One of those days..

Ever have those days when you feel in a complete daze and that you are an observer rather than partaker of everything that happens? hmm..probably just me, but ho hum. I feel this was the consequence of three funny happenings last week:

1. Was responsible for making tea and coffee for 20 people on a training course at work which involved filling some huge thermos flasks things with hot water. This went fine, until someone tried to get water out of the flask and no matter how many times they, me or my manager (who had come to the rescue at this point) pumped the little tap thing on the top, no water would come out. After much confusion and frantic pumping my manager said "You know, it feels like the pump thing isn't actually in there". Opens flask..."oh, its not." Me: "Ops! Thats what the random pole things on the side were for.."...duh. Yes, I am so incompetent that I cant even make tea ;-)

2. Attempting to make an appointment for an injection and not realising for an embarrassingly long amount of time that the person I was talking to was not actually the nurse but my mother. Gone are the days for teasing mother that "she doesnt even recognise the voice of her own daughter!"

3. Speaking to a guy at international friends and after telling him my name, he stuck out his hand and said "Atique". I thought that he was commenting on my name and trying to say something in English that I just really wasnt getting so looked at him blankly, then said "er, pardon?" and after the repeat, said "um. no I don't think so." DUH...how could I not have realised that Atique was his name...? "Um, no, sorry, that cant be your name...you must be mistaken.." ;-)

Oh. My. Word. You would not believe what happened today….

Things have been rather quiet on the blog front recently, mainly due to the fact that life has been busy but not particularly exciting. However, today something happened which is up there with “the microwaving chicken”, as one of the most exciting things that has happened in my life. Ever. The problem is, I am so used to attempting to make incredibly dull things vaguely exciting, and therefore fear that I may make this potential exciting story, very dull. However I shall do my best not to ruin it. Anyway, enough of the build up…

Today I got mugged. Ok, so that in itself is not very exciting…actually it wasn’t very nice at all. I had just reached the brow of “the big hill”, as “mugging man” approached from the other direction, also on a bike, with a scarf covering most of his face, bar his eyes. Now you would think this was a bit of a give away as to his intentions…however it was very cold so I thought nothing of it. Next thing I knew, he had grabbed my bag and was off down the hill. In a shocked state I turn round and began cycling very slowly after him, before coming to my senses and realising that I really had no hope of catching him and even if I did, what would I do then?? Plus, if I went back down the hill, I would then have to slog back up…not very appealing. So I cycled home and cancelled my cards.

It was then that Cindy rang (now hopefully the exciting nature of the story will rapidly increase from this point forward). Unbeknown to me, Cindy and her husband, Ken (this isn’t his real name) witnessed the whole event from their red van as they were a passing. Quick thinking Cindy, on realising what had happened decided that a bag rescue plan was definitely in order, and commanded the obedient Ken to “put ye foot down”. Off they shot down the hill in hot pursuit of the mugger. After a little while the biker entered the nearby woods and, if I understood correctly from Cindy, her and her husband managed to continue the chase (on foot I presume) through the woods and in to a park. Cornering the chap, things got a bit violent. The brave Ken “took a couple of punches…and then he gave a few” (!) (to quote my friend Cindy), and despite mugger boy’s threats to stab him (aah…), stood his ground and valiantly snatched my bag from his grasp. At this point Cindy was calling the police, but alas they did not arrive in time and robber escaped. Now I do feel quite bad that quite a bit of violence was involved in the bag retrieval process, but am assured by Cindy that Ken, at least, only suffered minor injuries...

Anyway, to cut a long story a tiny bit shorter…the police got involved and it all got quite complicated, but the tale ended happily today, as I met the lovely police officer outside the “99p shop” (yep, you get all the best shops in Reading) and was reunited with my rather muddy, but 100% intact, bag…plus all its contents, including some essentials such as my Vaseline and an orange ;-) And tomorrow I shall meet my heroes, Cindy and Ken, in person. Yey! The End.

Email

The other day at work I had to book someone on a first aid course. This involved emailing Ambulance Trust people, and giving them the name and job title of said chappy. The name was Alex. After sending the email I recieved a prompt reply from Ambulance people, saying "Please can you confirm whether Alex is male or female". Now, Im not sure why they needed to know this, but I felt I should answer their request, and sent back the shortest and most bizzare email I think I have ever sent..."Alex is male". Hee hee. Just could'nt think of anyway of saying it that made it any less weird....

Cosmestons, take note

I just rediscovered my tomato photos! Took them yonks ago with big plans to put them on my blog, but alas I forgot. However better late than never (thats my general moto in life ;-)) so here is evidence of my tomato growing success :-) Please note that this is the "yellow pear" variety...a lot less pear shaped than expected. I think a letter to the seed company suggesting "yellow plum" as a new name for this type is definitely in order.

Spanish

Fun as Japanese is, I'm really meant to be learning spanish. So yesterday I met up with a girl from church and we tried to learn some...and it was, erm, kinda productive..ish. Well, more productive than our previous "lesson" were we watched a spanish film ;)

Two phrases I learnt that I feel will be particularly useful are:
1) Yo vivo en un zapato (I live in a shoe)
2) Tu vendes ventanas (You sell windows)

How cool is the word for shoe? Amazing. As we were learning verb endings, I can also say...we live in a shoe, they live in a shoe, he lives in a shoe...so many uses! I think my spanish capabilities are also going to vastly improve with the help of my new book....Thanks Katie!!! :-)
Now I will be able to understand the logic behind the things I am saying! Horray!

Hee hee...today at work I discovered that the cupboard towards which my desk faces, has been filled with some new and exciting things! As supposed to files, the top shelf now houses some industrial strength, steel caped wellies (or as someone in our office calls them "welsh going out shoes" ;-)JOKE!) and some gardening gloves, whilst on the middle shelf we have a collection of torches (of various sizes) and....4 hard hats! All incase of emergencies...Don't quite know what the office is expecting, but I find it quite disconcerting. Unless the wellies are to throw at the next intruder, whilst the surrounding office workers get issued with hard hats incase the throw isn't so accurate...? And the torches...to be used to shine in the theif's eyes to check he is unconsious? Hmm, its a possiblity.

Speaking of hard hats...reminds me of a situation Becky and I once found ourselves in, where we felt at risk as were the only people walking through Reading town centre not wearing a hard hat..t'was most worrying. I almost feel the need to commander (?!) our office supply in case of such emergencies...;-)

In other news...today I forgot to remove the safety pin that I use to pin up my trousers when I am cycling to work, and therefore walked round the office for quite some time with a leggings style going on, but on just one of my trouser legs...felt like Muller.

Buenos noches (Im not actually going to bed, but I don't know how to say, "I'm off the bake a cake" ;-))

Japanese!

In honour of my beloved ex (sniff) house mate, tonight I decided to learn some Japanese :-) In fact, not just learn but..."wait for it"...sing (!) some Japanese...

Kira kira hikaru osorano hoshiyo
Mabataki shitewa minnao miteru
Kira kira hikaru osorano hoshiyo

Guess the song :-)

Other funny things that happened today / this eve....
1. Someone running the international student event asked the students if any of them had a Grandfathers clock with them??? Oh yes of course, never go anywhere with out my grandfathers clock...always bring it in case of emergencies...I'll just whip it from my back pack..

Hmm..I really did have some other funny stories, but they escape me...tis late. Im sure I will remember them soon, and when I do I shall blog again :-)

Weather

So yesterday I had a brilliant conversation at work which left me feeling oh so clever...

Guy at work: Yesterday I was teaching people at work how to read weather maps
Me: oh right...that's not that hard is it?
GAW: no, not really..
Me: I mean, a cloud means cloudy, and cloud and rain means rainy, a sun means....
GAW: Um, no, I mean the proper weather charts, that show high and low pressures, air currents, winds....
Me; Oh.
Awkward silence

Hee hee...it was funny ;)

Told we had a course on at work called "diversity awareness". I am still confused as to why the trainer saw the need to have flowers, relaxing music, and scented candles in the room for such a course. Most bizzare. The candle burning caused a bit of a stir as apparently our office isnt insured for candles..I was too scared to go and tell the blokey that candles werent allowed, so spent most of the day trying to persaude someone else to burst in, run up to the table, blow out the candles and run out again...heehee. Alas, they weren't persauded.

Anyway, Adios mes amigos :-)