Sunday 3 June 2018

08:00 Lois and I go in the shower and get up. After breakfast, we talk a little at 9:30 on whatsapp with Sarah, our daughter in Perth, Australia, and also a bit with her little twins, Lily and Jessie, who turn 5 years old in a month's time. Both girls have slight colds at the moment - it's hard to remember, but the "winter" has begun over there - my god! Their "winter" is not that cold in Lois's and my opinion, but the family has now become completely acclimatised, so like the other Australians they have started to "shiver" - good grief, what madness !!!!

Jessie

Lily

Flashback to June 2nd - the twins "try to warm up" and get rid of their colds: 

it's the 2nd day of winter over there - yikes!

It is true that Australian houses are not that warm: the house builders concentrate more on making them cool in the summer. The houses are not well insulated and there little double glazing for some reason. What madness (again) !!!

Francis, Sarah's husband, is not at home - he has a part-time job as a home salesman, which started 2 weeks ago: he works on Mondays, Wednesdays and weekends. Initially, his construction company sent him to their office near Rockingham, located a little south of Perth, far away and very expensive when it comes to gasoline. So he is very happy that since then they have transferred him to their office and showroom center in Alkimos, which is much closer to the family's home in Ocean Reef.

10:30 The one-hour whatsapp call ends and my shoulder is hurting. Lois and I usually snuggle up on the sofa during the calls and I have to hold my smartphone high up in the air so Sarah and the twins can see us both. We decide next time to sit on dining chairs with fixed backrests so that at least I can lean my elbow on the dining table. My god, we are growing old - no doubt about that !!!

10:45 I get going with mowing the lawn in front of the house and the 4 lawns behind the house. It is hot here, unlike in Australia and I begin to sweat. Midway in, I sit down on the terrace and drink a cup of coffee. This break enables me to go on and finish the job. The grass is growing fast and there are loads of daisies here there and everywhere.

12:15 We have lunch and afterwards we have to leave. Lois wants to attend her church's worship service today starting at 1:30pm in the town of Tewkesbury. However, she would rather not drive the car because of her back problems. Her back is a bit better now, but she has a big day coming on Tuesday: a funeral in the afternoon in Malvern and a Bible seminar in the evening in Brockworth. Yikes - and it's also her 72th birthday! Poor Lois!

We have decided to postpone her birthday to Wednesday or Thursday: we have made a plan to go to Woodstock, Oxfordshire, so she can visit a few museums over there in connection with her genealogical studies. In particular there's a military museum there dedicated to a local regiment which one of her ancestors served in.

13:15 We drive over to Tewkesbury, and I drop her off in front of the town's library, where her church holds its worship services. I drive to a quiet parking lot and try to take a nap but it's not as comfortable as in our double bed at home - damn !

15:00 The service ends and I pick Lois up in front of the town's "Crystal" tattoo parlour. We drive home and relax with a cup of tea on the couch.

The town of Tewkesbury's "Crystal" tattoo parlour

17:00 I have finished writing vocabulary lists for the next 10 pages of "Line", the Danish crime novella, which is our Danish group's current project. I send the vocabulary lists out via email to the group's members. Good grief, there is no peace for the wicked, no doubt about that !!!

18:30 We have dinner: roast lamb and potatoes, green beans and broccoli, with homemade mint sauce - yum yum! Strawberry and yogurt for dessert: yum yum (again) !!!

19:30 We talk a little on Skype with Alison, our daughter in Copenhagen, and with Ed her husband. It's a lot of fun to talk to them, as always, but unfortunately all four of us are very tired - my god !

Alison lets her hair down (literally)

It's fun to talk, as always, but unfortunately all 4 of us are very tired

Alison's family is moving home to England in 4 weeks' time after nearly 6 years of residence in Denmark and they are very busy, to say the least.

09.06 Isaac (7 ) takes part in his school drama: he plays King Louis in a performance of the "Jungle Book".

16.06 All three children take part in a piano concert

20.06 Internet access ends. The moving company employees arrive and start packing the family's furniture and property, which will take 2 days. After that the family will all be "camping" in the house, eating "microwave meals" and sleeping in sleeping bags etc - yikes!

20.06 Farewell coffee morning at the school for Alison and other school mothers who are leaving Denmark.

20.06 Farewell get-together at some local restaurant for Ali and Ed's closest friends, but unfortunately it's Alison's responsibility to arrange it - poor Ali !!

24.06 Ed flies to Britain to oversee the arrival of their furniture etc,  and returns to Denmark with the family's new English car, a station wagon.

28.06 The children's school holiday starts.

29.06 The family travels to Britain in the family's English car on the overnight ferry: 2 adults, 3 children, 1 dog and 2 cats - yikes (again)!

30.06 The whole family arrives in Great Britain and takes up residence in their old house in Haslemere, Surrey.

Poor them !!!!!

But Lois and I think they are going to miss Denmark and the excitement of the cosmopolitan life in a major capital city. The country has become an important part of their lives that they will never forget. Especially with regard to the children. Six years is a long time. Isaac was only 2 years old when the family left England, so from his point of view it's a bit like a foreign country.

Likewise, Lois' and my stay in the United States for three years in the 1980s, is a big part of our lives, which we often think about. Living in a foreign country and absorbing the country's habits and attitudes, etc., its way of life, is an experience like no other, that's something I have no doubts about.

But all in all, it's a rather unsettling period for Alison and Ed's 3 children. Josie, the eldest (11 years) already has a guaranteed space at Woolmer Hill, the local high school, for the autumn, when she will (hopefully) half-recognize some of her classmates from 6 years back.

But it is more uncertain from the point of view of the two younger children (Rosalind, 9, and Isaac (7)), and according to Alison, they are feeling rather nervous at the moment. The local primary school does not have room for them, so Alison will have to do a little research and telephoning when they return to England.

The Danish summer holiday starts on June 28, but the English one only starts at the end of July, so it is unclear whether the council will require the children to go to school for the next 4 weeks, or not. Good grief, what madness !!!!

22:00 Lois and I go to bed. I feel a little nervous tonight because I have a dental appointment tomorrow afternoon and another one on Tuesday at 9 am. Not a good start to the week, I must admit !!! I cross my fingers that I will not need expensive and painful root canal treatment. Yikes - zzzzzzzz - yikes - zzzzzzzzzz !!!!!

Danish translation

08:00 Lois og jeg går i bad og står op. Efter morgenmad taler vi lidt kl 9:30 på whatsapp med Sarah, vores datter i Perth, Australien, og lidt med hendes små tvillinger, Lily og Jessie, der fylder 5 år om en måneds tid. Begge piger er lidt forkølede for tiden – det er svært at huske, men ”vinteren” er begyndt derovre – du godeste! Deres ”vinter” er ikke ret kolde efter Lois’ og min mening, men familien er nu blevet helt akklimatiseret, så ligesom de andre australiere er de begyndt at ”skutte sig” – du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!!

Jessie

Lily

tilbageblik til den 2. juni -  tvillingerne ”forsøger at varme sig op” og bliver fri

for deres forkølelser: det er vinterens 2. dag derovre – yikes!

Det er sandt, at australske huse er ikke ret varme: husbyggerne koncentrerer sig mere om at gøre dem kølige om sommeren. Husene er ikke velisolerede, og der er få termoruder af en eller anden grund. Sikke et vanvid (igen) !!!

Francis, Sarahs mand, er ikke hjemme – han har en deltidsjob, som hussælger, der startede for 2 uger siden: han arbejder om mandagen, onsdagen og i weekenderne. I begyndelsen sendte hans bygningsfirma ham til deres kontor i nærheden af Rockingham, der ligger lidt syd for Perth, langt væk og meget dyr, når det kommer til benzin. Så er han meget glad for, at de siden da har overført ham til deres kontor og showhome-center i Alkimos, der er meget tættere på familiens hus i Ocean Reef.

10:30 Det en times whatsapp-opkaldet slutter, og jeg har ondt i skulderen. Lois og jeg plejer at putte os ind til hinanden i sofaen under opkaldene, og jeg skal holde min smartphone højt oppe i luften, så Sarah og tvillingerne kan se os begge. Vi beslutter næste gang at sidde på spisestuestole med faste ryglæn, så jeg i det mindste kan læne min albue på spisebordet. Du godeste, vi bliver gamle – ingen tvivl om det!!!

10:45 Jeg går i gang med at slå græsplænen foran huset og de 4 græsplæner bag huset. Her er varmt, ulig i Australien og jeg begynder at svede. Midtvejs sætter jeg mig på terrassen og drikker en kop kaffe. Derefter kan jeg lidt igen. Græsset gror hurtigt for tiden, og der er masser af gåseurt på kryds og tværs.

12:15 Vi spiser frokost og bagefter skal vi af sted. Lois ønsker at deltage i sin kirkes gudstjeneste i dag, der starter kl 13:30 i byen Tewkesbury. Hun vil imidlertid hellere ikke køre i bil for tiden, på grund af sine rygproblemer. Hendes ryg har det lidt bedre nu, men hun har en stor dag kommende på tirsdag: en begravelse om eftermiddagen i Malvern og en bibelseminar om aftenen i Brockworth. Yikes – og det er også hendes 72. fødselsdag! Stakkels Lois!

Vi har besluttet at udskyde hendes fødselsdag til onsdag eller torsdag: vi har planlagt at tage til Woodstock, Oxfordshire, så hun kan besøge et par museer derover i forbindelse med sine genealogiske studier. Der er i særdeleshed et militært museum, dedikeret til en lokal regiment, som en af hendes forfædre tjente i.

13:15 Vi kører over til Tewkesbury, og jeg sætter hende af foran byens bibliotek, hvor hendes kirke holder sine gudstjenester. Jeg kører hen til en stille parkeringsplads og prøver at tage en lur, men der er ikke så bekvemt, som i vores dobbeltseng herhjemme – pokkers!

15:00 Gudstjenesten slutter, og jeg henter Lois ved siden af byens "Crystal" tatoveringsforretning. Vi kører hjem og slapper af med en kop te i sofaen.

Byen Tewkesburys "Crystal" tateroveringsforretning

17:00 Jeg er færdig med at udfærdige ordforrådlister til de næste 10 sider af ”Line”, den danske kriminovelle, der er vores danske gruppes nuværende projekt. Jeg sender ordforrådlisterne via email til gruppens medlemmer. Du godeste, der er ingen fred for de ugudlige, ingen tvivl om det!!!

18:30 Vi spiser aftensmad: stegte lammekød og kartofler, grønne bønner og broccoli, med hjemmedyrket myntesauce – yum yum! Jordbær og yoghurt til dessert: yum yum (igen) !!!

19:30 Vi taler lidt på Skype med Alison, vores datter i København, og med Ed, hendes mand. Det er meget sjovt at tale med dem, som altid, men desværre er vi alle fire trætte – du godeste!

Alison lader sit hår ned (bogstaveligt talt)

det er sjovt at tale som altid, men vi er desværre alle 4 meget trætte

Alisons familie flytter hjem til England om 4 ugers tid efter næsten 6 års ophold i Danmark, og de har meget travlt, for at sige mildt.

09.06 Isaac (7 år) deltage i sit skoledramastykke: han spiller konge Louis i en forestilling af ”Junglebogen”.

16.06 Alle tre børn deltager i en klaverkoncert

20.06 Internetadgang slutter. Flyttefirmaets ansatte ankommer og går i gang med at pakke familiens møbler og ejendele, hvilket vil tage 2 dage. Derefter vil de alle skulle ”campere” i huset, spisende ”mikroovnemad” og sovende i soveposer osv – yikes!

20.06 Farvel kaffemorgen på skolen for Alison og andre skolemødre, der forlader Danmark.

20.06 Farvelsammenkomst på en eller anden lokal restaurant for Ali og Eds tætteste venner, men det er desværre Alisons ansvar at arrangere den – stakkels Ali !!

24.06 Ed flyver til Storbritannien for at våge over flyttevognens ankomst osv, og kommer så tilbage til Danmark med familiens nye engelske bil, en stationcar.

28.06 Børnenes skoleferie starter.

29.06 Familien kører til Storbritannien med familiens engelske bil og overnight-færgen: 2 voksne, 3 børn, 1 hund og 2 katte – yikes (igen) !

30.06 Hele familien ankommer i Storbritannien tager ophold i deres gamle hus i Haslemere, Surrey.

Stakkels dem!!!!!

Men Lois og jeg synes, de kommer til at savne Danmark og det begejstrende liv i en større kosmopolitisk hovedstad. Landet er blevet en vigtig del af deres liv, som de aldrig vil glemme. Især, hvad angår børnene. Seks år er lang tid. Isaac var kun 2 år, da familien forlod England, så set ud fra hans synspunkt er det lidt som et fremmed land.

På samme måde er Lois’ og min ophold i USA i tre år i 1980’erne, en stor del af vores liv, som vi tænker på ofte. At bo i et fremmed land og absorbere landets vaner og holdninger osv, dets levemåde, er en oplevelse som ingen anden, det har jeg ikke nogen tvivl om.

Men alt i alt er det en lidt foruroligende periode for Alison og Eds 3 børn. Josie, den ældste (11 år) har allerede en garanteret plads på Woolmer Hill, den lokale højskole, hvor hun vil (forhåbentlig) halvt-genkende nogle af sine klassekammerater fra 6 år tilbage.

Men det er mere usikkert set ud fra de to yngre børns synspunkt (Rosalind, 9, og Isaac (7), og ifølge Alison føler de meget nervøse for tiden. Den lokale underskole har ikke nogen plads til dem, så Alison vil skulle gøre lidt forskning og telefonering, når de kommer tilbage til England. 

Den danske sommeferie starter den 28 juni, men den engelske starter kun mod slutningnen af juli måned, så det er uklart, om kommunen vil kræve at børnene gå i skole de næste 4 uger, eller ej. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!!

22:00 Lois og jeg går i seng. Jeg føler mig lidt nervøs i aften, fordi jeg har en tandlægeaftale i morgen eftermiddag, og endnu en på tirsdag kl 9. Ikke en god start på ugen - det må jeg indrømme!!! Jeg krydser fingrene for, at jeg ikke har brug for dyr og smertefuld rodkanal behandling. Yikes – zzzzzzzz – yikes – zzzzzzzzzz!!!!!