Skip to main content

Dithering

 You would think that with Macron up for election next year, he would be taking decisive action to get everyone vaccinated.   Instead his decisive action means that all appointments have stopped while he dithers about whether Astra Zenica is safe.  Of course he knows it is safe but is following his German masters.  Today he and Italy decided they would continue with the vaccine but rather than giving permission for that to happen immediately, he has said he would allow the go ahead, maybe tomorrow, after the EU has confirmed that it is safe.  For heavens sake,  can't he see that numbers contracting covid wouldn't be going up if he vaccinated the population and the economy would recover quicker?  They haven't even managed to vaccinate the over 75s yet.

I have decided to get rid of all the baby stuff taking up space in my house, on the assumption that my sons have stopped producing and my grandsons aren't about to start, although they are old enough.  One of the items is a cot that folds up and goes into a remarkably small nylon bag, along with the base.  I looked at the cot, which is a full size one, read the instructions and followed them to the letter.  So why nearly three hours later was I still trying to fold up the crib so that it actually went in the bag?  In desperation I whatsapped my son.  'What am I doing wrong?  I asked.  After looking via my phone at the half folded cot for the whole of 30 seconds he said, 'There must be a button in each fold, just press them.'  Urghh, why are my children so much cleverer than I am?

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