3 funny conversations

3 actual conversations all had in the same 24 hour period.

Conversation 1:

LW: Nurse, could you please help me lift a patient up the bed?

Nurse: Oh hang on a minute, I just have to measure Mr X's rig.

Patriotic

A bit of Australia in my bathroom (and my hair).
It would be un-Australian to disagree with the Aussie philosophy.

Sigh...

Winter in Sydney, Summer in Kent.

BSOD

Not even airport computers escape the BSOD.

Sensor lights

I am really impressed by Europe's energy saving efforts. Most restaurants, hotels and public bathrooms have sensor lights.

One problem...

Pets on holidays

In England, people take their pets everywhere. I first noticed it on public transport, and as I type right now I'm sharing my train foot space with a particularly odiforous canine. Gross.

Languages

Being monolingual is like having a disability. I find myself apologising for not being able to express myself in any other language, as shop keepers and strangers look impatiently at me while I struggle with Charade-like gestures (first word, sounds like...).

Cathedral Bells

There’s something reassuring about a city with an hourly tolling cathedral bell.

Sagrada Familia Cathedral; Barcelona, Spain

Never mind your electronic devices, alarms and reminders; a tolling bell is the city’s authority as it chimes unmistakably through the streets. It’s the wordless consensus that everyone in the city is on the same page, and has been for centuries.

Losing things on holidays

There's something profoundly upsetting about losing things on holidays. Realising you left something in a hotel room hundreds of kilometres later feels more depressing than not knowing where you left it. All hope of getting it back is gone.

For adults only?

No, this is a normal regular grocery store.

How to drive in Europe

1.     Pray. If you don’t have any religious affiliation, develop one (preferably the God who saves). There ain’t nothing gonna save you but a higher power on the streets of Europe.

Planes vs Trains

Food for Friends

In my first month in the UK I spent a lot of time dining alone. One particularly lonely April day in Brighton, I found myself tempted by the dessert section of a nice-looking café menu in the street. Excited by the prospect of a hearty meal followed by a decadent dessert, I accepted a seat in the apex of the restaurant for optimal people watching.

Department Store Cafes

Every major department store I’ve been to has a café, serving a full range of meals and snacks while the store is open. And from my research, they’re all pretty decent. Some even serve the food they sell in their food halls. So there’s absolutely no reason to have to stop shopping just because you’re hungry or tired. A quick trip to the café will get you back on your feet.

I’m convincing myself that a mandatory café visit will help me make wiser shopping decisions, but really, all it’s done is made me be impulsive in the café as well as the shopping aisles, and filled out my jeans. Which just makes me need to do more shopping... :)

Pippa

anHaThenTh I’m all for hand hygiene. Hand washing, gloves, gels and foams... they’re all second nature at work. I love making sure I’m vigilant in this area. But then I met Pippa.