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| I don't need nannying! |
| 04.29.04 (8:46 am) [edit] |
The other day Paul asked me if I’d received the email he’d sent me from work. I’m in the middle of stripping varnish from kitchen cupboards and a friend had recommended to Paul a particular product. The email didn’t arrive. The next day he talked to the techies at work, saying although this email wasn’t important it was worrying to think that other emails may be going astray. To cut a long story short, they found the email sitting in a file of emails containing “dubious content”. He’d written “varnish stripper” in the subject field.
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9 Comments
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| Stripping.....oh get your minds out of the gutter |
| 04.27.04 (8:13 pm) [edit] |
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This week’s Project is to strip the countless layers of dark varnish from the kitchen cupboards and then wax them. First job, emptying all the crap. Is it me, or does anybody else have a drawer in the kitchen full of carrier bags? Out they came by the dozen, forty one to be exact. I ended up sat on the floor surrounded by the things laughing out loud. Could I be a new challenge for Betty Ford, or does anybody else have a drawer like this?
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4 Comments
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| Identification cards |
| 04.26.04 (9:35 am) [edit] |
National Identity Cards are big in the British news again. It seems most people are totally opposed to the cards, and nervous that they Would infringe their civil liberties. The latest government tack is that identity cards would help curb terrorism.
When I lived in UK I too was against the idea of carrying a card, but when I became a Spanish resident had to comply and carry identification. I remember going through the application process, and the police woman laughing when she told me I had to have my finger prints taken. “Why is it that you Brit’s always cringe when you have this done?” I think it’s because it has criminal implications, but decided silence was the better response. Ten years on and carrying my identification feels as normal as carrying money. We’re asked for our cards all the time, to use a credit card, in banks, in government offices or if stopped by the Guardia Civil (which happens often). The events at La Tocha train station proves that carrying identification has made NO difference to the prevention of terrorism here.
As the weather warms up my thoughts turn to the annual hassle of the beach. Nude sunbathing is legal, as long as your carry your identity card. Huh?
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18 Comments
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| Random thoughts |
| 04.23.04 (9:25 am) [edit] |
Still no ADSL line. The ISP called (again) to ask if it was now working, and I told them about the wrong number being put in the “central” which seemed to be the problem. They told me that nothing had been done to rectify it, so they’d have to put in a request for a Telefonica technician to change the number. They said it could take a day…or a week. Ahh Spanish cogs turn very slowly.
I managed recently to make a really bad first impression on a local shopkeeper. I’ve mentioned in an earlier post that shops here tend to be the front of somebody’s house, usually with a curtain to separate the two. I was doing a panic shop, looking for something for dinner. I opened the freezer and started rifling through, pulling out bags full of unidentifiable stuff without labels. Eventually I felt a hand on my shoulder and a little voice said, “excuse me, can you stay in the shop please”? Without realising I’d wondered into their kitchen and was going through their private freezer!
In a comment left on my blog yesterday, SnowbirdArts referred to a photo of me. I’d completely forgotten that pic was still floating around on my profile. It was taken the day I bought “Photoshop” and wanted a few pic’s to play around with. I just held the camera up at arms length and clicked. After playing around with it for a while I really liked the starchy, Edwardian result. Looking at that photo again made me realise I desperately need to get myself down to the coast for a haircut! Long hair and retro hippy ends today…
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8 Comments
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| Welcome |
| 04.22.04 (9:04 pm) [edit] |
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There's a certain person who just told me they would be reading this blog from time to time. I just want to say "thankyou" for spending the time to drop by, it means a lot.
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3 Comments
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| Some pics for a change |
| 04.22.04 (9:16 am) [edit] |
It was a lovely sunrise this morning and it inspired me to go up onto the terrace with my camera.
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I really liked the way the sun was rolling over the hills in this one. Hard to believe that these fields will be totally parched soon.
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Shadows on white-washed walls, very Andaluz.
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Dew on a plastic chair.
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14 Comments
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| Yes young man, I did say FILL the glass |
| 04.21.04 (4:51 pm) [edit] |
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When I was at college it wasn’t unheard of for poor students to come up with ingenious ways of supplementing their grants. One way (and I want it made clear here that I didn’t do this personally) was to donate their sperm. Rumour had it that the money wasn’t bad, and let’s face it, when you’re a spotty late teenager/early twenties with all those hormones running rampant it’s not a bad way to earn that bit extra to spend in the uni’ bar. So picture this; I’ve just managed to calm myself down and stop laughing after reading a report saying that a new register has opened in UK to connect people “conceived” using donated sperm with the donor of that sperm. Yes I know there’s a very serious side to this and it’s clearly an emotive subject, BUT I can’t lose the mental image of all the acne-ridden drunks playing air guitar till the early hours, declaring to the world that they afforded their eleventeen pints of beer by … well we all know how. I wonder what they’re all doing now, and whether they too laughed when they read about the register?
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2 Comments
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| Of strong coffee, cables and a dead modem |
| 04.20.04 (11:35 am) [edit] |
When the “Telefonica” bloke came to install the telephone line (two months ago) I just knew it was going to turn out to be a lemon. I told him I wanted two sockets, one upstairs and one downstairs. He took a sharp intake of breath, smiled and said “no”.
Me: What do you mean, no?
Him: Sorry, it’s not possible.
Me: Why?
Him: Cables. I can only carry so much cabling.
My brain did it’s closing down thing, and in my usual assertive way I just smiled and said “OK”. He went outside, I heard a ladder being put in place and he started drilling. I leaned out of the window;
Me: Would you like something to drink?
Him: Great, anything cold thanks.
Me: By the way, that’s not my house. That’s the house nextdoor.
Him: Are they in?
Me: No, it’s a holiday home.
Him: Good, they probably won’t notice. I’ll be up in a minute for that drink.
Four hours later, having heard all about his hernia operation AND marvelled at the post operative embroidery I said goodbye.
A few days later I got my ADSL connection kit through the post and set about installing it. It didn’t work. I contacted my ISP several times over the next few weeks and even got the local computer guru to come and help. Nothing. Eventually I had a call from the Telefonica techies who said they’d be here the following day. I waited. After three days I called them back and asked why nobody had turned up. They denied any knowledge of making the appointment and said it was impossible that I’d had a call from them as that’s not the way they work. About an hour later I had a call from them on my cell phone to say they were on their way, and to check the address. They had the wrong address. It turned out they also had the wrong telephone number…voila…problem solved. They went off to adjust the settings in the “central”. That was last Friday, and I’ve been checking the lights on the modem regularly since then.
I called them about an hour ago: “Yes Mr. Andaloo, you have been connected but you might find because you live at the top of the hill it will take some time to start”. Brain turns to mush yet again and I decide to drink VERY strong coffee and write my blog.
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6 Comments
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| Old Europe just got smaller |
| 04.14.04 (10:23 am) [edit] |
Thank you "The Watley Review"[http://www.watleyreview.com/A...] for the following article.
Next Target in War On Terror: Spain
The war on terror took an unexpected turn yesterday when President Bush announced to a stunned nation that he was declaring war on Spain.
”Terror knows no boundaries,” the president stated in a televised address. “Fortunately, neither does our Air Force. Last night I authorized our armed forces to take Madrid. It may be a bitter struggle,” he added, “but we are on the side of right, and I am certain that justice will prevail.”
Relations between the United States and Spain have traditionally been on the cool side; Spain was officially neutral in World War Two, although its government was largely sympathetic to the Nazis. In recent weeks, Spain has made international headlines when several explosions on trains throughout Madrid killed over 190 people in the country’s worst-ever terrorist attack. In the days following the explosions, a new government was elected which opted, among other things, to withdraw its troops from Iraq.
”The rapid capitulation of the Spanish government to the train attack demonstrated to us that Spain is not a friend that can be trusted,” said Bush. “And where I come from, a friend you can’t trust is no friend. And,” he finished with a flourish, “if they’re not a friend, they must be an enemy.”
Some analysts have suggested that the primary reason for attacking Spain is to provide the president with an easy military success in time for the November elections.
”Iraq has turned into a public relations nightmare,” said Paul Vance, senior analyst at the Cato Institute. “The White House essentially had no exit plan, and has found rebuilding the ruins of the country a daunting task it was not prepared to pay for. Now, Spain is a different story altogether. Its relatively modern infrastructure will be a breeze, comparatively, to restore. Plus, the last Spanish-American war worked out really well for us.”
The Spanish military is not expected to provide serious resistance to the three carrier groups now operating in the Mediterranean. However, Spain is a member of the European Union and could theoretically call upon the assistance of better-armed allies such as France and Germany.
”We are absolutely not going to stand by and watch this happen,” said Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, the current leader of the European Union. “I’m convening a subcommittee immediately, believe me.”
Despite the potential involvement of other nations, Bush seemed confident that the unilateral decision to invade Spain would quickly win the approbation of the world.
”We are not worried,” he replied. “It’s not like Spain is part of Europe or anything.”
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6 Comments
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| at 4am I was thinking... |
| 04.10.04 (8:11 pm) [edit] |
Just a thought; Is it possible to learn how to spell after years of being a hopeless speller?
I went through school in UK in the sixties and early seventies, when it was fashionable not to correct pupil’s spelling mistakes. At the time I thought it was great, but it wasn’t until much later I realised I had huge gaps in my learning.
Before moving to Spain I was teaching Further Ed’ students with special needs, (I know…ironic), but I think I did the job well because I understood. I know all the theories and personally use the strategies I taught, but it’s really just hiding the problem, not correcting it.
I don’t think it’s a visual thing, after I do a spell check I look at certain words and they still look wrong to me. I’ve seen ad’s for tapes etc which claim to work miracles for people who can’t spell, but I wonder if it’s more complex than learning again how to do something you learned badly the first time. I wonder whether the problem sits with “unlearning” the strategies first before it’s possible to move forward?
Footnote: I Andaloo am not aware of, though clearly responsible for all smelling mistakes in this blog.
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11 Comments
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| The dance of the rubber ring thing |
| 04.07.04 (11:11 am) [edit] |
Two men buying a bed was the comic high of the year in J de la F. The shop assistant blushed puce. We just made light of it and made jokes about trying out the one in the shop window. After a while she relaxed into the idea and got all eager about selling a bed to these two eccentric foreigners. We started “testing” the beds and before long the shop assistant was doing the same. “What about this one? Even better try that one”. It ended up with all three of us together on one bed, agreeing yes, this was the one.
We went to the desk to pay and were told that we had to pay extra for the legs. The assistant was clearly a bit embarrassed about this, and thought that €6 per leg was a bit steep. She finished by asking, “so, how many do you want?” Uh!
Before moving here I thought DIY was something that people who didn’t have the foresight to call somebody in did. This is a whole new world for me! About an hour away there’s a DIY mega store, a toy shop for grown-ups.
When I recently discovered that one of the toilet cisterns was leaking I decided to try and fix it myself. I took the whole thing apart and saw that the problem was a black rubber ring thing was letting water through. Off I went to the DIY store and bought everything that looked remotely similar to the rubber ring thing. Laden down I came home and chose one to try first. Fit rubber ring thing, attach tubes, fix cistern to toilet, flush, mop floor, take everything apart and repeat whole process with next rubber ring thing. The day wore on and I waded through the carrier bags of rubber ring things. Eventually I’d tried them all and in desperation went back to the original one…it worked!
My version of DIY may not be cost affective, but I got there in the end. Oh, and if anybody out there wants a selection of rubber ring things, I'm your man.
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6 Comments
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| Of tea bags and things that swim |
| 04.06.04 (5:59 pm) [edit] |
People keep asking me, “so, what’s it like living in J de la F”? Well…it’s quirky. Certain things about the place I love already. We live very close to the Town Hall, a grand building with a clock tower. The face of the clock has nudged slightly, so the “five” is at the top where “twelve” should be. It has a single bell which chimes the hour, twice, the second time not necessarily the same amount of times as the first. Shops tend to be the front part of people’s houses so it’s not always clear if they are, or what they are. There’s an amazing shop at the end of our street which sells everything. It has no windows, and the owner sits knitting in the corner. When you go in she rasps “Buenos dias” through tight lips, busy grasping a black tobacco cigarette. You wait till she’s finished the row she’s knitting. Only she knows where the thing is that you want. “Tea bags Sir? Over there, next to the bra’s, yes, just move that fishing reel and you’ll see where I mean”.
Shortly after we moved in there was a lot of heavy rain. Within a day or two of it starting our tap water turned pea green. Like the true tonwnie that I am my first reaction was, “who do I call”? The answer came from my neighbour. “You don’t call anybody. It rains, the water goes green, end of story. I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never known it yet not to revert back to almost clear, eventually”. It didn’t take too long to get used to taking a bath in a swamp, but the things swimming around inside the kettle were just too much for me.
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4 Comments
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| Back, and ready to go |
| 04.05.04 (2:49 pm) [edit] |
Aww thanks everybody, I really missed you too!
So, where to start? I got the new computer about two weeks ago and did the adsl set-up. No connection. My SP were their usual helpful selves and told me the problem was I didn’t exist. (Of course they didn’t reach this conclusion without the obligatory eleventeen hours kept on hold…thank you Wanadoo). What I will NEVER understand is why, when talking to somebody on a “help line” who is being both unhelpful and patronising I revert to behaving like a teenager who has just been caught smoking behind the bike sheds. It happens every time, I go all unnecessary. By the time I put the phone down I not only believed I didn’t exist but was seriously doubting whether I ever was of this world. Anyway…it turns out that J de la F has its very own computer guru. Behold Allan, the High Priest of all things nerdy. Thanks to Allan it has now been established that I do exist and all Wanadoo have to do is flick the switch (so to speak) to get the adsl cogs working. In the meantime I’m using a “pay as you go” connection which goes something like; Click “open tblog” (go away and prepare dinner). Click “open my blog” (eat dinner, wash the dishes and de-fluff my navel). Enough already…I’m just being bitter and twisted. I'm back and that's good enough for me!
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5 Comments
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