This Week in Wijnjewoude: Week 42 Think of a number....and Double It

Week 42

Walking

I'm (luckily) hardly ever sick but I came down with Man Flu...... also lucky that it was the end of the week, so I could simply "go to bed".

Around the Farm

Finished the front of the chookshed.

Just in time for Janny's Dad's Birthday prezzie..(the (ex-wine) barrel).

Four Wives!

Some things get lost in translation. I mentioned to one of the Syrian's friends that I had kids and grandkids in Australia - just making conversation. The next day our man Ali came and asked me "you have wife in Australia, yes?" - ah no, an ex-wife and kids and grandkids, etc... He then said "In Damascus, I can have 4 wives - but I have only one". I mumbled something about "one being more than enough" and left it at that.

A couple of other things occurred that made me wonder about the cultural differences...

I was in their apartment where they have non-stop Arabic on the TV - via a tablet and You Tube sent to the TV via wifi. There was a film about Abdul Nasser and the crowd scenes were what I think of as so very typical - not a woman in sight!. So I asked Ali - why are there no women in the streets? - "Ah, no, no, at home, in the kitchen!". He had a smile, but I don't think he was joking.

I listen to the Economist every week, time permitting. One story that struck a nerve this week was about sex-education for migrants - ie young men. Even showing them how to put on a condom rated a mention as it was the source of much nervous tittering. As older teens and young men, they are not permitted to talk to the young women - so even that "norm" has to be taught here. The best line was when they were shown photos of women in fancy clothes - they have to learn that it is "simply a means of self-expression, not an invitation".

Hunting for Vintage

We're probably too late now, because it is very much the "in" thing......resulting in the "think of a number....and double it" ....to arrive at the price!

Janny dragged me out of bed and we had a look, anyway. A lot of the stuff seemed to come out of old Russian or Chechoslovakian factories......Eastern Bloc, at least. Good luck to them; they have obviously gone to a lot of trouble to collect it all....but oh!, those prices!

Meanwhile, Ben's Study

They had another typhoon warning, which gave Ben an extra day to study for an exam. Yes, he is managing to squeeze in some schoolwork...

This one resulted in a lot of rain. The following "dedication to one's daily coffee" photo went viral - the chap drinking his coffee despite the place being flooded!