Wednesday, January 16 2019

09:30 Lois goes around the corner to the local Billy Shears ladies hairdressers to get her hair cut. He tells me she plans to go for a walk on the local football field afterwards.

10:00 Meanwhile, I get going with clearing up and vacuuming all over the house, because our U3A Danish group will be holding its regular meeting here tomorrow at 2:30 pm. This is actually the group's first meeting for over 2 months,  because of our annual Christmas break, and Lois and I feel a little rusty, to say the least, when it comes to speaking Danish.

I move chairs from the dining room into the living room so we will have enough seating for all the group members, including our new member, Patti, whom we have not yet met - and there is a bit of a mystery about how she has managed to get to know a bit of Danish, which is quite rare in England. We will have to see.

11:30 I browse through the first chapter of the Danish crime novel, "The Further You Fall" by Anna Grue, which is our Danish group's next project. It is a refreshing change to be able to read about the book's murder scene from the killer's viewpoint, even if we don't know his identity. And the murder weapon is a garotte, which is a little unusual to say the least. Spooky.

“The Further You Fall”, the crime novel that is our U3A

Danish group's next project

Afterwards I jump up on my fitness bike. I cycle my usual 6 miles and then I do a little light weight training.

12:15 We have lunch and afterwards I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap. I get up at 3:30 pm and Lois and I relax with a cup of tea on the sofa.

16:00 We listen a little to the radio, an interesting programme in the series "Thinking Allowed". This episode is about surveillance. The programme host is the charming Laurie Taylor.

An interesting programme that covers various aspects of surveillance, some of them predictable (Google, Facebook, general online personal information gathering, targeted advertising, as well as the usual CCTV cameras, the Edward Snowden case, etc.). We Brits are all victims of surveillance but many of us also use it for our own purposes: in the US, UK and Canada, 30% of internet users have used the web to find out about total strangers. Good grief, what madness!

The programme also focuses on some less predictable aspects of surveillance, for example, credit rating agencies, car number plate recognition, and neighbourhood watch groups.

It gives me a bit of a shock when I hear the phrase “number plate recognition”. It reminds me that Lois and I, exactly 7 days ago, were driving  in the town and I forgot that the town centre and surrounding area (the so-called Boots Corner) is now limited to buses and taxis and I accidentally found myself on the banned roads. My thoughts were elsewhere - I was totally absorbed by talking to Lois so I lost concentration and unwittingly drove into the forbidden area. Damn!

I am absolutely sure that the council will have installed cameras that can read car number plates - damn (again)! I expect this mistake of mine will mean a massive fine, but that’s something I’m not completely sure about. An expensive morning, no doubt about that.

The road sign that I failed to notice

which probably means a massive fine - damn!

The bureaucratic wheels turn slowly here. So far I have not received a letter from the council with the details of the fine I have to pay if I admit the offence. But it’s probably just a matter of time – that’s for sure. Damn!

Damn (again) !!!!!!

The programme also includes an interesting feature on neighbourhood watch groups, where residents of a given area agree to monitor their streets, residential neighbourhoods, etc., and watch out for possible crimes, vandalism, etc, and work with local police officers to reduce crime in the area.

Such groups do not seem to flourish in European countries that have a totalitarian past, because of a tradition of non-cooperation with the police. There is no such problem in the UK, but ironically, neighbourhood watch groups tend to be based in low crime areas. They have a comic side and often appear in the plots of TV sitcoms etc. Middle-class Brits have a reputation for liking to peep out through gaps in their curtains – that’s for sure. A nation of curtain-twitchers.

18:00 Lois and I have dinner: chicken pieces, couscous, green beans and broccoli - yum yum.

20:00 We spend the evening watching television. An interesting documentary film is on, all about sexual harassment at work, seen from the millennial generation’s viewpoint.

A group of 18-30-year-olds watch a specially produced drama about a male bar manager who becomes responsible for training a new female trainee manager. At the end of the film, the group has to decide whether or not the man's actions constituted sexual harassment. The case seems to lie somewhere on the delicate borderline between harassment and non-harassment, because the group's responses are roughly divided 50-50 between the two views.

We see the man on the woman's 5th day of work helping her with a software problem on the computer. He leans in over her - but this seems quite natural, until he also tells her she’s wearing a great perfume. Her reaction shows that she feels a little uncomfortable.

a trainee bar manager feels a little

uncomfortable during a training session with the boss

A week later or so she makes a mistake in her ordering, resulting in the bar running out of a popular beverage. He calms her down and says it doesn't matter. The following evening there is a drinks and dancing party for the staff - she gets a bit drunk and throws up outside on the street. He comforts her and accompanies her back to the bar. He puts his hand around her back, but she gently pushes it away.

He puts a comforting hand around her back on her,

but she gently pushes it away

He orders her a taxi home, asks for her address, and rides with her. She assumes the taxi will drop her off at her address and then travel on to the man's home. But actually he gets out of the taxi with her and after a couple of minutes we see him trying to kiss her. But she gently rebuffs him with her hand.

he tries to kiss her but she gently rebuffs him with her hand

A few days later it turns out that the man has decided to recommend that she not stay on in the job. And the company dismisses her because of the mistakes she made in that drinks order.

Is this sexual harassment or not? The young millennial jury is split 50-50, or thereabouts, but a workplace expert is not in any doubt - it was harassment and the woman would have been entitled to compensation.

21:00 After the programme Lois and I talk about the subject. She has experienced harassment during her working life, starting from a weekend job as a schoolgirl in her teens, where she had to climb up and down a ladder occasionally to retrieve some product or other from the shelves. The manager used to take the opportunity to run his hand up and down her legs – yikes, creepy!

And towards the end of her working life, she was employed in a nursing home for retired Anglican priests. One of her tasks was to clean their apartments and do other household duties for them. A few residents occasionally used to “chase her round the ironing board", as she puts it. But they were weak and feeble enough for her to push them away, either gently or less gently.

Flashback to 1995: Lois (right) with the care-home's other cleaners

dressed up as schoolgirls for the Red Nose Day charity

Men tend to misunderstand women's friendly gestures, I think, and they are always too eager to believe that a woman fancies them, or has a crush on them. Good grief, what madness! I suppose these older priests fantasised about all the cleaning assistants who came into their apartments - it is an age-old male fantasy that also stretches to au pairs, maids in hotel rooms and the like. How stupid men are!!!

It was fortunate that in Lois' main career as a professional librarian, she never experienced this kind of sexual harassment, which is a bit of a relief.

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

Danish translation

09:30 Lois går hen rundt om hjørnet til den lokale Billy Shears-damefrisøreforretning for at få håret klippet. Han fortæller mig, hun planlægger bagefter at gå en tur på den lokale fodboldbane.

10:00 I mellemtiden går jeg i gang med at rydde op og støvsuge overalt i huset, fordi vores U3A danske gruppe holder sit regelmæssige møde hos os i morgen kl 14:30. Dette er faktisk gruppens første møde i over 2 måneder: på grund af vores årlige julepause, og Lois og jeg føler os lidt rustne, for at sige mildt, når det kommer til at tale dansk.

Jeg rykker stole fra spisestuen ind til stuen, så vi vil have siddepladser nok til alle gruppemedlemmer, inklusive vores nye medlem, Patti, som vi ikke har mødt endnu – og der er lidt af et mysterium om, hvordan det har lykkedes hende  at kende lidt dansk, hvilket er ganske sjældent. Vi får se.

11:30 Jeg blader igen igennem den første kapitel af den danske krimiroman, ”Dybt at Falde” af Anna Grue, som er vores danske gruppes næste projekt. Det er en forfriskende forandring at kunne læse om bogens mordscene  set fra morderens udsigtpunkt. Og mordvåben er en garrotte, hvilket er lidt ualmindeligt for at sige mildt. Uhyggeligt.

"Dybt af falde", den krimiroman, der er vores U3A

danske gruppes næste projekt

Bagefter hopper jeg op på min kondicykel. Jeg cykler mine sædvanlige 6 miles og dernæst laver jeg lidt let vægttræning.

12:15 Vi spiser frokost og bagefter går jeg i seng for at tage en gigantisk eftermiddagslur. Jeg står op kl 15:30 og Lois og jeg slapper af med en kop te i sofaen.

16:00 Vi lytter lidt til radio, et interessant program i serien ”Thinking Allowed”. Dette afsnit handler om overvågning. Programmets vært er den charmerende Laurie Taylor.

Et interessant program, der indeholder forskellige aspekter of overvågning, nogle af dem forudsigelige (Google, Facebook, og generelle personlige oplysninger på nettet, målrettede reklamer, samt de sædvanlige cctv kameraer, Edward Snowden-sagen osv). Vi briter er alle ofre for overvågning men mange af os benytter den også: i USA, UK og Canada har 30% af internetbrugere benyttet nettet for at finde ud af detaljer om totalt fremmede. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid!

Programmet sætter fokus  også på nogle mindre forudsigelige aspekter af overvågning, for eksempel, kreditvurderingsbureauer, nummerpladegenkendelse, og neighbourhood watch grupper.

Det giver mig lidt af et chok, da jeg hører udtrykket nummerpladegenkendelse. Det minder mig om, at Lois og jeg for nøjagtig 7 dage siden, kørte i byen og jeg glemmede, at bymidten og område (det såkaldte Boots Corner) er nu begrænset til busser og taxaer, og jeg ved en fejltagelse befandt mig på de forbudte veje. Mine tanker var andetsteds – jeg var totalt absorberet med at snakke med Lois så jeg mistede koncentration og kørte ubevidst ind i det forbudte område. Pokkers!

Jeg er helt sikker på, at kommunen har installeret kameraer, der kan læse bilnummerplader – pokkers (igen)! Jeg forventer at denne fejl vil betyde en massiv bøde, men jeg ved ikke for meget. En dyr formiddag, ingen tvivl om det.

Det vejskilt, som det mislykkes mig at bemærke,

hvilket sandsynligvis betyder en massi bøde – pokkers!

De bureaukratiske hjul maler langsomt. Hidtil har jeg ikke modtaget et brev fra kommunen med detaljerne af bøden, jeg må betale, hvis jeg indrømmer lovovertrædelsen. Men det kan bare være et spørgsmål om tiden – det her jeg ikke nogen tvivl. Pokkers!

Pokkers (igen) !!!!!!

Programmet indeholder også et interessant indslag om neigbourhood watch grupper, hvor indbyggere i et vist område aftaler at overvåge deres gader, villakvarterer osv og holde øje med mulige forbrydelser, hærværk osv, og medarbejde med det lokale politi for at mindske kriminalitet i området.

Sådanne grupper blomstrer ikke tilsyneladende i de europæiske lande, der har en totalitær fortid, på grund af en historie af ikke-samarbejde med politiet. Der er ikke et sådant problem i Storbritannien, men ironisk har neighbourhood watch grupper tendens til at være baseret i områder med lav kriminalitet. De har et komisk aspekt og dukker ofte op i tv-sitcoms osv. Vi briter har et ry for at elske at kigge ud gennem sprækker i gardinerne – det ved jeg med sikkerhed.

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad : kyllingestykker, couscous, grønne bønner og broccoli – yum yum.

20:00 Vi bruger aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om seksuel krænkelse på arbejdspladsen,  set fra den millennielle generations udsigtspunkt.

En gruppe 18-30-årige ser en specielt produceret drama om en mandlige barmanager, der får ansvaret for at uddanne en ny kvindelig praktikant-manager. I slutningen af filmen må gruppen beslutte, om mandens handlinger udgjorde seksuel krænkelse eller ej. Sagen ligger åbenbart et eller andet sted på den hårfine grænse mellem krænkelse og ikke-krænkelse, fordi gruppens svar er i grove træk delt 50-50 mellem de to synspunkter.

Vi ser manden på kvindens 5. dag i jobbet hjælpe hende med et software-problem på computeren. Han bøjer sig ind over hende – men det virker naturligt – men han fortæller hende også, hun har en flot perfume på. Hendes reaktion viser, at hun føler sig lidt ukomfortabel.

en praktikant barmanager føler sig lidt

ukomfortabel under en uddannelsesession med chefen

En uge senere eller deromkring tager hun fejl i en bestilling, hvilket resulterer i, at baren løber tør for en populær drik. Han beroliger hende, og siger det gør ikke noget. Den efterfølgende aften er der en driks- og dansefest for personalet – hun bliver lidt fuld og kaster op udenfor på gaden. Han trøster hende og ledsager hende tilbage ind til baren. Han lægger hånden rundt om ryggen på hende, men hun skubber den blidt væk.

han lægger en trøstende hånd rundt om ryggen på hende,

men hun skubber den blidt væk

Han bestiller hende en taxa hjem, beder hendes adresse, og kører med hende. Hun formoder, han vil sætte hende af ved hendes adresse og køre videre til sit eget hjem. Men faktisk står han også af taxaen og forsøge at kysse hende. Men hun slår ham blidt tilbage med hånden.

han forsøger at kysse hende men hun slår ham blidt tilbage med hånden

Et par dage senere viser det sig, at manden har besluttet ikke at lade hende fortsætte i jobbet. Firmaet afskediger hende på grund af de fejl, hun tog i driks-bestillingen.

Er dette seksuelle krænkelse, eller ej?  Den unge millenielle jury er delt 50-50, eller deromkring, men en arbejdspladsekspert er ikke i tvivl – det var krænkelse, og kvinden ville have fået ret til erstatning.

21:00 Efter programmet snakker Lois og jeg om emnet. Hun har oplevet krænkelse i løbet af sit arbejdsliv, startende fra et weekendjob i sine teenageår, hvor hun skulle klatre op og ned ad en stige indimellem for at hente et eller andet produkt af hylderne. Chefen havde for vane at benytte lejligheden til at køre hånden op og ned hendes ben – yikes!

Og mod slutningen af sit arbejdsliv, var hun ansat i et plejehjem for pensionerede anglikanske præster. En af hendes opgaver var at gøre rent i deres lejligheder og andre huslige pligter. Et par beboere havde for vane at jagte hende indimellem ”rundt om strygebrættet”, som hun siger det. Men de var svage nok til, at hun kunne skubbe dem væk, enten blidt eller mindre blidt.

tilbageblik til 1995: Lois (til højre) med plejehjems andre rengøringsassistenter,

klædte ud som skolepiger i andleding af Red Nose Day

Mænd har tendens altid at misforstå kvinders venlige gestusser, synes jeg, og de er altid for ivrige efter at tro, at en kvinde sværmer for dem, eller har et megacrush på dem. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid! Jeg formoder, at disse ældre præster fantaserede om alle de rengøringsassistenter der trådte ind i deres lejligheder – det er en ældgammel mandlige fantasi, der dækker også tjenestepiger i hoteller og lignende. Hvor er mænd dog dumme!!!

Det var heldigt, at i Lois’ hovedsagelige karriere, som professionel bibliotekar, oplevede hun aldrig denne slags seksuel krænkelse, hvilket er lidt af en lettelse.

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzzzzzz!!!!!