Phwoar! What a scorcher!

Inspired by Lecrams well erm.. inspiring.. post about hot weather, and the fact that we do have a bit of hot weather here too right now....

When it get over 25 degrees Celsius in this country, several things happen:
1. People quit moaning about how crap the summer is and start moaning that its too hot.

2. The tabloid newspapers run front page headlines which go something like "phwoar! What a scorcher!!" (pushing major international news of starvation, war, disaster and death to page 6)

3. Tabloid newspapers run said "Phwoar What a scorcher! story for 5 pages, including photos of people on the beach in Brighton or running around in fountains in Trafalgar square PLUS "fascinating" statistical data such as - this is the warmest day since the dinosaurs were here and that the hottest place in the UK is the runway of Heathrow airport (ooh lets go there to sunbathe...)

4. People start wondering why the Tube isnt air conditioned.... or theatres arent air conditioned... or restaurants arent air conditioned... or homes aren't air conditions... or stores aren't.....

5. People take their cardigans off

6. People have BBQs in Parks using those disposable BBQ things, and leave them on the grass when they have left

7. As all reservoirs in this country seem to be no more than puddles, there is a hose pipe ban on day one of hot weather and we are urged to leave our wee in the toilet for longer and forced to sneak out at night wearing black balaclavas to irrigate our begonias (or tree ferns)



So thats us!

Hoorah to hot weather!

Lovely London! 

How do we react?

THe worst terrorist attack on the UK there has ever been they say. Tales of limbs being blown off, panic in the dark underground tracks not knowing how to get out or fearing that they wouldnt get out. Faced with their own death yet standing in front of the camera telling their own story. Each person has a different story. The American tourist now despoerate to go home to the States, the european tourist who had never been on the underground before today telling us her story with blackened face and a trembling lip. The nurse friend of mine who messaged me from the A&E department saying she was "working and crying intermittently".

These are people on the front line who were physically touched by the events of the day. Then there are those of us touched by the events in other ways. My own ma called this evening and began to cry at the injustice of those ordinary people on their way to work who were injured, or killed. I responded in a way that I think is quite a typical London response - "yeah it's terrible, but we were waiting for it, it was inevitable".

Like New Yorkers, who in terms of scale and numbers involved suffered monumentally more than most here in London, we are likely to remain defiant. Most will be concentrating on finding ways to get home right now, and again tomorrow morning, will be finding ways to get back into work again. To carry on as normal, keep things ticking.

I wonder if that is really right though? If we spend so much energy "getting on with it" where does all that other stuff go? Are we burying important things here? I dont believe terrorism should make us feel beaten into submission, or force us to seek raging revenge. But I do think there is room to sit and look at what we have done or how we relate to the world that has led a group of people to be so angry and to have such disregard for innocent lives. We should be looking for solutions, not just affirming our stiff upper lips and resorting to "puttting the kettle on" as if a cup of tea will wipe everything away.

But then again, maybe a cup of tea is just what we all need.

I'm still alive (I think)

Hello folks, sorry for teh slackness posting-wise. No excuses, I just havent done it.

The tree fern is huge now so that story has gone off the boil. When I figure the photo thing out I'll show you if anyone is actually interested in my blithering plants!

Latest news is that I finally found me a friend who is willing to set up a blog! Hoorah!

BigBloggerBlobber

lives in Australia (thats a VERY VERY long way away you know), and is a jolly lovely mate who used to be British, but went to the dark side in search of better beaches and a billabong or two. Did she find them? Did she change her name to Sheila? Do those corks hangoing from thehats REALLY keep the pesky flies away or are they just there for show? Well find out on her blog this instant!

Other late items of news I suppose is that I attended the event of the century that was Live8 at Hyde Park. Fab day had by all and I felt quite honoured to be there, not because I was witnessing the 'world changing' but because I actually won a bloody raffle for the first time in my life! Again, onnce I get to grips with photos thingies, I'll post something up!

Two questions to end on:

1. Will George Dubbla put the mockers on the G8 summit and continue his denial that 1. Global Warming exists and 2. that Africa exists?

2. Will London win their bid to host the Olympics?

See you soon (famous last words)

Blithers x

http://bigbloggerblobber.blogspot.com/