09:00 After breakfast Lois starts clearing up in the
bedroom. In the meantime, I jump up on my fitness bike and ride 6 miles (10 km).
Afterwards I do a little light weight training.
I see a little television, an interesting documentary
about London's second-largest river, the River Lea. The host of the program is
the charming Sean Fletcher.
An interesting documentary film - Fletcher takes an
8-mile walk along the last part of the River Lea, a river that flows into the River Thames,
just before entering the North Sea. The
River Lea is mostly famous for "not being the Thames “, according to
Fletcher. My god what madness!
the river Lea, London's second largest
The River Lea was once very polluted, before World War
II, and lined with a string of factories and warehouses, now demolished, thank
goodness. But there has been a massive project in recent years to clean up the
river and get wildlife to come back.
The project's participants, while cleaning
up the river, fished out a total of 20,000 car tyres, also 21 safes with their
backs blown out (by gangsters) – my goodness, what a crazy world we live in !!!!
Where the River Lea meets the Thames River, there is a
lighthouse, now London's only remaining one, at the Trinity Buoy Wharf.
The lighthouse's loft was once the workshop of the
pioneering scientist, Michael Faraday. Now it’s the home of an advanced musical
installation called "Longplayer", that has been designed to last
potentially forever. The installation has been playing an algorithm-generated musical
sequence continuously since December 31, 1999 - the sequence was composed so
that it will only repeat itself after exactly 1000 years. My god, what madness
!!!
Fletcher's walk ends where the River Lea
meets the Thames, at the Trinity Buoy Wharf:
here stands London's only surviving
lighthouse
Trinity Buoy - now London's only
lighthouse – the lighthouse's loft was once
the workshop of the pioneering scientist,
Michael Faraday
Now the lighthouse is home to an advanced
computerised musical installation,
"Longplayer", designed to play continuously an
algorithm-generated
1000-year-long musical sequence - good grief, what madness !!!!
An interesting programme - it would be nice to see other
documentaries about London's "other" rivers, that’s for sure.
10:30 Lois and I walk into the village and swing by the
local post office to send two copies of "Peter Rabbit" children's
magazine to our 5-year-old grandchildren in Perth, Australia, Lily and Jessie.
We always send them 2 copies so they do not argue over the fantastic free gifts
on the cover - we are so warm-hearted ha ha ha!
"Peter Rabbit" children's magazine
with its fantastic free gifts on the cover
Lois and I are well known in the post office for our
monthly purchase of the "Peter Rabbit" children's magazine. Today,
one of the post office staff tells us that the local Sainsbury’s supermarket is
currently selling Peter Rabbit children's costumes. We decide to check out
these costumes the next time we are in Sainsbury's, probably on the weekend.
Afterwards we go for a short walk on the local football
field. It is quite warm today and we do not actually need the winter coats and
scarves we put on when we left the house.
We go for a short walk
on the local football field
12:30 We come back and talk a little on whatsapp with
Sarah, our daughter in Perth, Australia. She is currently working for a
landscape architecture firm, but has started looking for a new job. She had a
Skype job interview earlier in the day with a college in Brisbane, Queensland.
The job itself is very attractive, she says, but she has
doubts over whether they would be willing to pay her as much as $ 100,000 (Aus) a year,
the amount she would need to cover the costs of the move and other related
expenses and overheads – good grief! Yikes, Sarah !!!!!!
Sarah asks us when Lois and I next plan to visit her and
her family and we say not until 2020 - we have to put enough money aside first.
We will have to see.
Talk of flying to Australia always unsettles Lois – she hates
flying. However she has twice before put those fears aside and taken on this
terrifyingly long journey: she is a real hero in my book.
13:00 We have lunch and afterwards relax with a cup of
tea on the sofa. I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap.
15:00 I get up and see a little television, the 4th episode
of the Danish drama series, "Ride upon the Storm", starring the
famous Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen, as Johannes, a priest with problems - to put it
mildly. First and foremost he has a severe alcohol dependency.
Johannes is a leading priest in the Danish Lutheran National
Church. He is married to Elisabeth, but he also has a mistress, Ursula, a woman
who is either a female priest or a member of one of Johannes's many parish committees
- I am not quite sure. In the first episode of the series we saw Johannes and
Ursula having sex in a shower cubicle – good grief, sheer insanity !!!!!
In this 4th episode, the wife, Elisabeth, discovers
that John and Ursula are having regular sex - Ursula has given Johannes a small
gift, with the word "kisses" on the packaging and a small note in it,
"Looking forward to Thursday" – good grief, what madness !!! Elisabeth
discovers the package in one of Johannes's jacket pockets.
Elisabeth insists that Johannes gets Ursula moved to another
parish, and says that John will have to sleep in his study from now on - she
will never sleep with him again, she says.
Meanwhile, Elisabeth has invited her friend, Liv, a young
Norwegian violinist, to stay with the family over Christmas and New Year. The young violinist believes in a lot of "alternative" medications and ancient,
naturalistic drugs - and the two women get into the habit of squatting in the
backyard to pee together and fertilise the ground, a habit which Johannes, Elisabeth’s
husband, is not particularly happy about when he sees them out of his study
window, to put it mildly !!!!
Johannes sees his wife, Elisabeth, and her
Norwegian friend, Liv, squatting down
and peeing together in the flower beds to
"fertilise" the roses, a practice that
is not very happy about, to put it mildly.
16:00 Meanwhile, Lois has gone out into the front yard to
do a little weeding (not weeing) in the flower beds. I can see her out of the
bedroom window while I get dressed again.
Lois does a little weeding (not weeing) in the flower
beds in the front yard
18:30 We have dinner and spend the rest of the evening
watching a bit of television. Monday night is TV quiz night at our house. "Only
Connect" and "University Challenge” are on.
Lois and I always take a delight in the questions that we
can answer, but which all the fresh young brains have problems with, because we
believe it proves we are not yet suffering from dementia.
"Only Connect" tonight has an interesting
question: the quiz's 6 participants are asked to work out the connection
between the following 4 things:
The connection between the 4 things is in fact based on
which order is correct if you have two or more adjectives describing a single
noun.
With "Big bad wolf", even though this is the
expression you always see, it is strictly incorrect, according to the principles
of the so-called "Royal Order of Adjectives", which gives the
following "correct" order: meaning, size, age, shape, colour, origin,
fabric, purpose. Crazy !!!
The 4th (and last) example, "Lovely little old
rectangular green French silver whittling knife" illustrates the entire
"Royal Order" system.
No one teaches this Royal Order system in school - if you
have English as your mother tongue, you instinctively learn it at your mother's knee, but the subject is
actually still shrouded in mystery. When I write in Danish, I always assume
that the Danish order is the same as ours - our two languages are both
Germanic in origin after all. But am I right in this? The jury is still out on
that one.
My goodness, what a crazy world we live in !!!!!!
Correct order for adjectives: a recent
paper on the subject
21:30 We continue to watch television, the first episode
of a new comedy series starring Steve Coogan, as the television host Alan
Partridge, in a parody of typical BBC early-evening magazine programmes such as
"The One Show". Alan's co-host is Jennie Gresham, played by the
charming Susannah Fielding.
A fun show where TV host "Alan Partridge" (Steve Coogan)
comes out with a stream of embarrassing gaffes, as usual.
Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan),
as a parody of a television host.
coming out with a stream of embarrassing gaffes,
as usual.
"Fluck" is actually a fairly frequent family
name in south-west England. It was the original name of Diana Dors, the 1950's biggest
English sex bomb, who came from the town of Swindon. And when I was a schoolboy
in the 1960’s in the city of Bristol, my best friend's last name was also
Fluck. Later, he moved to Seattle, USA, and he changed his name from Fluck to
Martin because he was tired of all the stupid jokes. Poor Paul !!!!!!
Flashback to the 1950's: Diana Dors with Sgt Bilko (Phil Silvers)
22:00 We go to bed. I read about. 10 pages of my bedtime
book, "The languages of Scandinavia - the seven sisters of the North"
by Ruth H. Sanders before I drift off to sleep - zzzzzzz !!!!
Danish translation
09:00 Efter
morgenmad gårLois i gang med at rydde op
i soveværelset. I mellemtiden hopper jeg op på min kondicykel og cykler 6 miles
(10 km). Bagefter gør jeg lidt let vægttræning.
Jeg ser lidt
fjernsyn, en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om Londons næststørste
flod, floden Lea.Programmets vært er den charmerende Sean Fletcher.
En interessant
dokumentarfilm – Fletcher går en 8-mile tur langs sidste delen af floden Lea,
der flyder ind i floden Thames, lige før de munder ud i Nordsøen. Floden Lea er
berømt for ”ikke at være floden Thames, ifølge Fletcher. Du godeste sikke et
vanvid!
floden Lea, Londons næststørste
Floden Lea var
engang meget forurene t før en 2. verdenskrig, kantet af en række fabrikker og
varehuse, nu nedrevede, gudskelov. Men der har været et massiv projekt i nylige
år for at rengøre floden og få vildliv til at komme tilbage. Projektets
deltagere, i gang med at rydde op i floden, fiskede sammenlagt 20.000 bildæk ud, også 21
pengeskaber med deres bagsider sprængt ud (af gangstere) – du godeste, sikke en
skør verden vi lever i !!!!
Hvor floden
Lea møder floden Thames står der et fyretårn, nu Londons eneste, ved Trinity
Buoy-kajen. Fyretårnets loft var engang værkstedet af den banebrydende
videnskabsmand, Michael Faraday. Nu er det hjemmet af en avanceret musikalske
installation, der hedder ”Longplayer”, der er blevet designet til at vare
potentielt for evigt. Installationen har spillet en automatisk musiksekvens i
en uendelighed siden den 31. december 1999 – sekvensen blev komponeret således
at den kun vil gentage sig efter nøjagtig 1000 år. Du godeste, sikke et
vanvid!!!
Fletchers gårtur slutter, hvor floden Lea møder floden Thames, ved Trinity
Buoy-kajen:
her
står Londons eneste overlevende fyrtårn
Trinity Buoy – nu Londons eneste fyrtårn – fyrtårnets loft var engang
værkstedet
af den banebrydende videnskabsmand, Michael Faraday
Nu er fyrtårnet hjem til en avanceret computeriseret musikinstallation,
“Longplayer”,
der
er blevet designet til at spille en 1000-år lang musiksekvens i en uendelighed
for evigt
-
du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!!
Et interessant
program – det ville være rart at se andre dokumentarfilm om Londons ”andre”
floder, det ved jeg med sikkerhed.
10:30 Lois og
jeg går hen ind i landsbyen og smutter ind i det lokale postkontor for at afsende
to eksemplarer af ”Peter Rabbit” børnemagasin til vores 5-årige børnebørn i
Perth, Australien, Lily og Jessie. Vi plejer altid at sende dem 2 eksemplarer,
så de ikke skændes over de fantastiske gratisgaver på omslaget – vi er så
varmhjertede ha ha ha!
”Peter
Rabbit” børnemagasin med sine fantastiske gratisgaver på omslaget
Lois og jeg er
velkendte i postkontoret for vores månedlige køb af ”Peter
Rabbit”-børnemagasin. I dag sager en af postkontorets personale til os, at det
lokale Sainsburys-supermarked for tiden sælger Peter Rabbit-kostumer til børn.
Vi beslutter at tjekke disse kostumer ud, næste gang vi er i Sainsburys,
sandsynligvis i weekenden.
Bagefter går
vi en kort tur på den lokale fodboldbane. Det er meget varmt i dag, og vi har
faktisk ikke brug for de vinterfrakker og halstørklæder vi tog på, da vi forlod
huset.
vi går en kort tur på den lokale fodboldbane
12:30 Vi
kommer tilbage og taler lidt på whatsapp med Sarah, vores datter i Perth,
Australien. Hun arbejder for tiden for et landskabsarkitektur firma, men er
begyndt at lede efter et nyt job. Hun havde en Skype-jobsamtale tidligere på
dagen med et kollegium i Brisbane, Queensland. Selve jobbet er meget
attraktivt, siger hun, men hun har tvivl om, om de ville være klar til at
betale hende så meget som 100.000 $ (australske) om året, det beløb hun ville
have brug for, for at dække bekostningen af flyttelsen og andre forbundede
udgifter – du godeste! Yikes, Sarah !!!!!!
Sarah spørger
os, hvornår Lois og jeg næste gang planlægger at besøge dem, og vi siger, ikke
indtil 2020 – vi må lægge nok penge til side først. Vi får se.
13:00 Vi
spiser frokost, og bagefter slapper af med en kop te i sofaen. Jeg går i seng
for at tage mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur.
15:00 I
mellemtiden går Lois et smut ind i forhaven for at luge lidt i blomsterbedene.
Jeg kan se hende ud af soveværelsesvinduet, mens jeg klæder mig på efter endt
min lur.
Lois
luger lidt i blomsterbedene i forhaven
Jeg ser lidt
fjernsyn, det 4. afsnit af den danske dramaserie, ”Ride upon the Storm”,
stjernespækket den berømte danske skuespiller Lars Mikkelsen, som Johannes, en
præst med problemer – for at sige mildt. Først og fremmest en
alkoholafhængighed.
Johannes er en førende
præst i Danmarks lutheranske folkekirke.
Han er giftet med Elisabeth, men han har også en elskerinde, Ursula, en kvinde,
der er enten en kvindelige præst eller et medlem af et eller andet af Johannes’
mange sogneudvalg – det er jeg ikke helt
sikker på. I seriens første afsnit så vi Johannes og Ursula have sex i en
brusekabine – du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!!!
I dette 3. afsnit opdager
Elisabeth, at Johannes og Ursula har regelmæssig sex – Ursula har foræret
Johannes en lille gave, med ordet ”kys” på emballagen og en lille seddel
derinde, ”glæder mig til torsdag” – du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!! Elisabeth opdager pakken i en af Johannes
jakkelommer.
Elisabeth
insisterer på, at Johannes får Ursula flyttet til et andet sogn, og at Johannes
fremover sover i sin studerekammer – hun vil aldrig sove med ham igen, siger
hun.
I mellemtiden
har Elisabeth inviteret sin veninde, Liv, en ung norske violinist, til at bo
hos familien julen og nytåret over. Violinisten tror på en masse ”alternative”
mediciner og ældgamle, naturalistiske lægemidler – og de to kvinder kommer i
vane med at sidde på hug i baghaven for at tisse sammen og gøde jorden, hvilket
Johannes, Elisabeths mand, er ikke særlig glad for, da han ser dem ud af sit
studerekammersvindue, for at sige mildt – du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!!!
Johannes får øje på sin kone, Elisabeth, og hendes norske veninde, sidde på hug
og
tisse i blomsterbedene for at ”gøde” roserne, hvilket Johannes
ikke
er meget glad for, for at sige mildt. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!!
18:30 Vi
spiser aftensmad, og bruger resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. Mandag
aften er tv-quiz-aften hos os. De viser ”Only Connect” og ”University
Challenge.
Lois og jeg er
altid glad for de spørgsmål, som vi kan besvare, men som alle de friske unge
hjerner har problemer med, fordi vi tror det beviser, at vi ikke endnu lider af
demens.
”Only Connect”
i aften har et interessant spørgsmål:
quizzens 6 deltagere bliver bedt om at opdage forbindelsen mellem de
følgende 4 ting:
Forbindelsen
mellem de 4 ting er baseret på, hvilken rækkefølge er den korrekte, hvis man
har to eller flere adjektiver, der beskriver et enkelt navneord. ”Big bad wolf”,
selvom dette er det udtryk, man altid ser, er strengt taget ukorrekt, ifølge
principperne af den såkaldte ”Royal Order of Adjectives”, som giver den
følgende ”korrekt” rækkefølge: mening, størrelse, alder, skikkelse, farv,
oprindelse, stof, formål. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!
Det 4. (og
sidste) eksempel, ”Lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling
knife” illustrerer det hele “Royal Order” system.
Ingen lærer
dette Royal Order system i skole – hvis du har engelsk som dit modersmål, så
lærer du det hele instinktivt på din mors knæ, men emnet er faktisk stadig
indhyllet i mysterium. Når jeg skriver på dansk, formoder jeg altid, at den
danske rækkefølge er den samme som vores – vores to sprog er begge germaniske i
oprindelse trods alt. Men har jeg ret i dette? Det er juryen stadig ude om.
Du godeste,
sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!!!
Korrekte
rækkefølge for adjektiver: en nylig afhandling om emnet
21:30 Vi
fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser det 1. afsnit af en ny
komedieserie, stjernespækket Steve Coogan, som tv-værten Alan Partridge, i en
parodi af typiske BBC-tidligaften magasinprogrammer som for eksempel ”The One Show”. Alans co-vært er Jennie
Gresham, spillet af den charmerende Susannah Fielding.
Et morsomt
show, hvor tv-værten Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) kommer med en stribe pinlige
bommerter, som sædvanligt.
Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan), som en parodisk tv-vært.
kommer
med en stribe pinlige bommerter, som sædvanligt.
”Fluck” er faktisk
et ganske hyppigt familienavn i det sydvestlige England. Det var det
oprindelige navn af Diana Dors, 1950ernes største engelske sexbombe, der kom
fra byen Swindon. Og da jeg var skoledreng i 1960’erne i byen Bristol, min
bedste vens efternavn var også Fluck. Senere flyttede han til Seattle, USA, og
han skiftede navn fra Fluck til Martin, fordi han var blevet træt af alle de
dumme vittigheder. Stakkels Paul !!!!!!
Tilbageblik til 1950'erne: Diana Dors sammen med Sgt Bilko (Phil Silvers)
22:00 Vi går i
seng. Jeg læser ca. 10 sider af min sengetidbog, ”Skandinaviens sprog – nordens
syv søstre” af Ruth H. Sanders, før jeg glider over i søvnen – zzzzzzz!!!!
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