Author: Christopher-Dorset

A Bloody Kangaroo

Dysfunctional Canadians

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?

Question for Sipu

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.

Of Laksa and Kangaroos II

There is something off-putting about Melbourne’s airport. Whereas Sydney and Brisbane have trains connecting their airports to the city centre, Melbourne only has coaches. That’s fair enough, I suppose. One does get there eventually. It does, however, come off as being a bit naff. One expects that from Sacramento, from Cardiff or even from Dublin — not the second city and former capital of a major country. Continue reading “Of Laksa and Kangaroos II”

Of Laksa and Kangaroos 1

Track work between Bournemouth and Southampton. How typical and on the day I needed to get to London. There went my plans to take a comfortable afternoon train to London. It would have been convenient, easily managed. Of course I had to take a morning coach. Hey ho. I survived. As usual, I went to a small, Romanian-owned hotel in Camden, not 10 minutes from the Heathrow Express. It’s clean, they’re friendly and it’s not terribly expensive. Continue reading “Of Laksa and Kangaroos 1”

Tempus Fugit

It’s a cold evening here in Västra Götaland. It is also my last evening in Sweden before I fly back to England tomorrow. Last Thursday I took a short, easy flight on SAS from Heathrow to Kastrup where I met up with the Viking and took an Öresund Tåg to Kalmar. The train ride was nicer than the flight. SAS are not the best airline, but this crew were largely from parts of Europe not Scandinavia and they did not speak Swedish. That very much annoyed me. I like speaking Swedish. They’re competent and efficient, but other than a cup of coffee or two there is little difference between them and Norwegian — save that Heathrow is a far better airport than Shatwick! Continue reading “Tempus Fugit”

Christmas in England

Soon yet another year will come to its end. It was a remarkably transformational year. After several years of wandering, I’ve well and truly settled down in Dorset. My schedule is as full as it can possibly be and there is an overwhelming sense of stability and predictability. It has been many years since I could say that!

This year, I will have another very English Christmas. I won’t have a lot of time to relax. I’m scheduled to work Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. On Christmas Day, well, that will be busy, too. I will help cook, serve and prepare a Christmas dinner at one of the Anglican churches in Dorchester. It is a very pleasant, civilised affair. For those of us who are alone, there are many in a town where the average age is one foot in the grave, it’s a chance to do more than watch the walls close in on us.