Tuesday, April 16 2019

05:00 I get up early and read the next 2 pages of Anna Grue’s crime novel "The Further You Fall", which is our U3A Danish group's current project. I attach a vocabulary list to the bottom of each page - I'm so warm-hearted ha ha ha! But I know our group members are all old crows  like Lois and me, and they all have bad memories ha ha!

" The Further You Fall ", Anna Grue’s crime novel,

which is our U3A Danish group's current project

I am reminded that our elder daughter Alison, plus Ed and their 3 children, will be visiting us from Friday to Sunday and that they are bringing their Danish dog, Sika. And having a dog in the house will change everything - I have no doubts about that. 

As Michael Ball sang in one of my late father's favourite songs:

Lois and I are not dog people, to put it mildly. But we have learned to love Sika quite a lot - he is a very sweet dog, I have to say. But with a dog in the house it is simply not possible to live our lives in our usual way, and I will not be able, for example, to get up early in the morning, because I would wake up Sika and all hell would break loose - damn!

Alison, Ed, and their 3 children: a recent picture (Wembley Stadium, London)

Sika, the family's Danish dog - a recent portrait. Sika’s imminent visit

makes me recall Michael Ball’s song "Dog changes everything"

09:00 I get ready for my friend "Magyar" Mike's weekly visit. Mike comes to us every Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock to study Hungarian with me for an hour. 

I devise a Hungarian vocabulary test I want him to take at the beginning of our session, and he will have done the same for me, I'm sure.

10:00 Mike rings at the door and we study Hungarian for an hour. We exchange vocabulary tests but afterwards Mike discovers that he has forgotten to bring his textbook - damn! This is the first time in almost 25 years he has forgotten it. He has aged significantly over the past 12 months - no doubt about that. And he has also become more absent-minded - yikes!

Flashback to 1994: "Magyar" Mike in happier times, along with

our late Hungarian friend, Bársony János

me and Jånos in Hungary in 1994 

I rush into the dining room and photocopy some pages from the textbook on my printer, and then we continue as usual to read the next lesson in the book, all about how to arrange to rent a room in a Hungarian house. Many Hungarian couples and families rent some of their rooms out to passing tourists as an extra income.

first page of Lesson 12 in our Hungarian textbook

The story and the dialogue are about a couple, Jóksa and his wife, Klára, who call at the door of a private residence one afternoon, after they spot a sign that says "room to rent".

Lois and I like to take rooms this way, i.e. without booking in advance. We have found that guest-house and B&B owners tend to show potential customers calling at the door their nicest room, in an attempt to persuade them to take it on the spot. However, if you book the room in advance and the owner already has your money, he will allocate you one of his less nice rooms – and to them it all makes perfect sense, which is the tragedy of it !

Flashback to 1970: Lois and I happened to see a room for rent

when on vacation in Norway - we had first hooked up and become a couple  

only 1 month previously: my god, how young we look - yikes!

I have just realised those pictures were taken 50 years ago next year - scary.

But sorry – that was a bit of a digression. Back to the story in the Hungarian textbook....

An elderly woman who unfortunately is a little deaf answers the door to the passing couple, and shows them her only double room. There is a beautiful view of Lake Balaton, but Jóksa and Klára decide not to take the room because they can hear the owner's husband snoring loudly in an adjoining room, where he's taking his daily afternoon nap. 

The elderly woman becomes very confused at this point about the couple's decision not to take the room, because she herself is too deaf to hear her husband's snoring.

The story is a masterpiece in miniature - and is a kind of allegory of human existence and the human comedy. The couple can perfectly well hear the husband, who is sleeping heavily and snoring, but that snoring does not get communicated to his wife, who does not understand why the couple do not want to take the room.

I hope I am not reading too much into it.

Also I suspect the Hungarian couple like to go to bed themselves in the afternoon when on holiday - just like Lois and I do, after a morning's sightseeing. Although we often find hotels don't switch the heating on till evening, to save money, which is a bit of a pain.

11:00 Mike has to leave. Lois and I drive over to the Dunelm department store to buy two extra pillows and one extra sheet in preparation for Alison’s visit.

Immediately at the entrance to the store there is a large pile of pillows on special offer, but luckily Lois and I are suspicious by nature, and we explore the rest of the store. As expected, we come across even cheaper pillows hidden away at the back of the store, next to some fire exits - it sometimes pays to be a bit cynical,  I have to say.

Dunelm department store

12:30 We have lunch and afterwards I go to bed and take a short afternoon nap. As far as I know, I don't snore, but that’s something I'm not completely sure about - the jury is still out on that one.

14:30 I get up and go up the loft ladder to the attic and gather together all the many soft toys we have stored up there, dating back to the time our now grown-up daughters Alison and Sarah (now 42 and 40 years old, respectively) were children – my god, what madness !!!

I knew very well that we must have stored a lot of soft toys up there, but even I am astonished when I manage to collect about 9 big black sacks packed with the little guys - yikes! I drag the 9 bags down the loft-ladder and into the garage. Lois and Alison want to go through them all before I throw them out, in case they want to keep any for sentimental reasons.

I drag 9 black plastic sacks filled with soft toys

down the ladder: as can be seen in the picture, some of the little guys are even at this
late stage trying to escape – and I hear some muffled cries for help from time to time:

but I am persistent and relentless ha ha ha!

Afterwards I drag the sacks out into the garage and stuff

the would-be escapees back inside the sacks where they can't cause me
any more trouble. I'm so heartless ha ha ha!

18:00 Lois and I have  dinner and spend the rest of the evening watching some television. Normally, I have a bit of alone time every week on Tuesday nights, because Lois usually attends her sect’s weekly Bible seminars in Brockworth library, but the seminars are taking their Easter break for the next 2-3 weeks.

It is very nice to have Lois's company on Tuesday night for once, but the disadvantage is that I cannot see any of the Danish TV shows and Danish films I have recorded but not yet seen - programmes and movies that to her mind are a little too violent from time to time. 

I agree with her about all that, but I still like to see watch them because of the language. I have not yet seen the very last episode of "Ride Upon The Storm", two episodes of "Follow the Money", and the film "Men and Chicken". They will all have to wait for another day – as long as I don’t  forget that is. I must try hard to remember.

21:00 We see a documentary, the first in the new season of the series "New Lives in the Wild". The host of the programme is the charming Ben Fogle.

In previous seasons, Ben has shown us the kinds of couples living somewhere in the world out in the boonies, far away from civilisation, where the couples have no choice but to become totally self-sufficient.

This evening's episode is a bit different - and features a couple, Scott and Casey, who have had various problems with life in the UK (Scott has also had some traumatic memories from his time with the army in Afghanistan, but he doesn't want to talk about that). They live in a makeshift house out in the wilds in a shanty town on the coast of Peru, where they and a local businessman jointly own a kite-surfing school. Scott and Casey are the school’s instructors.

But I find the episode a bit boring and bland, I have to say. The couple basically do the same thing every day - they instruct their customers in kite surfing. They don’t get bored because they find pleasure in helping others master this very difficult sport. And they themselves get a rush from their daily fix of flying through the air over the sea in this way, but it isn’t really my thing to put it mildly.

However it takes all kinds of people to fill the world up, as the Danes say.

And it might be a little too late for me to begin all the training I would need to master the sport, Lois thinks.

Above all, I mustn’t rush into it, that‘s the main thing - as I see it, anyway !

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

Danish translation

06:00 Jeg står tidligt op og læser de næste 2 sider af Anna Grues krimiroman ”Dybt at falde”, som er vores U3A danske gruppes nuværende projekt. Jeg vedhæfter en ordforrrådliste i bunden af hver side – jeg er så varmhjertet ha ha ha! Men jeg ved godt, at vores gruppemedlemmer alle er gamle krager, ligesom Lois og jeg, og alle har dårlige hukommelser ha ha!

”Dybt at falde”, Anna Grues krimiroman, der er vores U3A

danske gruppes nuværende projekt

Jeg minder mig om, at vores ældste datter Alison, sammen med Ed og deres 3 børn, besøger os fra fredag til søndag, og at de medbringer deres danske hund, Sika. Og dét, at have en hund i huset, vil ændre alt – det har jeg ikke nogen tvivl om. Som Michael Ball sang i én af min afdøde fars yndlingssange:

dogsong

Lois og jeg er ikke hundemennesker, for at sige mildt. Men vi har lært at elske Sika lidt – han er en meget sød hund, det må jeg nok sige. Men med en hun i huset er det simpelthen ikke muligt at leve vores liv på vores sædvanlige måde, og jeg vil ikke for eksempel kunne stå tidligt op om morgenen, fordi jeg ville vække Sika og helvede ville bryde løs – pokkers!

Alison, Ed, og deres 3 børn: et nyligt billede

Sika, familiens danske hund – et nyligt portræt.

Jeg minder om Michael Balls sang ”Hunde ændrer alt”

09:00 Jeg forbereder mig på min ven ”Magyar” Mikes ugentlige besøg. Mike kommer hos os hver tirsdag kl 10 for at studere ungarsk i en time med mig. Jeg udfærdiger en ungarske ordforrådtest, jeg vil have ham til at tage i begyndelsen af vores session, og han vil have gjort gengæld.

10:00 Mike ringer på døren, og vi studerer ungarsk i en time. Vi udveksler ordforrådtest og bagefter opdager Mike, at han har glemt at medbringe sin lærebog – pokkers!  Dette er første gang i næsten 25 år han har glemt den. Han har betydeligt ældes de seneste 12 måneder – ingen tvivl om det. Og han er derudover blevet mere åndsfraværende – yikes!

Tilbageblik til 1994 : ”Magyar” Mike i lykkeligere tider, sammen med vores afdøde

magyar ven, Bársony János

mig og Jånos

Jeg skynder mig ind i spisestuen og fotokopierer nogle sider fra lærebogen på min printer, og derefter fortsætter vi som normalt med at læse den næste lektion, der handler om, hvordan man skal aftale at leje et værelse i et ungarsk hus. Mange ungarske par og familier udlejer ét af deres værelser til turister, der tilfældigvis kommer forbi.

første side af Lektion 12 i vores ungarske lærebog

Historien og dialogen handler om et ægtepar, Jóksa og hans kone, Klára, der en eftermiddag ringer på døren af et privat bolig, da efter de får øje på et skilt, hvor der står ”værelse at leje”.

Lois og jeg kan godt lide at tage værelser på denne måde, dvs uden at booke i forvejen. Vi har fundet, at ejere har tendens til at vise potentielle kunder, der ringer på døren, deres smukkeste værelse i et forsøg på, at overtale dem at tage det på stedet. Derimod, hvis man booker værelset i forvejen og ejeren har dine penge, vil de rumme dig i deres grimmeste værelse.

Tilbageblik til 1969: Lois og jeg ser tilfældigvis et værelse til leje, da vi var

på ferie i Norge – vi havde fundet sammen bare 1 måneder tidligere:

du godeste, hvor ser vi dog unge ud – yikes!

Men undskyld – det var en lille sidespring. Tilbage til historien i vores ungarske lærebog!

En ældre kvinder, der desværre er lidt døv, besvarer døren til parret og viser dem sit eneste dobbeltværelse. Der er en smuk udsigt over Balatonsø, men Jóksa og Klára beslutter imidlertid ikke at tage værelset, fordi de kan høre ejerens mand snorke i det påstødende værelse, hvor manden er i gang med at tage sin daglige eftermiddagslur.

Den ældre kvinde bliver på dette tidspunkt meget forvirret over parrets beslutning, ikke at tage værelset, fordi hun selv er for døv til at høre sin mands snorken.

Historien er et mesterværk i miniatur – og er en slags allegori over den menneskelige tilværelse, og den menneskelige komedie. Parret hører ægtemanden, der sover tungt og snorker, men hans snorken ikke kommunikeres til hans kone, der ikke forstår, hvorfor parret ikke har lyst til at tage værelset.

Jeg håber godt på, jeg ikke læser for meget ind i den – det må jeg nok sige!

11:00 Mike skal af sted. Lois og jeg kører over til Dunelm-stormagasinet for at købe to hovedpuder og ét lagen: umiddelbart ved indgangen var der en stor bunke af hovedpuder på specielt tilbud, men heldigvis er Lois og jeg mistænksomme af natur, og vi udforskede resten af magasinet. Som forventet faldt vi over endnu billigere hovedpuder  i bunden af magasinet – det betaler sig nogle gange at være lidt kyniske, det må jeg nok sige.

Dunelm-stormagasinet

12:30 Vi spiser frokost og bagefter går jeg i seng for at tage en kort eftermiddagslur. Så vidt jeg ved snorker jeg ikke, men det er jeg ikke helt sikker på – juryen er stadig ude om det.

14:30 Jeg står op og går op ad loftstigen for at samle alle de mange bløde legetøj vi har gemt deroppe, daterende fra dengang vores voksne døtre Alison og Sarah (nu henholdsvis 42 og 40 år gamle) var børn – du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!

Jeg vidste godt, vi må have gemt en masse legetøj deroppe, men selve jeg bliver helt forbavset, da det lykkes mig at samle ca 9 sorte sække propfyldte med de små fyre – yikes! Jeg slæber de 9 sække ned at stigen og ud i garagen. Lois og Alison har lyst til at gå dem alle igennem, før jeg smider dem væk.

photo1: Jeg slæber 9 sække propfyldte med bløde legetøj

ned ad loftstigen: som kan ses i billedet, prøver nogle af de små fyre

at undslippe – jeg hører nogle råb om hjælp fra tid til anden:

men jeg er vedholdende og nådesløs ha ha ha!

photo2: bagefter slæber jeg dem ud i garagen

18:00 Lois og jeg spiser aftensmad og bruger resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. Normalt har jeg lidt alenetid hver uge om tirsdag aften, fordi Lois plejer at deltage i sin sekts ugentlige bibelseminarer i byen Brockworths bibliotek, men seminarerne tager deres påskepause de næste 2-3 uger.

Det er meget rart at have Lois’ selskab om tirsdag aften for en gangs skyld, men ulempen er, at jeg ikke kan se alle de danske tv-serier og danske film, jeg har optaget men endnu ikke set – programmer og film, der efter hendes mening er lidt for voldelige fra tid til anden. Det er jeg enig med hende om, men jeg kan imidlertid lide at se dem på grund af sproget.  Jeg har ikke set det allersidste afsnit af ”Ride Upon The Storm”, to afsnit af ”Follow the Money”, og filmen ”Men and Chicken” endnu. Det må så blive en anden dag.

21:00 Vi ser en dokumentarfilm i den seneste sæson af serien ”New Lives in the Wild”. Programmets vært er den charmerende Ben Fogle.

I forrige sæsoner har Ben vist os de slags par, der bor et eller andet sted i verden, ude i bøhlandet, langt væk fra civilisation, hvor parret ikke har andet valg, end at blive totalt selvforsynende.

I aftens afsnit er lidt anderledes – et par, Scott og Casey, der har haft forskellige problemer med livet i Storbritannien (Scott har også haft måske traumatiske minder fra sin tid med hæren i Afghanistan, men det har han ikke lyst til at tale om). De bor i et provisorisk hus ude i bøhlandet på kysten i Peru, hvor de og en lokal forretningsmand ejer i fællesskab en kite-surfing skole. Scott og Casey er skolens undervisere.

Men jeg finder afsnit lidt kedligt og intetsigende, det må jeg nok sige. Parret gør grundlæggende samme ting hver dag – de underviser deres kunder i kite-surfing. De keder sig ikke, fordi de finder nydelse i at hjælpe andre med at mestre denne meget svære sport. Og de få et sus i maven at flyve i luften på denne måde, men det er ikke min ting, for at sige mildt.

Men det kræver alle slags mennesker at fylde verden op, som danskerne plejer at sige.

Og det er måske lidt for sent for mit vedkommende til at begynde på al den træning, jeg ville have brug for, fat at mestre sporten.

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzzzzzz!!!!!