Tuesday, 29 August 2017

Mandag den 28. august 2017 kl 16:30 indtil tirsdag den 29. august 2017 kl 16:29

18:00 Solen skinner og det er ganske varmt, så spiser vi aftensmad udenfor på terrassen. Bagefter går vi i gang med at vande grøntsagerne i drivhuset og i grøntsagshaven.

19:30 Vi kommer tilbage ind i huset og smækker benene op foran fjernsynet. De viser en interessant reality-tv program, der handler om et eksperiment, hvor 3 frivillige (samt programmets vært)  tilbringer 5 dage i ensom indeslutning. Hver frivillig har deres eget lille rum, og de er tilladt at tage 3 ”personlige” objekter med.



Tre af de fire oprindelige frivillige (herunder programmets vært) er ekstroverte, og den fjerde er introvert.

De ekstroverte planlægger ikke deres ophold alene i rummet og tager kun dumme ”personlige objekter” med. Selvfølgelig begynder de ekstroverte hurtigt at bryde sammen efter kun et par timer. De har tendens til at tale på en distraheret måde med rummets tv-kameraer, som de prøver at gøre til en ”ven”.

Den introverte frivillige taler overhovedet ikke, men koncentrerer sig om at tegne og male små billeder, holde sig rask med motionsmiddel, og (vi hører senere) benytter lejligheden til at ordne sine tanker og komme overens med sit nylige endelige brud med sin ægtemand.

de 3 ekstroverte frivillige kan ikke klare sig
i  ensom indeslutning...

men den introverte frivillige har indvendige ressourcer
og benytter lejligheden til at komme overens med et nyligt vendepunkt i sit liv.

Det er tilfredsstillende for mig og Lois, at se situationer, hvor introverte mennesker kan fejre små triumfer. Vi er begge to introverte (især mig), og vi ved godt, at introverte har indvendige ressourcer, som ekstroverte er nødt til at klare sig uden.

På den anden side kan vi forestille os andre typer situationer, som ville være en helvede for os, for eksempel, at være i selskab med andre døgnet rund med ingen mulighed for alenetid osv.

Jeg tænker på min far, der i begyndelsen af den 2. verdenskrig var skolelærer, en profession, hvor han ikke var nødt til at træde ind i den britiske hær, men efter 1-2 år indvilligede han i at træde ind. Han fortalte mig, at han snart blev deprimeret af, at være konstant i selskab med sine kammerater (indtil han til sidst kom overens med situationen).

Min far i marts 1945 i London (foran Euston Station). Han var nu
efter 4-5 år kommet overens med, at være soldat ha ha ha!

Elton John skildrede en ung mand, der i 1950’erne blev indkalt til militærtjeneste i videoen for sit nummer, ”I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”, men i dette tilfælde bliver den unge mand snart deprimeret på grund af, at han ikke længere kan mødes med sin kæreste. Til sidst i fortvivlelse lægger han sig ned i regnet på paradepladsen. Stakkels fyr!!!!!




Elton Johns ”I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”: vi ser en ung mand,
der i 1950’erne er blevet indkalt til militærtjeneste. Til sidst
lægger han sig ned i regnet på paradepladsen. Stakkels fyr !!!!!

Lois hjælper nu og da med at bemande sin kirkes pop-up shop i bymidten. En ”kunde” spurgte hende forleden, om Gud nogensinde havde sat hende på prøve, og hun svarede ved at forklare, hvor meget at bemande shoppen får hende til at føle sig langt ude af sin komfortzone – du godeste! Lois er meget modigere, end mig – det må jeg indrømme!!!!

22:00 Vi bliver pludselig klar over, at programmet slutter ikke, og der er en halv time tilbage. Pokkers! Det er lidt irriterende for mit vedkommende, når programmer, der starter kl 21, slutter ikke indtil kl 22:30 eller 23. Jeg kan godt lide at overholde min regel om min personlige sengetid, så går jeg i seng. Lois kan holde mig ajour i morgen med programmets konklusioner. Zzzzzzzz!!!!!

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

07:45 Jeg hopper op i sengen til Lois og vi drikker vores morgenté. Vi går i bad og står op. Vi spiser morgenmad.

09:00 Vi kører over til det lokale Sainsburys-supermarked for at købe ind. Vi har besluttet et købe en flok dåser – dåsegrøntsager og dåsekød, for at spare os for en masse madlavning næste uge, når vi er på ferie i grevskabet Devon.

10:30 Vi kører hjem og slapper af med en kop kaffe på terrassen.

11:00 Jeg går i gang med at læse flere sider af Sir Orfeo, et middlengelsk digt, fordi Lyndas U3A ”Making of English” gruppe holder dens månedlige møde på fredag. ”Sir Orfeo” er gruppens seneste projekt.

Sir Orfeo var en engelsk konge, hvis kone, Heurodis, bliver bortført af kongen af feerne, hvilket dengang altid var lidt af en risiko, især hvis din kone var smuk. Kongen af feerne kunne vælge og vrage, og han havde tendens til at springe over de grimme – du godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!

Men det ser ud til, at historien har en lykkelig slutning –  det lykkes Sir Orfeo at finde vej til fekongens slot og charmerer ham ved at spille sin yre på en især attraktiv måde. Fekongen giver Sir Orfeo hans kone tilbage, men han er lidt modvillig og uentusiastisk over det, fordi, som han påpeger, Heurodis er så smuk, mens Sir Orfeo er så grim: rigtig rigtig grim, mener jeg – det kan jeg ikke understrege for meget! Selve grimme kvinder fandt ham grim. Du godeste – sikke et vanvid!!!!

Sir Orfeo – en rigtig rigtig grim mand, uha!

12:00 Vi prøver at tale på Skype med Alison, vores datter i København, men der er intet svar, når vi prøver at ringe til hende. Senere finder vi ud af, at hun har glemt om vores aftale - uha! Vi vil prøve igen i morgen kl 20 (engelsk tid).

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

15:00 Jeg står op. Lois fortæller mig, at ingen kirkemedlem har indvilliget i at hjælpe Angie med at bemande deres kirkes pop-up shop i morgen formiddag. Lois føler, at hun må indvillige i, at gør det. Jeg prøver at  fraråde hende at gøre det, og lade en af de mere dovne kirkemedlemmer gøre det, men problemet er, at hendes sans for forpligtelse er for stærk. Desværre betyder det også, at jeg må køre hende over til byen i morgen formiddag, fordi hun er ikke tilladt at køre bil  for tiden på grund af grå stær. Pokkers!

pop-up shoppens tidsplan – desværre har ingen kirkemedlem
indvilliget i, at hjælpe Angie i morgen. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!

15:30 Jeg kigger lidt på nettet. Jeg ser en chokerende artikel på theonion.com, den indflydelsesrige amerikanske nyhederkilde. Det er blevet afslørt, at L Ron Hubbard, den berømte og højt elskede  scifi forfatter faktisk er til scientologi. Nyhedswebstedet rapporterer, at Blake McKenna er blevet den første af Hubbards mange fans til at smide væk alle sine Hubbard romaner ud af skuffelse og afsky. Men mange andre fans er forventede at gøre det samme.

nyheden, at L Ron Hubbard er til scientologi,
har chokeret bogelskere verden over


English translation

18:00 The sun is shining and it is quite warm, so we have dinner outside on the terrace. Afterwards we get on with watering the vegetables in the greenhouse and in the vegetable garden.

19:30 We come back into the house and stick our feet up in front of the television. An interesting reality tv programme is on, all about an experiment where 3 volunteers (plus the programme's host) spend 5 days in solitary confinement. Each volunteer has their own small room and they are allowed to take 3 "personal" items with them.


Three of the four original volunteers (including the host of the programme) are extroverts, and the fourth is an introvert.

The extroverts do not plan their stay alone in the room and only take stupid "personal objects" with them. Of course the extroverts soon begin to break down after just a couple of hours. They tend to talk in a distracted way with the room's tv cameras which they try to turn into a "friend".

The introverted volunteer does not speak at all, but concentrates on drawing and painting little pictures, keeping fit with exercise aids, and (we hear later) using the opportunity to order her thoughts and come to terms with her recent final break-up with her husband.

The 3 extrovert volunteers cannot cope
with solitary confinement ...

but the introverted volunteer has internal resources
and uses the opportunity to come to terms with a recent turning point in her life.

It is satisfying for me and Lois to see situations where introverted people can celebrate little triumphs. We are both introverts (especially me) and we know that introverts have internal resources that extroverts have to manage without.

On the other hand, we can imagine other types of situations that would be a hell for us, for example, being in company with others round the clock with no opportunity for alone time, etc.

I think of my father who was a school teacher at the beginning of the Second World War, a profession in which he did not have to join the British Army, but after 1-2 years he volunteered to join. He told me that he soon became depressed from being constantly in the company of his companions (until he eventually came to terms with the situation).

My father in March 1945 in London (in front of Euston Station). He had now
after 4-5 years come to terms with being a soldier ha ha ha!

Elton John depicted a young man who was called up for military service in the 1950s in the video for his song, "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues", but in this case the young man quickly becomes depressed because he can no longer meet with his girlfriend. Eventually in despair he lays himself down in the rain on the parade ground. Poor guy!!!!!




Elton Johns "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues": We see a young man,
who in the 1950s has been called up for military service. Finally
he lays himself down in the rain on the parade ground. Poor guy !!!!!

Lois occasionally helps to man her church's town centre pop-up shop. A "customer" asked her the other day if God had ever put her to the test, and she responded by explaining how much manning the shop makes her feel way out of her comfort zone - my goodness! Lois is much braver than me - that's something I have to admit !!!!

22:00 We suddenly realize that the program is not coming to an end and there is half an hour left. Damn! It's a little annoying for me when programmes start at 9pm, and do not finish until 10:30 or 11pm. I like to adhere to my rule about my personal bedtime, so I go to bed. Lois can update me tomorrow with the programme's conclusions. Zzzzzzzz !!!!!

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

07:45 I jump into bed with Lois and we drink our morning tea. We go in the shower and get up. We have breakfast.

09:00 We drive over to the local Sainsbury's supermarket to do the shopping. We have decided to buy a bunch of cans - canned vegetables and canned meat, to save us a lot of food preparation next week when we are on vacation in the county of Devon.

10:30 We drive home and relax with a cup of coffee on the terrace.

11:00 I read several pages of Sir Orfeo, a Middle English poem, because Lynda's U3A "Making of English" group is holding its monthly meeting on Friday. "Sir Orfeo" is the group's latest project.

Sir Orfeo was an English king whose wife, Heurodis, was abducted by the king of the fairies, which at that time was always a bit of a risk, especially if your wife was beautiful. The king of the fairies could pick and choose, and he tended to let the ugly ones slide - good grief, what a crazy world we live in !!!!

But it seems that the story has a happy ending - Sir Orfeo succeeds in finding his way to the Fairy King's castle and charms him by playing his lyre in a particularly attractive way. The Fairy King gives Sir Orfeo his wife back, but he is a little reluctant and unenthusiastic about it because, as he points out, Heurodis is so beautiful while Sir Orfeo is so very ugly: really really ugly, I mean - I cannot stress that too much ! Even ugly women found him ugly. Good grief - what a madness !!!!

Sir Orfeo – a really really ugly man, oh dear!

12:00 We try to talk on Skype with Alison, our daughter in Copenhagen, but there is no answer when we try to call her. Later we find out that she has forgotten about our arrangement - oh dear! We will try again tomorrow at 8pm English time.

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

15:00 I get up. Lois tells me that no church member has agreed to help Angie staff their church's pop-up shop tomorrow morning. Lois feels she must volunteer to do it. I try to discourage her from doing it and let one of the lazy church members do it, but the problem is that her sense of duty is too strong. Unfortunately, it also means that I have to drive her to the town tomorrow morning because she is not allowed to drive a car at the moment due to cataracts. Damn!

pop-up shop schedule - unfortunately no church member
has volunteered to help Angie tomorrow. Good grief, what madness !!!

15:30 I take a little look online. I see a shocking article on theonion.com, the influential American news source. It has been revealed that L Ron Hubbard, the famous and highly beloved scifi writer, is actually into scientology. The news website reports that Blake McKenna has become the first of Hubbard's many fans to throw away all his Hubbard novels out of disappointment and disgust. But many other fans are expected to do the same.

The news that L Ron Hubbard is into Scientology,
has shocked book lovers all over the world


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