Author: Christopher-Dorset

My mother managed to survive Air Canada, although she isn’t in a big hurry to repeat the experience. It wasn’t so much the airline, it wasn’t terribly bad, but it wasn’t terribly good, either. Rather, it was the mess that is Toronto Pearson and the complexities of getting through Canadian and US customs. Continue reading “Through England”

The poor dear, my poor mum, has the grave misfortune of having to visit her family next week. It’s a long flight on Air Canada from Austin to Luxembourg via Toronto and Munich. Alas, it’s her duty to see her mother as her condition is quickly declining.

After 5 days of that torture, she will fly to England for a week. We’ll spend a few days in Dorset before travelling to Bath and then London to make sure that she gets to airport on time. I will keep you posted.

I can’t bear to watch the news. Any mention of Parliament, Europe or Brexit risks setting me off. Continue reading “At least there’s something amusing.”

There is a Japanese word, hikkikomori, which refers to a generation of neo-hermits. They are the people who’ve withdrawn from most, if not all, public contact and generally content themselves with staying at home. Most, if not all, their contact with others takes place online. Continue reading “People”

I shouldn’t really be shocked, much less horrified. The world has provided so many surprises recently that one really ought to be immune by now. But then… Something happens that proves that horror is still possible. Continue reading “Come back, Drunky, all is forgiven!”

For those of us resident on this, our many-splendoured sceptred isle, Continue reading “Daggy Dad vs Shifty Shorten”

One thing I like about the gym I belong to is that I can watch Netflix on most of the exercise equipment. Recently, I’ve been watching a Canadian television programme: “Under Arrest”. It follows police throughout Canada as they make arrests and deal with crimes. One thing that struck me is just how many dysfunctional people there are in Canada. The Americans are accused of having problems, a fact they don’t deny. Canada is portrayed as some sort of paradise which, clearly, it is not. Has anyone else had their eyes opened about a place that is perhaps more celebrated than it should be?

I’ve recently been following the saga of the DA and Patricia de Lille. I’m having a hard time following what’s actually going on and what the story is. There’s been so much obfuscation and mud slinging on both sides that it’s hard to sift through it all.

It seems as if de Lille is a big name in South African politics, but that she’s always been damaged goods and a bit of a problematic case for the DA from the beginning. Refusing her admission wasn’t easy, but getting rid of her has been just as, if not more, problematic. It seems as if the only one that’s benefiting from the infighting in the ANC and now DA is Julius Malema and his EFF.

Travelling to Brisbane was a comedy Continue reading “Of Laksa and Kangaroos IV”

It’s a long way from Melbourne to Sydney. The train journey took over 12 hours. It was, however, a very pleasant 12 hours. Continue reading “Of Laksa and Kangaroos III”