Contemporaneous Interlude
Thanks everyone for emails and comments. Responses two or three posts below. In new wi-fi enabled hotel for birthday week. For £3 a night more it appears I also get hot water, a fridge and a spare hammock. On the downside I have satellite tv and more mosquitos.
Daily Spanish lessons are held by Eliecer – the poor guy is trying his best, but I’m hopeless. And what with having proper access to the internet tonight, I’m not even doing my homework. (Why does Spanish need 2 verbs for ‘to be’, anyway?) Fantastic meal this evening. Birthday night will be tomorrow. Apparently going to salsa clubs…
Will check back at lunchtime GMT.
PS. One Outrage. No ART representation at the Tower Hamlets quiz! No Pat or associates..? Disgusted of Barrio San Diego.
Tags: Thanks, Travel
JohnnyBoy
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:26 am
Hi Johnny Boy
Well Browyn and Liz have gone to Capetown so we are down to 4 of us. Kim cries everytime someone leaves, though after the binmen had left was going too far. Joe is coming back for Christmas, so more tears in January. The house will feel empty for a while. Snow is falling daily and we have already been skiing at Big white. Glad you are enjoying yourself. Bye for now.
December 2nd, 2005 at 6:23 am
I was about to explain the difference between ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ and realised that although I know which to use in which situation, thanks to O’level spanish of 22 years ago, I had forgotten the reasoning behind it, which just goes to show once you get to grips with it it becomes natural. Anyway, The University of Durham kindly helps you out here:
‘The difference is sometimes defined in terms of permanence (ser) and temporariness (estar). This notion is of some use, but does not cover all the possibilities and can be misleading. A better way of looking at the difference is to think of ser as defining identity and estar as indicating where (or in what condition) someone or something has ended up.’
Hope that helps!
December 2nd, 2005 at 6:26 am
I tried to go to the Christmas quiz in your memory but Karl banned me on the ‘grounds’ that his team’s table was full and it was too late to get a babysitter. And they didn’t even text me the questions! No wonder they came last. Unlike us, 3rd, 2003.
December 2nd, 2005 at 8:15 am
Hello Martin,
a very happy birthday. Don’t drink too much guinness tonight. Yeah, please do and raise a glass to georgie best. I’m sure you may meet someone who has Irish connection over there, they are everywhere.
December 2nd, 2005 at 9:24 am
happy birthday john, have a good’un! i’m getting very jealous reading all these strange places! ahh exotic chester! seem to have become addicted to exclamation marks! oh, in what is a blatant misuse of the blog, yes angela we would love to meet up at christmas for a few drinks!
December 2nd, 2005 at 11:31 am
You go ahead Rob and Lena, use it as a contact forum. Might hive off a section of the blog as a contact site, anyway. Could bring in some extra income.
Norman Grove people – thank you very much indeed. Didn’t realise you were following the fun… Can’t say I’ve seen much Guinness in this town, so it might just have to be rum and salsa. This is the one country in the world where it pays to keep Irish roots hidden on account of the IRA/FARC connections, by the way.
Surely in Blair’s New World of ‘choice when you don’t need’ a mixed economy of Routemasters and otherwise adapted buses would be appropriate. The oint is really conductors, anyway, rather than design.
Thanks for the help on estar. Bloody hell.
Mark, Kim cries when a candle goes out – all part of the fun. Skiing, eh? How long ago was I up that BC mountain? Love to all…
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:47 pm
I cannot believe that I was not aware of the date of the quiz. It’s the highlight of my year. We would have had, the now infamous, Ms Currid on the team. I am assuming that you know about the Weakest Link (don’t panic, it’s out on DVD for Christmas – complete with comments about apple catcher knickers).
Rob, I’m in Chester from 22nd, but will only meet you if you cut down the use of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m glad to hear the hair is cut. Maybe you could get your teacher to take your photo.
Carol Thatcher is on “I’m a Celebrity…” and even worse, she hasn’t been voted out.
Must dash, need to make a sheep outfit…
December 2nd, 2005 at 4:30 pm
Is he 50 yet?
December 3rd, 2005 at 4:31 am
Happy Birthday Martin Hope it’s a memorable one !! Hope you retiurn to UK before your next birthday
December 3rd, 2005 at 1:07 pm
Happy Birthday, Martin, from us and your nephews. Just think, Besty died on me dad’s and was buried on yours. Must mean that United are going to win the league. I’m off to find out the odds…
Hope you’re having a good one and got muchos mailos in your pigeon hole.
XXXX