Sunday 18 February 2018

10:30 We talk a little on whatsapp with Sarah, our daughter in Australia, also with Francis, her husband, and their 4 and a half year old twins, Lily and Jessie. The twins perform cute dances for us and show us around the family's new house in Ocean Reef, a small suburb of Perth.

Lily (left) and Jessie, our 4 and a half year old grandchildren in Australia

Jessie points to the bed the family has chosen for Lois and me: I am supposed to lie on the right hand side and Lois on the left, it seems (which is the opposite of our normal practice, but I'm going to jump right over that, or will it be Lois I'm going to jump right over? The jury is still out on that one, tee hee).

How cute the twins are! And Lois and I admire how well they can talk now - it's a wonderful thing, the human ability to master language, no doubt about that. No sign of an Australian accent yet, by the way, but there are lots of Brits in Ocean Reef, so maybe this is not a surprise.

11:00 Lois has to go out. She wants to attend her church's two worship services, taking place today in Tewkesbury's town library. I have a bit of "me time" and listen to the radio. An interesting program, "The Verb", all about literature, language, etc.

Stewart Lee is one of the participants: he is a stand-up comedian, and performs in nightclubs, but he is an intensely shy man who avoids eye contact with the audience. It must torment him to go on stage, as is the case with many entertainers, I suspect.

He is an introvert and likes to tell the audience about his favorite books rather than tell them jokes.

Recently, he has been reading a book, "My Dangerous Life with So Solid Crew," written by Asher D, a so-called rapper. Stewart likes the book, and he thinks it's now his second favorite celebrity book - high praise coming from a man like Stewart, who is very into books.

Many people nowadays have heard of the "rapper" phenomenon, but they are not quite sure what "a rapper" really is. If you are one of those confused people (like me!!!), it could be a good idea to see Stewart's full explanation on YouTube, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkI9h7EGYvI) .

Lee, an intensely shy stand-up comedian, avoids eye contact and prefers

to tell his nightclub audience about the books he is reading,

rather than to tell them jokes - my kind of comedian, no doubt about that!

It's better to watch Stewart's complete presentation on YouTube, but I can give you a little flavour of it.

My second favourite celebrity hardback is this. This is a book called "My Dangerous Life With So Solid Crew". Er, And it's by a man called Asher D, who was in Grange Hill, and he's one of these rappers they have now, the rap singers. I don't know if you've seen them. 

Yeah, you've seen them about, the rap singers? You've seen the rap singers, on the on the Top of the Pops they have them, don't they? They used to come on there, didn't they? The rappers, the rap singers come on the Top Of The Pops. You've seen them on there, there'd be a young woman singing, and then one of the rappers would come on and they'd talk, and do a little dance.  You've seen them, the rappers, the rap singers on the Top Of The Pops now. 

They're on a lot of the adverts now. They might have a rap singer on one of the adverts. It might be a sausage, or some wool or something, and there'll be a rap about it, about how good the sausage is. You've seen them on the... You've seen them on the Top Of The Pops and on the adverts. 

You've seen the rap singers, you've seen them, yeah, you know what I'm talking about, the rap singers, and on the films they have them now. You might see a film in the pictures and James Bond or someone, he might go in one of these nightclubs and there'll be a rapper in there doing a rap. You've seen them, yeah, on the Top of the Pops and in the, in the adverts. In the films, they might have them. 

And, um, in the shopping centre you see them as well, don't you, the rappers? They run along the, um, you know, there's like a hand rail — a banister along the steps there. They run along, they run along the hand rail, don't they? And they get to the end and they go, "Oooh", like that, in a shopping centre, by the, where the multi-storey is. They run along the — the rap singers, they run along the banister, don't they? The hand rail, where the steps go down, and they jump off there onto the, er the disabled access ramp. They might jump down on there, where the wheelchairs go. 

Not when there's one there, they just jump down, and they go like that, the rappers - so, you've seen them on the Top Of The Pops and on the hand rail, they run along the hand rails, don't they? By the shop, by, where the multi-storey is, and where the Corn Exchange is — by the Corn Exchange, you see? And then they're on the ramp, aren't they, on the disabled ramp, and they jump up off there onto, it's like a little wall, about that high, but it's not made out of concrete, it'll be like logs that have been sawn in half and put up, and they jump up on there, where there's flowers in, flowerbed, they jump up on there. 

Yeah? The rappers, the rap singers, you've seen them by, where the Corn Exchange is, by the, by the multi-storey, yeah, they run along the banister of the steps and they go like that, and then they jump down on the... It's not just for wheelchairs — prams, as well, can go on it. 

Then they jump up on the little wall thing and then they flip off there, don't they? And they run along, the rappers, to where there's... You know where the shopping trolleys come out from Sainsbury's and there's like a perspex kind of cover over it, they jump up on there, don't they? Then they go, "Ooh", like that, where the Corn Exchange is, round the back of the multistorey. 

Your rap singers, singing. 

Now, this book's not really aimed at me.

Brilliant! Finally, I am beginning to understand the mysterious word, "rapper" - ha!

12:00 Tim Winton, an Australian writer, who was born and brought up in Perth, where our daughter Sarah lives, is also taking part in today's “The Verb” program. He is also a shy man, it seems.

Tim Winton, the famous Australian writer

It is interesting that he grew up in an evangelical church, like Lois and me. These churches tend to be suspicious of the more traditional churches and their liturgies - there was no priesthood in Tim's church, and the prayers were always improvised by ordinary (male) members of the congregation, always a source of worry for Tim, whenever he was asked to give them - he breathed a sigh of relief later in life when he first experienced more traditional methods of worship, where prayers came straight out of liturgies.

13:00 I eat lunch and go to bed for a gigantic afternoon nap.

15:30 Lois comes home and we relax with a cup of tea and a piece of cake on the couch.

18:30 We have dinner and watch television. A new sitcom "Hold the Sunset" is on, starring John Cleese, acting here in a British sitcom for the first time in decades.

  

Lois and I actually laugh a lot during the program. Cleese plays a 70 something neighbor who is trying to hook up with Edith, a widow, when Edith's son, Roger, turns up of the blue, suffering from a midlife crisis. He moves in with his mother and ruins Phil's plans.

A little later, Wendy, Roger's wife turns up (played by Rosie Cavaliero). I find her very funny - she is completely tactless towards her mother-in-law, and she loves to bawl Roger out.

Wendy is completely tactless towards her mother in law

and blames her for Roger's "weak personality"

Wendy loves to bawl Roger out at every opportunity

 20:00 We continue to watch television. An interesting documentary is on, all about so-called "Cheddar Man".

A groundbreaking scientific analysis has shown that a Brit from 10,000 years ago had dark brown skin and blue eyes. Researchers from London's Natural History Museum extracted DNA from Cheddar Man, Britain's oldest complete skeleton, which was discovered in 1903.

"Cheddar Man" was discovered in 1903 in the Cheddar caves

in the county of Somerset

University College London researchers used genome analysis for a reconstruction of his face. It reinforces the belief that the lighter skin characteristics of modern Europeans are a relatively new phenomenon. Other skeletons with the same characteristics have been found on the continent in western Europe.

No prehistoric Brit from this age has had their genome analyzed so thoroughly before. That's why the analysis is providing a valuable new insight into the first people to resettle Britain after the last ice age.

A replica of "Cheddar Man" in the caves

in the county of Somerset, where he was discovered in 1903

The 10,000 year old "Cheddar Man" (reconstruction from DNA) had dark brown skin 

and blue eyes. He also looks a bit worried, I think -

no surprise there: scientists believe that "Cheddar Man" was murdered -

There is a gash on the surface of his brain

- yikes, poor Cheddar Man !!!

It is interesting that, according to the DNA evidence, Cheddar Man was closely related to other people from the same period discovered in Western Europe. Of course, Europe's population was quite small then. It is believed that Britain's population was only about 12,000.

Fascinating!

And it is also interesting that the two Dutch scientists (twins), who were responsible for producing the reconstruction of Cheddar Man's face, look a bit like him themselves. Perhaps they like to create all their reconstructions in their own image, but that's something Lois and I'm not completely sure about - the jury is still out on that one.

The Dutch twins that reconstructed Cheddar Man's face

- do they create all their reconstructions in their own image perhaps?

My god, what a crazy world we live in !!!!!

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

Danish translation

10:30 Vi taler lidt på whatsapp med Sarah, vores datter i Australien, med Francis, hendes mand, og deres 4,5-årige tvillinger, Lily og Jessie. Tvillingerne udfører søde danse for os, og viser os rundt i familiens nye hus i Ocean Reef, en lille forstad til Perth.

Lily (til venstre) og Jessie, vores 4,5 årige børnebørn i Australien

Jessie peger på den seng, familien har valgt for Lois og mig: jeg skal ligge på den højre side og Lois på den venstre, ser det ud til (hvilket er det modsatte af vores normale praksis, men det springer jeg over eller bliver det Lois, jeg skal springe over? Det er juryen stadig ude om tihi).

Hvor er de dog søde! Og Lois og jeg beundrer, hvor godt de kan tale nu – det er en vidunderlig ting, den menneskelige evne til at mestre sprog, ingen tvivl om det. Ingen tegn på en australsk accent endnu, for øvrigt, men der er masse af briter i Ocean Reef, så måske er dette ikke en overraskelse.

11:00 Lois skal ud. Hun ønsker at deltage i sin kirkes to gudstjenester, der finder sted i dag i byen Tewkesburys bibliotek. Jeg har lidt  ”mig tid” og lytter lidt til radio. Et interessant program, ”Verbet”, der handler om litteratur, sprog osv.

Stewart Lee er en af deltagerne: han er stand-up komiker, og lever af at optræde i natklubber, men han er  en intenst genert mand, der undgår øjenkontakt med publikummet.  Det må pine ham at gå på scenen, som er tilfældet med mange underholdere, mistænker jeg.

Han er introvert, og kan hellere lide at fortælle publikummet om sine yndlingsbøger, end at fortælle vittigheder.

For nylig, har han været i gang med at læse en bog, ”My Dangerous Life with So Solid Crew”, skrevet af Asher D, en såkaldt rapper. Han kan godt lide bogen, og han tror, at den nu er hans 2. favorite kendisbog – stor ros, når det kommer fra en mand som Lee, der er meget til bøger.

Mange mennesker nu til dags har hørt af ”rapper”-fænomenet, men de er ikke helt sikre på, hvad ”en rapper” egentlig er. Hvis du er en af disse forvirrede personer, det kan være en god idé at høre Lees forklaring på YouTube,  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkI9h7EGYvI)

Lee, en intenst genert stand-up komiker, undgår øjenkontakt og foretrækker

at fortælle sit natklubpublikum om de bøger, han er i gang med at læse,

fremfor at fortælle dem vittigheder – min type af komiker, ingen tvivl om det!

Det er bedre at høre Lees komplette fremlæggelse på YouTube, men jeg kan give dig her en lille duft af den.

” Min 2. favorite indbundne kendisbog er den følgende, en bog kaldet ”My Dangerous Life With So Solid Crew”, øh, og det er skrevet af en mand kaldet Asher D, som var i Grange Hill [en langløbende børne-tvserie – red.] , og han er en af disse rappere, de har nu, rapsangerne. Jeg ved ikke, om du har set dem. Ja, har du set dem et eller andet sted, rapsangerne? Du har set rapsangerne, på Top of the Pops, de har dem, ikke? De plejede at optræde på showet, ikke? Rapperne, rapsangerne optræder på ”Top of the Pops”. Du har set dem på showet, der var altid en ung kvinde, der sang, og så plejede en af rapperne optræde, og de snakkede og lavede lidt dans. Du har set dem, rapperne, rapsangerne på Top of the Pops nu.

”De optræder i en masse reklamer nu. De kan have en rap sanger på en af reklamerne. Det kan være en pølse eller noget uld eller sådan noget, og de foredrager en rap om det, hvor god pølsen er. Du har set dem på ... Du har set dem på Top of the Pops og på reklamerne.

”Du har set rapsangerne, du har set dem, ja, du ved hvad jeg taler om, rapsangerne, og i  filmene har de dem nu. Du kan se en film i biografen, James Bond eller sådan nogen, han kan gå i en af disse natklubber, og der vil være en rapper derinde, der laver en rap. Du har set dem, ja, på Top of the Pops og i reklamerne. I filmene kan de have dem også.

”Og i indkøbscenteret ser du dem også, ikke, rapperne? De løber langs rækværkerne, ikke? Og de kommer til enden, og de går, "Åååh", sådan, i et indkøbscenter, hvor parkeringshuset er. De løber langs - rapsangerne, de løber langs rækværkerne, ikke? Rækværket, hvor trapperne går ned, og de hopper derfra til, øh de handicappedes adgangsramme. De kan hoppe derned, hvor kørestolene går.

Så du har set dem på Top of the Pops, og på rækværkerne, de løber langs rækværkerne, ikke? Ved siden af butikken, hvor, hvor parkeringshuset er, og hvor Corn Exchange er [en bygning oprindeligt designet som et sted, hvor landmænd og købmænd kunne købe og sælge korn – red.] – ved siden af Corn Exchange, har du set dem? Og så er de på rampen, øh på de handicappedes adgangsrampe, og de hopper op derfra på ligesom en lille mur, det her høj, men den er ikke lavet af beton, den er ligesom tømmestokke, der er blevet savet i to stykker og stablet op, og de hopper derop, hvor der er blomster derinde, blomsterbede, de hopper derop.

”Ja? De rappere, rapsangerne, du har set dem derover, hvor Corn Exchange er, ved siden af parkeringshuset, ja, de løber langs trappernes rækværker, og de går sådan, og så hopper de ned på ... Det er ikke kun for kørestole - barnevogne kan også gå på det. Så hopper de op på den lille mur og så slår de deen saltomortale derfra, ikke? Og de løber sammen, rapperne, dertil, hvor der er ... Du ved, hvor indkøbsvognerne kommer ud fra Sainsburys [et supermarked – red.], og der er ligesom en perspex slags dækning over det, de hopper derop, ikke? Så går de, "Ooh", sådan, hvor Corn Exchange er, bag parkeringshuset – dine rapsangere, der synger.

Nå denne bog [”My Dangerous Life With So Solid Crew”, af Asher D – red.] er ikke rigtig rettet mod mig [og han taler videre – red.].

Brilliant! Til sidst begynder jeg at forstå det mysteriøse ord, ”rapper” – ha!

Tim Winton, en australsk forfatter, der tilfældvis er født og vokset op i Perth, hvor vores datter Sarah bor, deltager også i dagens program. Han er også en genert mand, ser det ud til.

Tim Winton, den berømte australske forfatter

Det er interessant, at han voksede op i en evangelisk kirke, ligesom Lois og jeg. Disse slags kirker har tendens til at være mistænksomme over for de mere traditionelle kirker og deres liturgier – der var ikke noget præsteembede i Tims kirke, og bønnerne blev altid improviseret af almindelige (mandlige) medlemmer af menigheden, altid en kilde til bekymring for Tim, da han blev bedt om at give dem  – han åndede lettet op, senere på livet, da han oplevede mere traditionelle metoder af tilbedelse, hvor bønner kom lige ud af liturgier.

13:00 Jeg spiser frokost og går i seng for at tage en gigantisk eftermiddagslur.

15:30 Lois kommer hjem og vi slapper af med en kop te og et stykke kage i sofaen.

18:30 Vi spiser aftensmad og ser lidt fjernsyn. De viser en ny sitcom ”Hold the Sunset”, stjernespækket  John Cleese, der her medvirker i en britisk sitcom for første gang i årtier.

Lois og jeg griner faktisk meget under programmet. Cleese spiller en nogle-og-70 årig nabo, der har lyst til at finde sammen med Edith, en enke, da Ediths søn, Roger, dykker op ud af det blå, lidende af en midtlivskrise, og flytter ind hos sin mor og ødelægger Phils planer.

Lidt senere dukker Wendy, Rogers kone, op (spillet af Rosie Cavaliero). Jeg finder hende  meget morsom – helt taktløs over for sin svigermor, og hun elsker at skælde Roger ud.

Wendy er helt taktløs over for sin svigermor

og bebrejder hende for Rogers ”svæge personlighed”

Wendy elsker at skælde Roger ud ved enhver lejlighed

20:00 Vi fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om den såkaldte ”Cheddarmand”.

En banebrydende videnskabelig analyse viser, at en brit fra 10.000 år siden havde mørkebrun hud og blå øjne. Forskere fra Londons Natural History Museum ekstraherede DNA fra Cheddar Man, Storbritanniens ældste komplette skelet, som blev opdaget i 1903.

”Cheddarmand"  blev opdaget i 1903

i grevskabet Somerset

University College London forskere brugte derefter den efterfølgende genomanalyse til en ansigtsgenopbygning. Det understreger, at de moderne europæeres lysere hudkarakteristika er et relativt nyt fænomen. Andre skeletter med samme karakteristika er blevet fundet på kontinentet i det vestilige Europa.

Ingen forhistorisk brit i denne tidsalder har fået analyseret deres genom før. Derfor giver analysen et værdifuldt nyt indblik i de første folk til at genbosætte Storbritannien efter den sidste istid.

en replik af ”Cheddarmand” i hulerne

i grevskabet Somerset, hvor han blev opdaget i 1903

Den 10.000 år gamle ”Cheddarmand” havde mørkebrun hud og

blå øjne. Han ser også lidt bekymret ud, synes jeg.

Ingen overraskelse der: forskere tror, at ”Cheddarmand” blev myrdet –

der er tegne på brud på hans hjernens overflade

– yikes, stakkels Cheddarmand!!!

Det er interessant, at Cheddarmand, ifølge DNA-beviserne, var tæt beslægtet med andre mennesker fra samme perioden, der er blevet opdaget i det vestlige Europa. Selvfølgelig var Europas befolkning ganske lille dengang. Man tror at Storbritanniens befolkning var kun ca 12.000.

Fascinerende!

Og det er også interessant, at de 2 hollandske forskere, der var ansvarlig for at fremstille rekonstruktionen af Cheddarmands ansigt, ligner ham lidt. Måske kan de lide at skabe alle deres rekonstruktioner i deres egne billede, men det er Lois og jeg ikke helt sikre på – juryen er stadig ude om det.

De hollandske tvillinger, der lavede rekonstruktionen af Cheddarmandens ansigt:

Skaber de alle deres rekonstruktioner i deres egne billede? t

Du godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!!

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzzzz!!!!!