Dawn

Dawn

Saturday, December 15, 2012


The medication saga continues. After getting the prescription from the doctor on Thursday, after my involuntary impression of a cripple, I tried again last night to get the tablets. “No go”, said the pharmacist, “There's nothing in the computer”. So, I left it until today, when I tried another pharmacy. Same result - “The computer says No”. So, I expressed my annoyance and showed the pharmacist the print-out the doctor had given me. Whereupon I witnessed the countervailing side of the Spanish inefficiency coin . . . “I shouldn't do this, she said, “but I'll give you them even though they don't show on the computer.” All's well that ends well, as they say. I'm guessing I've no chance of finding what went wrong. After all, the doctor's hardly likely to admit he made a mistake. Twice.

I introduced the concept of Proxemics yesterday. This morning my mother – who doesn't read my blog - told me about going to an Italian restaurant with my sister last night. The place was empty apart from them - until two Italians came in and sat right next to them. So it's a Latin thing, this aggregation. I guess.

A Pontevedra lady friend today confirmed the high fashion status of wellies, particularly those from Hunter selling at 150 euros a pair. Plus special socks at 30 euros. A snip. Incidentally one bizarre Spanish term for wellies is katiuskas. Which is Russian for Catalinas or Kates. So, I wonder which Russian(?) woman they're named after, as Wellington boots are after the Duke of Wellington. Catherine the Great?

Talking of Hunters . . . In 1968 an RAF pilot flew a Hawker Hunter just above the river Thames and then under the top spars of Tower Bridge, in protest against government policy towards the air force. Sad to relate, there was no one with a camera or phone to capture the amazing stunt for us. Not even the BBC. Anyway, he was never court-martialled but retired on health grounds, as he came down with double pneumonia just after the flight. What a guy and what an achievement to be remembered for.

Finally . . . Nancy Lublin is the founder of the US organisation DoSomething.org and here she talks entertainingly about young folk (those below 25) and how they operate in today's on-line world. Of particular interest is the Phone Baby app and its effect on the young women who tried it, against the background of measures that had failed to impress them.

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