from our own correspondent

[teafortwo]

Old thread...
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/2423/576865?ts=1222265998268&msgid=12499051

New thread...

to be created below!

Enjoy!

Perhaps living in Germany wasn't so bad after all?

Now where can I get one of those signs? I'd like to put one by my front door...

FOOC Nigeria

Hot 35deg

The credit crunch seems to have hit Nigeria, or at least the inflationary aspect has. We've just been to buy new ink cartridges for the printer. The bill came to the equivalent of £50. As dh was paying out he said that actually, it would be cheaper to buy a new printer.....

I was rather fascinated to learn recently that we seem to be living above a knocking shop. The apartment below us is supposedly owned by a 'Chief' (presumable a tribal one?) who also possesses a magnificent new palatial mansion at the creek-side. His wife allegedly doesn't know he has the apartment here and it's where he entertains his female friends. He has some sort of influence on the issuing of passports and visas and payment can be made in kind. If it's true, it certainly explains the 'ladies of the night' who've knocked on our door late at night and the random women seen on the balcony from time to time.

WOW!!! Sue - what a story - well they say fact is stranger than fiction...!!!

Thanks for asking your question about Tunisia and talking about politics. I have been slow to respond because I wanted to be entirely sure my answer is right.

My understanding, but if anyone knows better please correct me, is as follows. There is no law to say you must not speak about politics in Tunisia. However, there are many secret police who listen into conversations and if they hear you talking about politics in public they have the power to make your life fall apart.

While we were there, there was an anniversairy of the President taking over the country; and this day had been made a national day. We were wondering what would be happening to 'celebrate' in the town we were in so made a few enquiries. Each person we asked in the cafe and at the pension we were staying in said the same thing... "Something will be happening but it is forbidden to discuss politics in Tunisia."
In the end it was a bit of folk dancing and drum banging in the town centre! A man we asked was even in the performance - I have no idea why we weren't allowed to speak about that!

Each business displays at least one portrait of Zine Abbidine Ben Ali. When we returned back to Paris we asked a Tunisian friend about this. She explained that there isn't a law to say you must do this but if you don't the secret police either put one up for you or if you refuse to let them they take your business papers away.

In the cafe a teenage boy did translate and explain the Arabic the musicians were speaking into the microphone. He told us in perfect French and with a twinkle in his eye "They are thanking the President. It is expected at the end of every performance the performers have to thank Zine Abbidine Ben Ali!" We laughed while he lifted his eye-brows, nodded and turned his head away from us to enjoy another drag of his hubbly bubbly!

sorry - I forgot

FOOC Paris... but talking about Tunisia!!!

Gosh, that's a bit sinister, Teafortwo. Thanks for replying.

FOOC Paris - but still going on abot Tunisia [roll eyes emotion]

Yeah Sue - What is strange is until Zine Abbidine Ben Ali took over it was a democratic country.

On the plus side for Tunisia now and her future - it is one of the most forward thinking and stable countries in that region of the World. The people are on the whole provided with what is needed to live good lives and although unemployment is high poverty is not, schools are very good - the young people we spoke to seemed really very Worldly and learned, the muslim faith is understood as a religion and a private activity - I believe that no laws are based on the Koran or the Hadith. Women are respected and there are laws in place to ensure they are well protected.

It is just this freedom of speech side I don't think I could live with on a daily basis and the human rights issues attached to it too! This is the dark side of Tunisia, but, my prediction (perhaps naively?) is it will never get unbelievably horrifically dark like we have seen in other countries.

This is because of Tunisia's very strong relationship with France. Zine Abbidine Ben Ali sees his country as a Western thinking land. He has policies and agreements in place (many specifically with France but also with the rest of the Western World) that put him and the Tunisians in a position where he really can't afford on serious political, social and economical grounds to be disapproved of by France or/and the rest of the Western World.

Teafortwo that is really interesting - thanks

Sue - how odd re the knocking shop, but the printer things seems to be true here too, espeically with photo printers.

It cost my mum less to buy a new printer than the ink for her old one - how odd indeed.

IU have spent the day making mincemeat, baking mince pies, chritmas cakes, fruit buns, bread loafs and pies. I am feeling truly happy. There is something wonderful about cooking or baking, espcially as DH kept the children entertained most of the time or helped me. Only trouble is the kitchen looks like a storm has hit

FOOC Nigeria

Hot.

Dd2 had an interesting experience today - she went to church. She was at a sleepover last night and got hauled off to the Baptist church along with her friend and another sleepover pal this morning. I gather they didn't go of their own volition. The service was two hours long and the girls were very bored. Dd was the only white girl there so she must have stuck out like a sore thumb. She said there was some terrible singing of pop songs with musicians playing out of sync with each other and caterwauling vocals. There was also a lot of audience participation, with the pastor not content unless he had a 100% rating.

Dd was a bit disappointed there was no casting out of devils, although Satan and 666 got a mention, or speaking in tongues but she was entertained by the to-ing and fro-ing of a number of people through a door, apparently adjusting the electrics. As the sermon, on 'Giving To The Church', was 40 minutes long a sideshow was vital. Other members of the congregation also needed a diversion to while away the time so some of them produced Blackberries and were merrily checking their emails and surfing the internet. All except the guy who was fast asleep with his head on his knees.

Dd brought home the programme for the church which details the service. Some parts have asterisks by them and apparently this denotes parts of the service "when movemnt is prohibited except for emergency only". The mind boggles. Dd has decided that she won't be signing up as a regular.

FOOC Galicia
Lovely sunny warm day - maybe 17 Deg C. Spotted a fair few brave people sunbathing on the beach.

Your correspondent reporting with her stomach full and her head spinning after a weekend of festivities in honour of DH's Santo and birthday.

Dh's name is Alberto, and so he celebrates San Alberto Magno, whose day in the Catholic calendar is 15th November. As all children were trationally given good Catholic names, they all have a Saint's day.

In Spain, your Santo, or Saint's day, is celebrated with as much or more vigour than your birthday. In fact, SIL says that in her family birthdays really didn't amount to much, but come their santo they'd be given presents and a party and a cake etc. In DH's family the two celebrations are pretty much even, and by luck or planning his santo falls the day before his actual birthday - hence a weekend of festivities.

These took the form of a merienda or tea party at our flat on Saturday, which started at 8 and involved more wine than tea. I wowed the ILs with some English cuisine - carrot cake, devils on horseback and cucumber sandwiches.

Then on Sunday one of MIL's normal delicious lunches for 14 that she puts on every Sunday (amazing woman) followed by sticky toffee cake (more English cuisine that they love). DH turned 30, but we could only scrounge 3 candles, and his little nieces and nephews fought to blow them out, so we had more spit on our cake than we might have wanted!

That's quite scary, Cali. The good thing about the midwest is that we don't have major earthquakes. Snowstorms, tornadoes and heatwaves, yes. But no earthquakes to speak of. I do like the 'Keep calm and carry on' things!

Lagos museum sounds interesting.And the church service. And the knocking shop. What a fascinating life you have, Sue.

I remember my grandfather celebrating his Saint's day. Is it a Catholic thing? He was Polish.

My ink cartidges cost me $50 last week. I was

FOOC in Chicago

Well, it is cold. We have snow - proper big fat flakes that twirl and dance in the air before fluttering to the ground. DS and I tried to catch them on our tongues this afternoon. It was great fun and felt ever so festive.

FOOC in Chicago

Has the price of petrol changed elsewhere recently?

Here it is less than half what it was 4 weeks ago. It dropped by a dollar overnight and has continued to drop ever since. When you go to a gas station in the US, it is all automated, like it is in the UK. You pay at the pump. When you put your card in, it asks for your postcode or PIN and then a series of questions. Yesterday, the pump asked, "Do you want to buy a car wash?" and this amused me no end.

FOOC Auckland

Weather - beautiful all weekend, mid 20's and sunny. Last few days 17ish and freezing. Roll on summer when you know what to wear.

Yes Superbunny. It's dropped over 70c to $1.40ish in the past month. With a 5c drop yesterday alone. I've yet to see the corresponding drop in food prices that were apparantly hicked up on the back of transport charges! Although, we've been told to expect a slight increase because of the hickjacked tanker off the Somali coast by pirates (apparantly approx 20 NZ days usage) - like that one tanker will impact on the global usage/prices. Although I do love the concept on modern day pirates managing to hijack one of the biggest ships on the sea. I have ridiculous images of a piddly little boat with patched locals hopping on board shouting ahoy etc...we're taking over from here. A bit of a scuffle and bobs your uncle - tanker taken over by pirates .

That was 'hiked up' of course. ALl the talk of pirates you see. Far too exciting.

Interesting about all the giving over there, CF. I haven't seen any collections here. Maybe it is because I live in the city? Sounds lovely. My local freecycle has gone into holdiay mode with people asking for a 'New Wii' and suchlike.

I too wondered how pirates managed to capture such a large ship and how this can be such a big ongoing problem. It is scary to have pirates these days. I have images of Pugwash and his gang but I fear modern pirates are a bit more frightening.

Evening, from the land of not too far away from the pirates.

Sue, I just LOVE the idea of Nigeria, they are just so totally random and exuberant folk. East Africans are much more straight laced. Apart from the Somalis of course who are all as mad as hatters and are either a warlord or a pirate.

Kenya has announced it will be happy to prosecute pirates captured last week by the Marines in a shoot out. This is quite a major breakthrough as before there was no jurisdiction as the waters are either international territories or just off the Somali coast which is about as anarchic and lawless a nation as you could ever imagine. Apparently on the wireless tonight, we heard the pirates are on a roll and have gone for a third hijack. Now lets get this pirate imagery straight. Picture lean wiry arabic/african men in high powered speedboats with rockets launchers, a 'mothership' that they refuel from and hey presto an instant billion dollar money making scheme.

The international communities here are obviously starting to worry that the port of Mombasa may become a target.... then the cost of my cornflakes would really go through the roof.

You have got to love Africa, its a safe and beautiful place really. Isn't it Sue?

The dc at our Prep school are also entering the giving season, we have prepared shoeboxes with kids things inside much as many schoolchildren do in the UK. Only the school will personally deliver them to the state primary school at the end of the lane where the Prep school is and will give the couple of hundred of kids who walk past our decadence and wealth every day, a small slice of sunshine.

Cali at the deep Turkey frier!

Even here the price of fuel has gone down. However in true opportunistic Kenyan fashion there are petrol stations who haven't forwarded on this benefit to the customer. A local radio station with the backing of the Ministry of Energy is 'naming and shaming' those keeping prices high. It seems that the power of the media is remarkable these days.

FOOC Langley, BC, Canada - currently at my mum's in Toronto so FOOC Toronto - Winter Wonderland!!! It snowed massively here yesterday, just in time for DS and me to arrive. Didn't particularly enjoy the landing in TO - I swear it felt like we were going to run out of runway!!
Made my parents very jealous by telling them that it was 17 degrees and sunny in Langley yesterday.

Ummm, Cali, may I ask... your gay DH??

Oooo that totally passed me by Jacksmama, do tell Cali. Also is it just Gay people that have a penchant for deep fried turkey?

I was wondering about that, too: are Gay DH's some California thang?

FOOC Nigeria

Thunder and rain last night.

Today I'm reporting on a heist at dd's school. She lovingly made a poster for her RE homework a few weeks ago, based on the subject of Holy Communion. She used colourful pictures and printed out her own description, in attractive font and colours and next day staggered into school bearing her A3-sized edifice. Her teacher was delighted, said it was most marvellous, gave dd 20/20, kissed the poster(!) and then Blu-tacked it to the classroom door for all to admire.

A few days later, the poster had gone. The teacher carried a search of the classrooms, pupils were questioned, auxilliary staff subjected to grillings and other teachers eyed suspiciously. But the poster had disappeared into thin air. The hoo-haa soon died away and it was put down to One of Those Things.

On Tuesday, however, the RE teacher once again had a rant about the missing poster. A little while later, a pupil casually walked past the teacher and quietly slipped the missing poster into her hand!! No one seems to know where it has been, who had it or how much ransom money was paid for it. But it has been restored to prominent display, this time firmly held in place by very many drawing pins to prevent any possibility of a further heist.