Inanimate objects and gossip ...

Life can be a sod sometimes, especially in winter. Our tv and sound system is important to us in the winter especially and I have been so pleased recently with the system we have. Picture quality, sound, and the performance of our "box" have just been spot on - until this afternoon. I switched on the tv and ... dead in the water. Checking online I suspect it is terminal although I shall pop down to Demotronics tomorrow to get them to have a look. But not something we need a few days before the Six Nations' Championship begins.

Of more importance is the nastiness of the Argaka and general expat gossip mill. Readers of this blog will know that I walked into a glass partition at Santa Barbara restaurant last Sunday, and hurt my nose and left hand. Fortunately no lasting damage was done. But a friend of ours was treated to the real nastiness of expat gossip at badminton last week, when "FAT PAT" - and my goodness she is loud and fat - gave her a blow by blow account of what had happened. It was very accurate as it did happen at least ten minutes after she left the building.

I despair of many of the expats in this area, as they have nothing to do but gossip and make snide comments. This is probably why Ann and I are very, very particular in the friends we make and the people we associate with. My friend David, of Gracie Towers, referred to expats (in Thailand, not that it matters) as OF Ltd. "Old Farts ... Living The Dream". Far be it from me to disagree with my friend, but it does become apparent how many expats seem to be from Scotland and the North of England, and who seem to have absolutely no breeding. My grandmother will be turning in her grave.

As Maureen Lang wrote:

“It is an utter violation of good breeding and training to speak or to behave in a way that disrespects, embarrasses, or otherwise denigrates another human being; in so doing, you denigrate yourself as well.”