Skip to main content

I give up

I give up trying to understand what is going on in the heads of the politicians in the UK - on all sides of the spectrum.  They all voted to trigger Article 50 so I assume they all agreed to respect the result of the referendum.  I could understand why no-one wanted the Irish backstop as negotiated by Theresa May but since then the whole situation has changed.  We have people who want no-deal, those who don't, and others who want a withdrawal agreement but refuse to sign it.  Corbyn has been pushing for a General Election for months and now says he won't agree to one.  And does anyone in Parliament actually care what the people think?  I know that to the rest of the world, the UK has slid into a democratic abyss from which I am not sure it can recover.  It is difficult to even support or agree with one side or the other when they keep changing their minds every five minutes.  I say sack the lot of them, put a toddler in charge and he or she can play with the other toddler across the pond in the fast declining USA.

Still no rain.  Last week when I had to play a tennis match every day I was praying for rain so that I wouldn't have to play outside in the scorching sun.  This week the temperature is much more comfortable but everywhere is as dry as dust.  Even the rivers have dried up in places and in our local river there are now trees where there used to be water flowing.  What, I ask, will happen when we finally get rain and there is nowhere for it to go?  Well we can bury our heads in the sand like Trump. It was a bit like kids when they play truant.  They skip school but are seen on camera at the local mall.  Trump cancelled his trip to Poland so that he could concentrate all his efforts on the hurricane, oh sorry I mean golf course.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Temper, Temper

I played tennis with Yvette today.  Yesterday I asked if we could play early before the day gets too hot.  She suggested 9.30am.  I was thinking of 8.00am but Yvette has been married 46 years and her husband still brings her breakfast in bed every morning so 9.30 is probably the crack of dawn. I thought I had got used to Yvette's little antics but this morning she behaved like John McEnroe.  I was 4-1 up in the first set when suddenly she announced that the score was 4-3.  I am used to these little tricks so I stood my ground.  She argued, she shouted.  I ignored her and took my position ready to receive serve but her shouting got louder, calling me a cheat and then using some choice words.  Her ploy worked.  I lost concentration and started to lose, eventually losing in a tie break.  I was not happy but said nothing. At the end of the set Yvette asked me if I was angry with her, using the expression 'tu me fais la tete?'  I sa...

What is normal?

The UK seems to be operating on the basis that there is no virus.  Masks are rarely seen, little is being reported in the papers,  it is not the main topic of conversation in the street and social distancing doesn't exist.  I did see a testing table set up in Chesham high street but it was for one day only and they didn't seem to be doing much business. I went to Brighton on Sunday with my son and sister.  The old 'Lanes' have been reduced to a few jewellery shops and lots of cafes and the town was packed.  Openly gay people walk hand in hand through the streets in great numbers while others stroll around in gold lurex dresses. As we were heading back to the station the police arrived and blocked the road for an approaching cycle rally.   Living in France I have seen many cycle races go past but not quite like this one.  Here were 200 totally naked cyclists pedalling by while people cheered them on enthusiastically.  Some of them had put on s...

The problem with language teaching

I volunteered in a French school yesterday.  The aim of the day was to engage French children in English conversation.  The children had questions written down which they had to ask in English.  They were aged between 12 and 16.  Faced with 2 pupils aged 15 I answered the first question clearly and simply but they didn't understand the answer.  A rapid conversation in French passed between them and they then asked me in French if I would write down the answer. 'If I write down the answer you won't learn anything,' I said in French.  They asked the teacher what to do. 'Of course you can write down the answers for them and they can study them  later'! Listening skills?  Speaking skills?  I give up