Getting Back into the Swim

Dear Marmite,

The world is opening up slowly but surely. I have started swimming at the local sports centre. This is, of course, a bit down market compared to Dairy Farm. For a start there are riff raff in the pool - only joking Wolverton!

Because of coronavirus, there are strict rules and you have to book your spot in the pool for one hour well ahead of time. Certain parts of the changing facilities are out of bounds as well. In fact, there is no real indoor swimming pool noise and the experience is all together much more zen. This is well organised.

People are walking the streets in groups again. These are mostly teenagers who are on the real part of their summer holiday staycation. To be honest it has been a bit of a bummer for those who went to Spain or who want to go as the government have suddenly enforced a quarantine period of 14 days for all those who return home. I also understand that previously booked holidays are not being refunded either. Oh dear!

My friend has just returned from Singapore to set up a new life here in the UK. Her planning was thwarted on many fronts but despite this, she is now back in St Albans with a dog, a cat, a daughter and loads of luggage! I picked her up from Heathrow airport and that was eerily quiet like the pool yesterday.

Now her household are in quarantine for 14 days, which she will probably appreciate after the manic process of leaving a country for good. I know, I have done that and got the badge!  Apparently, when you self isolate, you can still go to the shops for food and medicine. Probably the pub is off limits though even though it might seem medicinal.

The trouble with the rules here in the UK are that they are fluid, open to interpretation and very likely to change on a whim. I imagine the cabinet in daily session via zoom where they are all still in their jim jams discussing how they can piss the most number of people and perhaps other countries off in the process. They probably vye for the most outlandish suggestion. From their current record, there are some really creative pillocks around the proverbial table! 

Oh Marms, I could go on at length, I despair of the way this country is being run. Perhaps "run" doesn't quite describe what they are doing daily. For a start, I am seeing first hand what a shambles the Home Office is. They are writing letters to my friend to say he isn't entitled to any support because he didn't move into accommodation which they have never offered him. They have also contacted him via letter and phone assuming he was someone else. Perhaps this is part of the creativity of the cabinet trying to piss the greater number of people off. I wouldn't put it past them.

The biggest, worstest thing to happen to me is that I have permanently deleted loved photos. How did this happen, you ask. Easily. I now have a 10 year old, much treasured camera that is compatible with my newish tab tablet. They won't speak to each other and any software available is for newer cameras. I managed to put my D90 photos on the phone and thi king theyvwere there, I seleted them off my camera. They included all my over land photos from Sophia onwards... I have been kicking myself ever since.

I must go, Marms. I really do miss you, you wonderful beast. Keep smiling as you always do.

Hugs and cuddles,

Love

XXX

A jumble of good bits and worse

Dear Marmite,

Another week passes and so much of my life is the same. Over here in the UK we have been told we should wear masks in shops but this is not compulsory. Some shops have already said they won't enforce it. We were, however, given a specific date to look forward to when this new non-compulsory change to everyday life was to take place - 24th July. So Marms, over here in the UK without clear leadership, but with known support from our Russian "Friends" our government flip flops along in a most dire state.

I have to say there is a fellow rotweiller that I most admire over here. His name is Keir Starmer and he regularly chews Big Bad Boris up and spits him out for breakfast. PMQs is probably the finest comedy happening over here at the moment. It is so aptly described by John Grace in The Guardian - a highlight of my little world.

Seeing Keir in action makes me feel proud to have been with you for so long, Marms. If only you could have seen him in action. He is a true rotweiller! For once I jeer at the underdog with his waffle, whiffle,  piffle explanations as to why we are "world beating". The only major joy from reading the news is that Trump has made a bigger balls up of this crisis than everyone else.

On the home front, a major sadness about lifting lockdown is that people are out and about and marking their territory with rubbish. The photo doesn't do justice to how much garbage there was around a park bench not 20 yards from a bin! Perhaps locking up these antisocial oafs would be a positive move - let's have a nicer new normal!

I have been indulging in taking ripe blackberries from hedges around where I live. The first ones Nasser picked from a garden (oops) where we were delivering parcels. They were wonderful and have obviously benefited from cooler weather and regular rain. I hope this behaviour doesn't come into the antisocial range - I am sure it won't count as petty theft!

I popped to Willen Lake on my bike to join a photography group on Friday. This was the first meet-up since the lockdown. It was a great opportunity for learning. Now I have to work out how to get my raw pictures onto a new tablet that won't talk to old technology. This is most annoying. I don't want a new camera but I might need to get one just so I can play with the images on the screen. 

Following my artistic bent, I spent a couple of days drawing. I could spend hours and not notice the time disappear. What wonderful therapy! My daughter is having a baby in January. It will have 34th generation Japanese and Gujarati DNA and it will probably keep me from my drawing so I'll make the most of this time before I get called on to baby sit.. Oh the joys! 

I read on FB that it takes a village to bring up a child but it takes a vineyard to homeschool one! I should probably get some practice in! hic

Love you

XXX

A Complete Potcake

Dear Marmite

You are a potcake. I am a potcake. I suspect most of the world are too but they won't admit it. Bahamians call mongrel dogs potcakes - a dog where everything has been thrown into the mix. 

I know that you are a Rotweiller somewhere in your DNA. Your colouring and size are big giveaways but you do have a tail that is a bit German Shepherd. Inside you is Wuss. In fact, your very nature is wussy.

I am the same as you. Perhaps not so much of the wuss but I am a mixed bag. I treated myself to a DNA test for my birthday and after a lot of delays the results finally came back. The company says it traced my DNA back 32 generations to around 1170 AD when I had Japanese and Gujarati in my blood. 27 generations ago I had Columbian and then Peruvian and the British Isles doesn't pop up until 1470s. 

After that time there is evidence of Toscani Italian, Iberian, Sri Lakan Tamil, Northern European, North Western European, Punjabi and Bengali. I am 3% British Isles which probably explains my anti- BREXIT stance and possible a few other other things about me.

To be honest, this wasn't what I was expecting. As I come out as 55% Italian, I will now eat more pasta, drink prosecco by the gallon and gesticulate more avidly. Perhaps this is not PC but I do feel I have to grow into the role of not being British! All I can say is my forebears certainly got around!

I have been watching a bit of TV too. On BBC there is a really intense documentary about the war in Iraq. No one comes out of this particularly well - especially the politicians Bush and Blair -  and we all know how it has ended up. It has been especially interesting watching with Nasser who has his own slant on the war. 

We only watch one episode an evening because it is rather painful so I haven't got to the end of it yet. Apparently, Iran was complicit in stirring up trouble but so far this hasn't got a mention. In one of the clips of Saddam Hussein in his earlier years I thought he looked a lot like Nasser. So we now talk about Uncle Saddam! DNA could come from anywhere as I have realised. Who knows - they might be related!

On other fronts, I did a longish jaunt on the bike along country roads to a pub in Silverstone  - famous for F1. I do this not only for my enjoyment but also to make Nasser a bit more of a Brit ( he still doesn't eat Marmite BTW). 

I am rather glad the pubs are open. It means that my cycling has a purpose - half way round there is a place to sit down and have a beer - or in my case - a cider. Added to the pleasures of pedalling, the weather has turned into summer once more and that makes people smile  - even under their masks. 

So from one Potcake to another I send lots of hugs and cuddles.

Love you

XXX

Long Time, No see

Dear Marmite,

This has been the longest time I have left between letters. It is is not that I haven't thought about you. The reverse is true. Lots of things have been happening my end. I have started a new art project - bottle painting; and I went to visit Sammi up in St Andrews - That is about 500 miles from home. You would have loved the car ride. You always did. 

The trip to Scotland had been put on hold because of COVID. Scotland has stricter rules about distancing than England and everyone seems to respect those rules. The most peculiar sight was seeing long, snaking queues outside every Fish and Chip shop. People had clearly been deprived of a very basic necessity for a very long time. 

We did lots of outdoor things like swimming in the sea and walking. Lucky, the dog, was never very far behind. At one point when I was walking along a cliff a lady asked me if that was Lucky. She was a friend of Sam's. Sam took the boys and Nasser on the chain walk which meant they

had to climb up and down rocks so I took Lucky the picturesque way over the top.

I also had my first hit at tennis with Sam. He is very tall, very strong and very scary with a racquet in his hand. I remember when he used to cry if I spun the ball at him. Now he shows very little mercy. It was a lesson rather than a game. By way of revenge Nasser beat Sammi at chess. 

Dylan and Reef, my grandsons - who you must remember- scootered everywhere. Dylan is a very serious and loves Minecraft - a game which gets rationed. Reef is much more into raw brutality but has a way of smiling his way out of trouble. Both are super duper climbers with no fear factor. If I looked after them for too long, I'd age prematurely from worry. 

On our way back from Scotland we called into a pub and met an old friend from Singapore - we talked about work and old friends and while sitting in an old village pub we transported our way back to the good old days!! Oh how easy that is to do. Until we meet again, Sue! 

So all round it has been a long time and no see. Sammi, I saw at the beginning of March, Sue I last saw in 2018 and you, Marmite, I last saw in a beautiful picture of you snuggled up under a blanket just last week.

Hugs and cuddles over the airwaves

Love

XXX

On getting there

Dear Marmite

First of all, let me say how good you looked in the photo you sent earlier today - you really are a very sprightly, handsome 13 and a half year old. Oh, how I miss our chats. Life over here now the lockdown is easing isn't that much different for me. As you know I am not much of a shopper. I really do want to go to a pub  - mostly because it is a British thing to do but I'll wait til people settle to a routine before I bother. It is nice to know that the opportunity is there though. 

Yesrterday, we popped into Central Milton Keynes. It is one huge shopping mall with most of the shops you would find in other parts of the world. There were long queues outside, Boots, Primark and John Lewis. Obviously, I couldn't be bothered about waiting to get into a shop so we sauntered along, window shopped and did little else. 

As you know Marms, after my fall at work I have had a few twinges. I can't have physio at the moment and proprietary pain killers weren't touching the spot so I finally phoned the doctor. I should have done it long before. I now have a specific exercise programme to add to my daily rolling around the bedroom floor, and some specific medicine to reduce the pain. I have a trapped nerve in my back, toothache in my bottom and a hamstring that doesn't like me walking around. I have swapped these symptons for a bit of nausea and a slight headache. At the moment I see it as a good deal. At least I don't feel like eating so that is a bonus.

I still have far too much time on my hands. I have been doing a treasure hunt with bottles of beer and cider for Richard's birthday which is today. He has been pretty good at finding the answers to the clues on the bottles. I am not too sure whether this is a desperation to drink or a natural bent at pub quizzes. Either way it has added a bit of fun to our lives.

Other highlights include eating from the garden. Tonight we will be having broccoli with new potatoes and salmon. The salmon is long since dead but the other two items are top-notch fresh. Distributing food on Tuesdays is our way of marking the passing of the weeks too. I have got to know the people on my round in Stacey Bushes - an area of Milton Keynes. This distribution is carrying on til September. It is all very well planned and we do keep a physical distance when handling parcels.

The biggest news is that Nasser had a letter from the Home Office. He is not out of the woods yet but at least they got his name right and said that he has been moved along to the next stage of the asylum / refugee process. Just getting the letter was cause for celebration. It is a big ray of hope. 

Could hope for more rays of sunshine... The weather is atrocious for July - a typical Wimbledon week of rain, winds and low temperatures. Am I still dreaming of the glorious endless summer in Singapore, I wonder? I have already bought two coats and a jacket since my return to cover most weather eventualities. They all get worn as well.

You have a good thick coat, Marms. You would do well in this climate, I'm sure. 

Love you...

XXX

Reasons to Celebrate July 4th in England

Dear Marmite,

Having a big celebration here on July 4th is normally unusual. It is Independence Day in the US and that was when they got independence from us. On that occasion we were the losers! Our big celebration will be the lifting of lockdown.

Big Bad Boris and his corrupt cronies have declared that life should move towards normal on this date. The new rules, like the old ones make no real sense. For instance, you can have a hair cut but not your nails done for starters. For the life of me, I can't see any logic in that rule. There are other interesting quirks about the new regime which are yet to be ironed out too.

I suspect the loosening of the 2 metre rule is because no one can figure out how to run schools without having a smaller distance between everyone. At this point, I could put my hand up and suggest a few safe ways round this - half days or half weeks in school and support at home with blended learning. Small group tutorials either online or in school for older students. I'll save my breath as no one is likely to listen. I imagine schools will be a hotbed for the transfer of infections come September. Naturally - it will be teachers' fault when that does happen - another opportunity for the blame game.

In reality, nobody seems to be observing 2 metre distancing anyway and shops are certainly not reinforcing the distancing rule while inside. Yesterday, no one was wearing a mask either. On a bitter day with gusting winds and intermittent downpours we popped to a shopping centre to have a look at clothes and sports shoes - just like half of Milton Keynes. My observation - too many people with very short memories.

First of all we passed a traffic jam waiting to get into the IKEA car park. The tailback was so long it took a while to realise what the issue was. At the nearby mini retail park, Costa Coffee was sort of semi open and there were queue's to get into all the shops. Despite my overwhelming annoyance at having to wait to shop, I was persuaded to stand around in a squall for a while til we were let in. 

I didn't particularly like shopping before lockdown and I am not too excited about being able to shop now! There are things that I am looking forward too. It would be nice to plan a bike ride to a village pub and then wobble home. That for me will be a joy and something I'd like to do. 

I had planned to visit my son in St. Andrews. I am in principle allowed to go but not to use public toilets on the way. The trip is 500 miles each way. I have decided to wait until the following weekend when that restriction will be lifted. Seeing people face to face will be another joy to celebrate. 

So over this lockdown it has been said that people will emerge as hunks, chunks, drunks or monks. I can certainly discount me being a monk. I have spent lockdown in very good company, unexpected as it was. I haven't hit the bottle no more than three times a week so alcohol consumption was kept in moderation. I can't describe myself as drunk.

Food has been of the best sort so I probably wobble a bit more even though I still roll around the bedroom floor feigning stretching most days and hit the road on my trusty bike. Balancing those two out I am wavering between chunk and hunk - not particularly a good description for women, me thinks.

The weather has been hotter than Singapore so we have spent a good deal of time in the garden under my improvised shade. The garden still needs a lot of work. I sit on the chair and feel a pang of guilt. Regardless, we have eaten broccoli leaves and rhubarb and there are now tomatoes, beans, potatoes, herbs and raddishes on their way to be harvested! Not bad for the first year of growth.

Danielle brought old photo albums over. These were pictures I hadn't seen since Sammi was born. Here are a couple of funnies.... for the clothes, for the memories and for history.

So Marms, how are things changing for you in Singapore. Are you getting out more? Seeing more people around? What do you make of being able to eat in restaurants again? In spite of the recent rains, you are in a good place. Be happy and stay safe.

Sending really big hugs to you. 

Love

XXX

Summer Solstice

Dear Marmite

There are many things that are different about life over here. One of them is the passing of the seasons. For this reason I thought it would be a great idea to watch the sunrise this morning. The official time for sun up was 4:52am so I set the alarm for 2:50am just so I had enough time for coffee and at 3:30 I set off with a very reluctant partner in crime for Midsummer Boulevard which was built in line with the solstice sunrise to watch this event.

Nasser was so reluctant he was given to muttering a few swear words (in English) about me as we set off. Unperturbed, I led the way along the cycle lanes towards the city centre. Many others have been press-ganged into participating in my "adventures" on previous occasions so overcoming resistance of this nature is not new to me. It was one more challenge!

So, at very early o'clock we pedalled through a miserable drizzle and waited for sun up. It must be noted that there was quite a crowd gathered so this puts me in a large category of people who are prepared to forego sleep. The event really was a damp squib. The cloud cover was so heavy there was a momentary glimpse of a red ball coming up over the horizon and then it disappeared behind heavy cloud. On cue, we did too. We cycled back through the rain and when we got in I shed my damp clothes and got back to bed just to warm up.

I forgot that I had the cycle app running on my phone and so at lunch time today it was telling me my workout was paused! This has to be my longest bit of exercise I have done without knowingly doing anything.

Danielle has brought a box of old photos over so I am going through them. Lots of the pictures are from my days in the Bahamas but some of them go back to sixth form and uni days. The bright coloured jacket I wore for my trip from Singapore is in some pictures from 1990! I have had that item of clothing for 30 years.

There is also a picture of the Beetle that Danielle was born in in 1986. So all in all it has been a really nostalgic trip down memory lane. I am only half way through the albums so far as there are literally hundreds of pictures. The only trouble is - I need storage space so it will have to be a pretty  big house I get as I'll need to store them.

We are out of lockdown and there is more life about. Shops have signs saying they are opening up and the streets do feel busier. Tescos still has the 2 metre blobs on the floor and directional arrows which seem to be largely ignored. I would give anything to sit in a pub garden and have a beer - not possible just yet, though.

The biggest plus from the lift is that I could get the stuff returned to B&Q. Some of the things ordered were wrong and so my contractors had to get alternatives. Other things had been double ordered. Getting rid of a garage load of stuff has been a big step in the right direction. The house six months on is nearly sorted.

Already I am looking on lockdown as being one with happy times. Danielle misinformed me about when Richard's birthday was so I made a set of general knowledge questions about his birth date and things he is interested in - the birth date questions I have had to update so that they refer to 5th July - his birthday!

I have put a question on little cards and hung them round bottles of beer ( different varieties). I am going to put these round the house for a treasure hunt and he can only drink them when he gets the question right...I really do have too much time on my hands! We are also doing a BBQ for a select few...

So as you can see Marms we really are into homemade fun. I bet you wish you were here! I do.

Love you as always

Love

XXX