NO END

 

 For Stream of consciousness I should write about smething that has or seems to have no end.

The only thing which comes into my mind is the lockdown in which I sit for at least 9 months or was it a year with a two months break. Therefore I wonder when it will end or if it has no end at all ? 

Of course it influences our well being and the fact that you are living like a prisoner and besides the shops nothing is open. Slowly we loose our good mood and become lazy and without energy which is my case. To make a long story short I thought I try to make you, who are in the same situation laugh, instead of complaining of my lost year !

 

 

 

 

Linking to SUNDAY SELECTION and STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

THE LAST THING I PUT IN THE FRIDGE

The last thing I wanted to put in my fridge and fortunately didn't because I realized that it was a plate with apple peels ! which certainly didn't belong in the refrigerator but I had it in my hands when I went to the kitchen to throw the peels in the bin ! 

No wonder I have to think of so much that I am so distracted. It's not the first time I've put something in the fridge, even my slippers once ! We searched the whole apartment for my slippers and Mr. G finally found them in the fridge when he opened it. At that time I didn't have any excuse I was just 29.

I am getting fed up with the Lockdown rules ! When you go shopping which I avoid as much as I can, you have to think not to forget your mask, line up in front of the entrance door, get a disinfected caddie, then you disinfect your hands and you have 30 min to do your shopping ! And you have to be alone !

If ever you have the good idea to go through a carwash, you can't, it's closed ! The Coronavirus sits in the brushes and soap and water, while you are alone in your car with contact to nobody.  But you can take a bus or the train where everybody is squeezed together but should have a mask on his nose AND mouth otherwise you get a fine of 250 € ! Isn't this absurd ?  I never would go out without mask, that's in my own interest, but why should I wear a mask when I am alone in a wood ??

This is our second lockdown and it's worse then the first one. There is also the curfew from 10 pm on til 5 or 6. No way to celebrate Christmas or New Year or you have to put up spare beds, which is not allowed as per houshold you can invite one person ! The other one has to stay on the street if it's a couple and only until ten!

Finally the only thing to do not to loose your mind is to make the best out of the situation, think what is the best for you and the less dangerous. 

Therefore I will continue to put things in the fridge which really don't need to be there at least it makes us laugh !

You have got the Covid 19                                                      Phew  ! I thought I've got the Coronavirus

I had bought this mask long time ago for Halloween ! I never thought that I would need it now when I go out !!

 

linking to SOCS Linda G. Hill

THERE IS NO AGE TO BE A FAN

A few years ago the Italian singer Eros Ramzotti gave a concert in Brussels. A friend of mine Jacky in the respectful age of nearly 80 but very fit, was a big fan of Eros Ramazzotti. She got so excited and asked me if I wanted to come with her.



Since I also like the songs of Eros very much, I agreed immediately of course. We just got two tickets, the concert was sold out since a long time.

Eros Ramazzotti's fans were of all ages, young and old.

When he started to sing, a few fans screamed in the front rows, but Jackie jumped up as if a wasp had stung her in the bottom  and shouted "Eros, Eros, Eros .... Throwing her arms in the air and jumping up and down !  I thought it was pretty funny, seeing an old lady behaving like a teenager, but for me it was hard to understand why such a calm and reasonable person suddenly turned into a hysterical fan. I had never been a fan in my whole life, even if I really liked certain actors or singers very much.

It lasted the whole concert and during the break she raved about her Ramazzotti. When the concert was over and he really didn't come back on stage anymore, we could finally leave.

My car was parked on a small lot that I happened to see when we arrived. When we came back there was a big camping car next to my car, with two enormous men standing outside smoking. The door of the camping car was open.

With a loud screem "that's his camping car" she ran as fast as she could to the entrance and wanted to climb up the few stairs. Of course the body guards stopped her and explained in English that she wasn't allowed to go inside. But Jacky didn't hear or understand anything managed to get herself free and entered the room, followed by the desperate bodyguards who tried to hold her back. Nobody would have thought that there was so much strength in an old lady, before the bodyguards pulled her gently back. She was so happy to have seen Eros live and where he slept when he was on tour.

While I pushed her towards my car I turned around and excused her for her behaviour, but the two men only smiled and waved us away. I am pretty sure they laughed their head off once we were gone.

On the way back home, I learned the whole life of Eros and drove a very happy Jacky home ! It had been an exciting evening !!

Here is a song from him which made him famous I guess.




Linking to Linda G. Hills SOCS-Fan

HOLIDAYS IN EGYPT

In 2009 I went for the second time to Hurghada in Egypt, together with my friend Chantal. At that time we still had a time sharing apartment and I had asked for an apartment in Hurghada. We got an apartment in the Hotel Regina, which I guess doesn't exist anymore.

It was in the middle of the town and when we arrived there tired from flight and a bit surprised by the surroundings, I thought the driver was wrong, we were suddenly in a jumble of honking cars, loud music and a lot of hustle and bustle ! 



Where is the red sea ?? I almost got a nervous breakdown, when I imagined  to stay 2 weeks in this loud mess.

Reluctantly we entered the hotel and found ourselves in a beautiful entrance hall and almost in another world !




From the reception we could see the beach and the sea ! Was I happy !



From outside our apartment looked very nice too. The inside was funny. My bed broke the first evening, in the kitchen (which fortunately we never used) the electric wires hung out of the wall, the TV dated from the first World War and the furniture was used up. Apparently it is not a country to go for time sharing apartments, the hotel rooms were completely different and rather luxurious. Anyway timesharing doesn't exist anymore.

But then sitting on our terrace in the morning for a cup of coffee, suddenly a huge truck arrived and sprayed I don't know what on everything ! It stunk terribly we almost suffocated.



We quickly escaped into the room, and when the smoke slowly disappeared we hurried to the beach ! Of course I asked what this spray was and they told me that it was against the mosquitos, that stung the people and that itched horribly. This spray was supposed to be the only mean that lasted for a long time.

They sprayed three times per day, early morning, when we had lunch and in the evening. It helped probably, because the mosquitos didn't like us but this was not the case of everybody.

Meanwhile all this has changed, and they use a more environment friendly spray which doesn't smell.




In a mosque, we got nice green coats !





Linking to Linda.G.Hills SOCS - Spray

I WANT TO MOVE

I am feeling as if I would live on another planet. These three month of lockdown have certainly had an impact on me. I always wanted to discover something to go out to have company and now that the end is near (not my end, but the lockdown end) although the near can be far away too.

We were very lucky, just before the lockdown started, our Estate agent found a buyer for our house because since at least two years I always thought "I want to go out of here".

Mr. G had broken his hip last year and although he recovered very well, the lockdown didn't suit him at all, because he didn't move, or yes he moved from computer to TV back and forth and is now bored ! It became worse and worse and when I see him walking I think of a Geisha ! Of course he doesn't want to go to a physiotherapist ! To walk up and down the steps to the basement seems as if he has to climb on the mount Everest.

As a creative person and to make him walk, I send him to do the shopping and always find something that he has to go to the basement to do some exercise on the steps. It is very tiring because he complains loud and angry that he has to walk too much and that I also could go to the basement. Yes that's the joy of 50 years of marriage.

Therefore during the lockdown I went apartment hunting instead of shopping, but always had a shopping bag with me in case the police would asked me where I am going. I drove along the streets where I wanted to live, in the city center which is very cute and green. Waterloo had been a village since two years ago and is no proudly a town ! Not so much for us inhabitants but for the mayor who gets more money for a town then for a city.


Waterloo city

It didn't last long and I found the apartment of my dreams. Of course I only could see it from outside but the location had all what I wanted !  It was in the city I could go to the movie, theatre, boutiques, banks, shops etc in walking distance and Mr. G. had his Whist Club at 500 m away. Ideal for a vintage couple. The apartment was on the fourth floor.

Lookdown or not, I jumped on the occasion, and per telephone and email we arranged a meeting with the owner, the estate agent was not allowed to come of course. It had to look private. With mask and gloves, a bag with cookies and books, I met the owner in the apartment and immediately fell in love with it.



The building

We came to an agreement but had to wait for the signatures until the Estate agents were allowed to work again, which was yesterday. It was the first time in 40 years that we rented, because we thought we are too old now to bother with buying all the paperwork which is involved (at least here) while renting is easy, you pay your rent and the owner has the troubles !

What I want now, is close my eyes, and wake up in the new apartment with all our belongings in place !!


Linking to Linda G. Hills SOCS - Want

AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN

This quote is exactly what I learned at a very early age ! In my mother's generation women had not much to say "legally" that didn't mean that they were stronger then their husbands, but officially a man had to be strong and a woman had to be weak. Man could work and study what they wanted, women were mostly trained to become good mothers and housewives.

When I was about 10, I felt that there was something wrong with my parents. My mother was mostly ill and my father as soon as he came home started to nag and critisize my mother and me. My mother's reaction as she wasn't a strong woman was to get all kind of diseases which I realize today were mostly psychological.

I never got a compliment from my father, I was ugly, too skinny, too stupid, impossible, and anyway there was nothing to do with me, all other girls were perfect only I wasn't.  In short I was not a "normal" girl.

And that was because I was very independant, I learned to defend my mother and told my father things which were true but which of course he didn't want to hear.  As I had always to fight against him and protect my mother I became strong, or it made me strong.

I never cried when I started school like all the other little girls, I walked home alone and feared nothing. The first time I travelled alone was when I was 7 years old, my father put me in the train with a carton around my neck with name and address, and asked the ticket inspector to keep an eye on me and so I sat in the wagon and chatted with the adults and 300 km further in Frankfurt my Grandpa picked me up.

My grandma was a strong and independant woman born in 1894, and she taught me to never be afraid of a man and only to marry if I find one who lets me live and not a guy like my father ! For that there was no danger, I still have my diary from when I was 14 and there is a full white page with only one sentence on it "Never marry a guy like your father". And  I didn't.

Later when I was adult and married and mother myself he tried to interfere in my marriage and the way how we should bring up our son. I didn't listen fortunately !

When I found the right man and we married, I didn't need to defend myself or our son  Mr. G. was not a father but rather the sweetest daddy in the world who allowed everything, with the result that I had the impression to bring up not one but two sons !

Linking to Linda G.Hills SOCS - Independence