Wednesday, 23 August 2017

Tirsdag den 22. august 2017 kl 16:30 indtil onsdag den 23. august 2017 kl 16:29

16:30 Jeg lukker op for fjernsynet og ser den første semifinale i kvindernes XV VM 2017, hvor 12 nationer har kæmpet i 3 indledende puljer i Dublin, hvorefter der spilles semifinaler og finale i Belfast. Aftenens første semifinalekamp er mellem New Zealand og USA. New Zealand vinder med 45-12.


19:00 Lois og jeg spiser aftensmad og bagefter går vi ud i baghaven for at vande blomstebedene og grøntsagerne, både i grøntsagshaven og i drivhuset.

19:45 Vi går i gang med at se aftenens anden semifinalekamp, denne gang mellem England og Frankrig. England vinder med 20-3.


Scorerne afspejler ikke intensiteten af begge kampe. Jeg synes, at New Zealand blev overrasket af determinationen af det amerikanske hold, der er forholdsvis uerfarent. Amerikanerne blev desværre meget trætte mod slutningen af kampen, og det var da, deres uerfarenhed og relative mangel på teknik tillod New Zealand at ende med at vinde nemt, hvis man bare ser på den sidste score. Det var den mest spændende kamp, jeg hidtil i denne turnering har set.

Før kampen starter, er jeg imponeret af den new zealandske nationalsang, som jeg ikke har hørt før. Det synes at være halvt på maoriernes sprog, og halvt på engelsk, hvilket er lidt overraskende, men helt rørende også.

den new zealandske nationalsang (uddrag), tilsyneladende
 halvt på maoriernes sprog og halvt på engelsk, hvilket er imponerende

Det er interessant også at se maorifolkets traditionelle krigsdans, ”hakadansen”, som alle new zealandske rugbyhold opfører før hver kamp.


maorifolkets traditionelle hakadans (krigsdans),
som alle new zealandske rugbyhold opfører før kampe.

21:00 Lois vil gerne se en dokumentarfilm om Indiens deling, dvs opdeling af Britisk Indien til to selvstændige stater, Pakistan og Indien, der skete for nøjagtig 70 år siden.



Jeg har aldrig interesseret mig ret meget for Indien og Pakistan – landene er for store og deres historie og kultur for komplicerede. Det er ikke noget galt med de to lande, hvis du kommer derfra, men jeg ville have ikke nogen lyst til at bo der på grund af klimaet, og befolkingstætheden – hvor som helst du går, bliver du omgivet af en menneskemængde. Jeg ville gå straks i panik – det har jeg ikke nogen tvivl om.

Jeg overlader Lois til at se dette program, mens jeg går ind i spisestuen for at se slutningen af den anden semifinale i kvindernes XV VM 2017, der spilles mellem England (i hvid) og Frankrig.




den anden semifinalekamp, der spilles
mellem England (i hvid) og Frankrig

 En spændende kamp, meget intens indtil kampens anden halvdel, hvor det franske hold aldrig mere ser ud til at blive ved at score punkter.

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!

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzzzz!!!!!

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

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

09:30 Vi kører Minx, Alisons kat, over til væddeløbsbanen for hendes årlige indsprøjtning mod lopper. Alison er vores ældste datter, der bor i København sammen med Ed, sin mand, og deres 3 børn, Josie (10), Rosalind (9) og Isaac (7 år). Familien forlod deres kat hos os for 5 år siden, da de flyttede til Danmark. Minx er 17 år gammel, hvilket svarer til 119 i menneskelige år.

Dyrelægen klipper også Minx’s kløer. Hendes kløer vokser rigtig hurtigt og har tendens til at blive viklet ind i Lois’s sweatre eller kjoler, når hun sætter sig på Lois’s skød  – uha! Lois og jeg formoder, at vores egne negle vokser hurtigere, nu hvor vi er blevet gamle, men det er vi ikke helt sikre på.

11:00 Jeg går i gang med at udarbejder en danske ordforrådtest, som jeg vil have vores U3A danske gruppes medlemmer til at tage på torsdag, når gruppens næste møde finder sted hos os. De rigtige svar staver sætningen, ”Folk siger, at ingenting er umuligt, men jeg gør ingenting hver dag” (Peter Plys – i ordene af AA Milne). I øvrigt er de rigtige svar på vores danske gruppes nye ordforrådtest tophemmelige indtil torsdag kl 15, unødvendigt at sige ha ha ha!!!

12:30 Vi spiser frokost og derefter tilbringer vi eftermiddagen i sengen. Uansvarligt? Måske, men det er rart at kunne glemme om alting nogle tider i et par timer. Lois læser 15 sider af sin sengetidbog, ”Leave it to Psmith”, af PG Wodehouse.

16:00 Vi står op og drikker en kop te på terrassen.

English translation

16:30 I switch on the television and watch the first semifinal in the Women's Rugby Union World Cup 2017, where 12 nations have fought in 3 opening pools in Dublin, after which the semifinals and final are being played in Belfast. Tonights first semi-final game is between New Zealand and the United States. New Zealand wins 45-12.


19:00 Lois and I have dinner and afterwards we go out in the back garden to water the flower beds and the vegetables, both in the vegetable garden and in the greenhouse.

19:45 We get started with seeing the evening's second semi-final match, this time between England and France. England wins by 20-3.

The scores do not reflect the intensity of both matches. I think New Zealand are surprised by the determination of the American team, which is relatively inexperienced. Unfortunately, the Americans got very tired towards the end of the match, and it was then that their inexperience and relative lack of technique allowed New Zealand to end up winning easily if you look at the final score. It was the most exciting game I have seen in this tournament so far.

Before the match starts, I'm impressed by the New Zealand National Anthem, which I have not heard before. It seems to be half in the Maori language, and half in English, which is a little surprising, but quite touching as well.

the NZ National Anthem (extract), seemingly
half in the Maori language and half in English, which is impressive

It is also interesting to see the maoris' traditional war dance, the "haka", which all New Zealand rugby teams perform before every match.


The traditional Maori "Haka" (War Dance),
which all New Zealand rugby teams perform before matches.

21:00 Lois would like to see a documentary about India's partition, ie the partition of British India into two independent states, Pakistan and India, that happened exactly 70 years ago.



I have never been very interested in India and Pakistan - the countries are too large and their history and culture too complicated. There is nothing wrong with the two countries if you come from there, but I would not want to live there because of the climate and the population density - wherever you go, you are surrounded by a crowd of people. I would panic straight away - I have no doubts about that.

I leave Lois to watch this programme while I go in the dining room to see the end of the second semifinal in the Women's Rugby Union World Cup 2017, which is being played between England (in white) and France.





the second semi-final between England (in white) and France

An exciting game, very intense until the second half of the match, when the French team no longer seem about  to score any more points.

I myself played rugby at school, 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 unfortunately it's too late now - another lost opportunity. Damn!

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

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

07:45 I am back in bed with Lois and we're drinking our morning tea.

08:00 We get up and have breakfast.

09:30 We drive Minx, Alison's cat, to the racecourse for her annual injection against fleas. Alison is our elder daughter, who lives in Copenhagen with Ed, her husband, and their 3 children, Josie (10), Rosalind (9) and Isaac (7 years). The family left their cat with us 5 years ago when they moved to Denmark. Minx is 17 years old, which corresponds to 119 years in human years.

The veterinarian also cuts Minx's claws. Her claws grow very quickly and tend to get caught in Lois's sweater or dresses when she sits on Lois's lap - oh dear! Lois and I suspect that our own nails are also growing faster, now that we have become old, but we are not completely sure.

11:00 I prepare a Danish vocabulary test that I want our U3A Danish group members to take on Thursday when the next meeting of the group takes place at our house. The correct answers spell out the sentence, "People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day" (Winnie the Pooh - in the words of AA Milne). By the way, the correct answers to our Danish group's new vocabulary test are top secret until Thursday 3pm, needless to say ha ha ha !!!

12:30 We have lunch and then we spend the afternoon in bed.

Irresponsible? Maybe, but it's nice to forget about everything sometimes for a few hours. Lois reads 15 pages of her bedside book, "Leave it to Psmith", by PG Wodehouse.

16:00 We get up and have a cup of tea on the terrace.


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