måtte råbe på grund af baggrundmusik. Andre rolige mennesker samles i køkkenet af samme grunde, så man kan have interessant samtaler og møde pæne piger også. Det er en no-brainer.

10:00 Vi taler lidt på whatsapp med Sarah, vores datter i Australien, Francis, Sarahs mand, og deres 4-årige tvillinger, Lily og Jessie. Familien er på vej hjem efter en udflugt til Kings Park, der ligger midt i byen Perth, hvor familien for ét og et halvt år siden  flyttede til.



Sarah og Francis’s 4-årige tvillinger, Lily og Jessie,
sidder i dag på en dinosaur-skulptur i Kings Park, Perth (Australien)

11:00 Vi skal ud. Lois ønsker at deltage i 2 gudstjenester, der finder sted i dag I byen Tewkesbury, og hun er ikke tilladt at køre bil for tiden på grund af grå stær. Jeg kører hende over til byen og sætter hende af overfor byens bibliotek. Jeg kører hjem.

12:00 Jeg spiser frokost og bagefter går jeg i seng for at tage mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur.

14:00 Jeg står op og ser lidt fjernsyn.  Jeg beslutter at se på kvindernes XV VM 2017: 12 nationer kæmper i 3 indledende puljer i Dublin, hvorefter der spilles semifinaler og finale i Belfast, den 26. august. 

Jeg ser en underholdende kamp mellem England og Italien. England vinder nemt med 56-13, men der er en masse unødvendige fejl under kampen, som i onsdags mod Spanien. De vil måtte arbejde på disse fejl, hvis de senere på ugen vil kunne slå USA, et meget stærkere hold, end enten Spanien eller Italien. USA vinder nemt i dag mod Spanien, med 43-0, hvilket er lidt bekymrende for Englands vedkommende.

Emily Scarratt scorer næsten en touchdown

Kampens kvinde efter min mening:
Heather Kerr, Englands spændende nr.16 skjorte

Det er rart at se igen min yndlingsvært, når det kommer til tv-sport, skotiske Angela Douglas sidde i ITV-studien.

det er rart at se igen min yndlingsvært, når det
kommer til sport: skotske Angela Douglas

Jeg spillede selv rugby i skole, men jeg nåede ikke at forstå den. Jeg har ikke den fjerneste anelse om, hvad reglerne er. Men som jeg skriver disse ord, ser jeg mig pludselig i et nyt lys og jeg bliver klar over, at jeg kunne have været en sportsjournalist, ligesom Raymond i HBOs ”Alle elsker Raymond”. Men det er desværre alt for sent nu – endnu en mistet mulighed. Pokkers!


English translation

17:00 Lois and I are very tired again. We have tried to fight off our colds, but they refuse to disappear. It may be that we are suffering from a secondary infection, but we are not completely sure.

I'm worried that there are thousands of jobs in the garden, which I do not have the energy level or the desire to cope with: "project grass-cutting" and "project hedge-trimming" are the most important. The back garden is becoming a real jungle - yikes! And how long before Bob, our neighbour, starts to drop polite hints ???

Scilla's Old Norse Group's meeting is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon and we have our Danish group's next meeting the following week - even more work there. Damn!

18:00 We have dinner and stick our feet up in front of the tv. The Only Connect tv quiz is on, one of the few TV shows that are not suitable for very stupid people ha ha ha. The programme’s host is the charming Victoria Coren Mitchell.


One of the evening's two competing teams has Indian roots, and is called "Extras" (background actors). I have often thought that extras-roles frequently sound more interesting than the lead roles. One of the "Extras" team tonight once played the role of a cynical middle-aged tea-vendor on a train, a role that seems to offer unlimited possibilities for practising many of the most famous theories of drama (method acting for example), and which is a role that does not necessarily constitute a case of racist sterotyping if the director treats it sensitively enough.

”Extras”, a team consisting of
experienced background actors

A very intellectual show again, which is a refreshing change when you consider the average BBC series. So, it's a bit of a shame that the programme-makers have such dirty minds and continue trying to get as many "vulgar" words on the screen as possible, in part to embarrass the programme's charming host, Victoria - that's something Lois and I are absolutely sure about.

This week for the first time Victoria expresses her anger against them, which Lois and I are very pleased about. Finally, she has had enough when she sees question after question, and answer after answer containing, or consisting of, vulgar or embarrassing words. This evening, for example, yet another question where the answer is "tits", a species of bird, but also a vulgar English expression for breasts) and also yet another question containing  the word "anus".


(Last 4 letters in the most distant planets' names).
Victoria has finally had enough - and she protests against the stream 
of vulgar words that pop up in the quiz's many questions and answers

Hooray! Lois and I both hope that Victoria's understandable outburst will "clear the air", stop this endless torrent of filth, and make the programme makers behave more maturely in future.

22:00 We go to bed - separate beds and rooms again because of our colds. Zzzzzzz !!!! Zzzzzzz !!!

04:00 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish vocabulary tests.

08:00 I hop into bed with Lois and we drink our morning tea. We get up and have breakfast.

09:00 I dig out my copy of Gunnlaug's saga, an Old Icelandic text, which is our U3A Old Norse group's current project, and I start to read the 11th chapter for serious - and I try to understand the grammar and vocabulary a little.

Hrafn, an Icelandic bard, manages to marry Helga, the most beautiful woman in Iceland, after Helga's father gives him permission. But Helga seems depressed during their wedding - she is in fact deeply in love with Hrafn's rival, another bard called Gunnlaug, who has been abroad: in Norway, England, and Ireland. But she takes her revenge on Hrafn by giving him sex only rarely. Poor Hrafn!!!!

A little later in the year, in winter, there is another wedding taking place, and both Hrafn and Helga and also Gunnlaug have been invited to the reception. Gunnlaug has now returned from abroad. Helga seems depressed again, and during the reception she is constantly looking at her beloved Gunnlaug, which is a bit humiliating for poor Hrafn, her husband. The author of the saga comments that a woman's eyes testify whether she is in love or not - wise words !!! But poor old Hrafn (again) !!!! And Helga has now completely put a stop to sex with her husband.

Helga (Morgana Robinson) and Gunnlaug (Rik Mayall) - 
their love is forbidden now that Helga is Hrafn's wife - poor Helga !!!!

Gunnlaug and Helga talk a little on the sly at the wedding - in fact, in the kitchen, and Gunnlaug gives her the lovely coat that King Ethelred 2. (the counselor) presented him with in London when Gunnlaug offered to help Ethelred defend England against the Danes. What a crazy world we live in !!!!

Gunnlaug and Helga (Hrafn's wife - see above) sneak into the kitchen
to talk in secret during the reception. They pledge their undying love
and Gunnlaug gives her a lovely coat he got in England

Many years later, someone wrote a song about someone who can always be found in the kitchen at parties, but I suppose it was probably not Gunnlaug who inspired the song. But who knows, stranger things have happened.


I was a teenager when I first figured out that the kitchen was the best room to be in at parties. There is usually a table and kitchen chairs, so it is much easier to eat and drink. And there's not so much noise - you can talk without having to shout because of background music. Other quiet people gather in the kitchen for the same reasons, so you can have interesting conversations and meet nice girls too. It's a no-brainer.

10:00 We talk a little on whatsapp with Sarah, our daughter in Australia, Francis, Sarah's husband, and their 4 year old twins, Lily and Jessie. The family is on their way home after an excursion to Kings Park, located in the centre of Perth, where the family moved one and a half years ago.


Sarah and Francis's 4-year-old twins, Lily and Jessie,
sitting today on a dinosaur sculpture in Kings Park, Perth (Australia)

11:00 We have to go out. Lois wants to attend 2 religious services taking place today in the town of Tewkesbury, and she is not allowed to drive at the moment due to cataracts. I drive her over to the town and drop her off opposite the town's library. I drive home.

12:00 I have lunch and afterwards I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap.

14:00 I get up and watch television. I decide to look at the women's Rugby Union World Cup 2017, taking place in Ireland today: 12 nations are competing in 3 initial pools in Dublin, after which semi-finals and final take place in Belfast, 26 August.

I see an entertaining match between England and Italy. England win easily by 56-13, but there are a lot of unnecessary mistakes during the match, as there were on Wednesday against Spain. They will have to work on these mistakes if later in the week they want to be able to beat the United States, a much stronger team than either Spain or Italy. The United States wins easily today against Spain, by 43-0, which is a little worrying for England.

Emily Scarratt almost scores a touchdown

The woman of the match in my opinion:
Heather Kerr, England's exciting number 16 shirt

It's nice to see again my favourite host when it comes to television sports, the Scot, Angela Douglas, sitting in the ITV study.
  

It's nice to look again at my favourite tv host when it
comes to sport: the Scot, Angela Douglas.

I played rugby at school myself, but I did not understand it. I do not have the slightest idea of what the rules are. But as I write these words, I suddenly see myself in a new light and I realise that I could have been a sports journalist, like Raymond in HBO's "Everyone Loves Raymond". But sadly it's too late now - another lost opportunity. Damn!


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