Dawn

Dawn

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The ID obsession: Helpful locals; Changing English; & A funny tapa.


A conversation at a courier's office this morning:-
Hi. I've come to collect a packet of books.
OK. Can I have your ID?
It's X*********P.
No, I need to see your card, to prove you are who you say you are.
Yes, there must be a real risk of some foreigner coming in here and pretending to be me.
You wouldn't believe what goes on here.

I took a visitor with an ear problem to my doctor's surgery this morning. The receptionist was very helpful and showed herself unusually flexible at finding a way to save my guest from having to pay for treatment because she'd left her EU health card at home. When I said she was willing to pay as she had insurance to cover it, the receptionist answered: "We don't want her to have to go to all that trouble, do we?" And then she gave us an appointment for the evening, apologising that it couldn't be earlier. All very commendable. Mind you, my visitor did have to fill in the same form in the evening when we went for the appointment. Probably because she has a second appointment, with a syringe-wielding nurse, later in the week.

Another helpful individual today was the owner of a lamp shop in which I left my car keys. Going back later, I found the place closed but with a notice on the door telling me my keys were in the pharmacy next door. Sadly, this was closed and we had to get a taxi home but this didn't diminish my appreciation for the guy from the lamp shop.

Having young visitors has reminded me of how certain words and phrases have changed their meaning over the last few decades:
Steaming - Now means to be drunk
To take the piss - No longer means just 'to make fun' of but to 'irritate, annoy'
LOL - Now means 'Laugh out loud', rather than 'Lots of love'.
Doubtless there'll be others over the next week.

Finally . . . In a bar down near the local brothel, we were given a standard bowl of nuts with our drinks. But on top of the nuts were several sweets, including coca-cola bottles and what I'm reliably informed are yummy bears. Only one of us ate the latter.

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