You can guarantee that sooner or later everybody who writes a blog posts something either entitled “why do I blog?” – or it crops up somewhere in a post about another subject.

I’ve read blogs where the writer says they want their thoughts on certain events accessible for their kids to read in years to come. Others use their blog as a way to offload all the daily crap that we all need to get rid of from time to time. The reasons are as varied as the blogs. For my part, I think I write this because I’m genuinely interested in how people live their lives around the world, and it only seems fair to contribute something in return. Of course we all like to receive comments, and it’s these which create an atmosphere of friendship or community. I had an email last week from somebody who used to post on tblog, but doesn’t any longer. She was talking about tblog and mentioned that it was one of the few sites which has a community feel to it, and as such appealed to many people who blog out of loneliness. At first I felt defensive when I read her words, but after I’d thought about it realised there was some truth in what she said…for some of us.

I used to post on another site, where somebody used to leave me (and a lot of other people) pointless, hurtful comments. I talked to a friend about it and she pointed out that he was perfectly within his rights to do this. By clicking “publish this post” we’re inviting anybody to read and comment on what we write, no matter what. It’s a sad fact there will always be people out there who want to abuse a system or simply get enjoyment from pissing others off.

A couple of days ago I read comments left on a blog here which epitomised the abuse of communities such as this.  To say the vile ramblings of the commenter were hateful is an understatement, but they were addressed with dignity. Nuff said.

Why am I writing this? At times like this I need to remind myself that anybody has the right to comment, whatever their views. I also hope that this might be read by somebody who finds it fun or clever to leave comments which are meant to hurt or demean, and that they may think twice. Disagree, debate but think about what you’re saying. Finally, to the person who received the filthy comments; I applaud you.

Question: What do you do when you live in a place which never gets cold, and it gets cold?

Answer: You wear everything you can lay your hands on.

The weather forecast last week said we were in for some bad weather. We took no notice. By the end of the week they were warning of severe weather. A cold front was heading this way from Siberia…Oh yeah, that’ll be a first. It was, and is FREEZING! Over night it’s been dropping to below freezing point and during the day it’s staying in single figures (centigrade).

I’ve just been out to the shop, feeling like a bit of a prat in two jumpers. The woman behind the counter looked like a Telly Tubby, with arms sticking out at right angles to her body because of the amount of clothes she had on. We were laughing at each others sartorial elegance when one of my neighbours came in, wearing her bath robe over her clothes. She said she’d just seen her friend cleaning her windows wearing a long evening dress, under which she wore her pyjamas, a pair of jeans and two shirts. Who said country folk aren’t stylish!

A few months ago my brother and his wife came to live here in Spain. They’d been planning the move for a couple of years, but I knew nothing about it until they were about to move. I thought it was a bit strange that they hadn’t talked to me about it, seeing as I’ve lived here for a while now, but decided they must have been getting advice from somewhere else. To cut a long story short, they’ve decided to go back to UK. I know they’re just “saving face” but it really got my back up to hear them slagging off this country and its people. Being a foreigner in an adopted country makes you part of a very transient community, people are coming and going all the time. It’s such a shame that almost everybody who decides to return to their country of origin takes the attitude that any blame is levelled squarely anywhere but on their own shoulders. The insult to injury is the inevitable “if you had any sense you’d do the same thing” comment. The poetic justice is that my brother left England because “there are so many foreigners there now, and they walk in without a word of English and get all the help they need from the authorities”. They are leaving Spain because the language was a problem and they felt nobody helped them. What a shame.

Is anybody else having trouble opening certain blogs? Every time I try to open either “Lynne” or “Billy Ryan’s” blog I get the banner and nothing else. I’ve spoken to Lynne about it and she says everything is working fine at her end. If the problem is at my end (all other web pages open as normal), can anybody suggest why it might be happening?

A few weeks ago the local radio station I listen to was giving a lot of air time to a photograph which had appeared in a UK newspaper. It was a photo of the Queen of England with some Scotts Guards, one of which was showing exactly what is worn under the kilt. There was lots of talk about whether he'd posed like this on purpose or not. Here's the pic, judge for yourself.

Catch up:

All is well in the land of Andaloo. Since Christmas work has been really busy,and seeing as I work for myself that's good news. The down side of that is I haven't had time to post or leave annoying messages on other blogs...well, there's always time to annoy *somebody*.

I recently received a hand-crafted gift through the post, which was fantastic! It'll get well used and will be well treasured. You know who you are and I thank you from the heart of my bottom.

I've also been asked by a beautiful woman if I want to run away to warm, sandy beaches. Beat that!! The offer also included the other Mr. Andaloo, but its only fair that somebody stays home to look after the cats. I'm sure he'll understand once he's read the note.

I received this today from somebody who thought it wise not to post it on her blog. I promised not to say who she was...it was Badaunt. oops. It's the funniest thing I've seen in ages!

I’m generally a fairly placid person. I tend not to get upset about things I have no control over, it’s not worth it. However, from time to time it does you (me, one, ughhh) good to talk it through. I think now might be one of those times, so;

What the fuck is tblog about these days? It seems every time I try to read or post I get a message saying tblog is down “for a few minutes” and thanking me for my patience. Well Rocky, it’s just not good enough. “A few minutes”? – All I can say is, I wish I could go down for that amount of time! As for patience, it eventually runs out. Do you ever read tblurt Rocky? Does it worry you that people are posting their new blog addresses by the drove? (That was a rhetorical question because the answer is obviously “no”.)

When (if) I eventually do get into this site it loads slowly. OK I admit I’m a needy person. I need to know that if I click onto “my account” it will load before I have the opportunity to read War And Peace. Are you following me Rocky? It’s not looking good is it? Oh, but guess what? It gets worse, much worse. You offer an archive facility…the one which is now missing several months worth of postings (deleted by mistake) which clearly makes it OK. Wrong.

I haven’t bothered trying to write to you about my concerns because I have read too many blogs where people bemoan the fact that you never even acknowledge their distress, let alone try to rectify matters. *Whispers* Rocky, in any other service industry this level of service would be enough to see you out of a job, but then as a good friend of mine says…”but I digress.”

As a paid up member of this pile of crap I’d like to know why the comments I leave on other blogs don’t appear on my “my comments”? They used to, but for a long time I have to go looking to see if my comments have been answered. OK, I know that’s not a big deal, but when you’ve waited an age to get onto the site, then it loads slowly, then you realise your comments are missing it all takes time, time I don’t have, and let me tell you Rocky it is ever so slightly FUCKING ANNOYING!

Something else which is bothering me, I’d like to know where you stand on selling drugs to kids? It cannot pass unnoticed that the majority of your clients are, well, lets just say they’re not old. Almost every time I log in and go to see who has posted recently I’m appalled to see a long list of “people” offering medication without a prescription. Who is this aimed at? Sorry, another rhetorical question. I hope you’re sleeping well Rocky (maybe you are due to the unprescribed medication, what do I know?), but I am not. Seeing as I pay you to involve myself in this site, does that make me party to exposing kids to drugs?

I know the short (release yourself from any responsibility) response to all these questions is to tell me to go somewhere else if I’m not happy, and to be honest I already have, but let’s face it, it simply isn’t good enough. I want to stay with tblog because I have friends here and it’s the “community” feel of sites like this that is their strength. Get strong Rocky, listen to what your clients are saying!

Ahhhh  that feels better.

Is it possible for a house to look as if it’s waiting? I saw this house yesterday and it fascinated me. It stands completely alone on the beach, looking over The Straits to North Africa.

I want its owners to be romantics, but think they merely own the key. The elements own this house.

It’s waiting.

Is a bigamist larger than your average fog?

Is cabbage the ramblings of a cab driver?

Does vanish mean something similar to a van?

Just a thought....

Is it safe to come out now? Is it all over yet?

It seems like every day has been Sunday for the last couple of weeks. Today is Three Kings (Spanish Christmas), so it’ll all soon be over. ¡Felicidades! Backtracking; The food fest that is Christmas was completely overshadowed by the South East Asian disaster. In conjunction with a local radio station The Other Mr. Andaloo opened school last week as a drop off point for donations. The response was fantastic and we’re just waiting now for either a container to take the stuff from Algeciras or a military plane from Gibraltar.

I don’t know why but I find New Year’s Eve depressing. I always make a point of being in bed before midnight, so when the village electricity supply blew out at 10pm I took that as my cue to take a book to bed. Barrrr Humbug…..

Yesterday was the day that Spanish kids get their presents from the Three Kings. Legend has it that an angry old giant lives in the mountains of this part of Andalucia. On the day of Three Kings the giant pulls a cloud from over the mountains and places it over J de la F. Frightened that the Kings wouldn’t be able to find the village the kids go out at mid-day and run wild through the streets dragging strings of tin cans behind them, making as much noise as possible. Unfortunately I’d forgotten about this custom, so as the kids were let loose I was trying to drive home. It was chaos, but great fun. Last night we watched the Kings arrive. In Malaga they arrive by boat, in Granada by elephant and in J de la F they came by tractor. (The whole thing was very basic, but somehow that made it more special).