Weekend

I see this church every weekend that I stay in London as it sits right across the street from the "Premiere Travel Lodge" just the Fulham side of Putney Bridge. Its the church attached to the Fulham Palace in Bishops Park. No real reason to take the picture other than its a kind of landmark for me during visits with my daughter.

I arrived in London late Friday night and went out in search of grub. Predictably the only place still serving food was an Indian restaurant around the corner from the hotel. I sat without a newspaper (which is my usual camouflage when eating alone) at a table for one by the window. Eating a curry in an Indian in London at 11 pm on a Friday night is not my idea of fun. Doing it surrounded by nut-cases, makes it even less so. Here's a sample conversation which was impossible to ignore:

Speaker/Spinster #1- East European Accent

Speaker/ Spinster #2 -Bored British woman

ME- MY THOUGHTS

• #1 I've always had this problem of feeling any "spiritual presence" that may be around
• #2 mmmm, ya"
• #1 Ever since I was a little girl in Prague, there was a constant sort of pressure....Especially in the cellar...that we had to use to go to the toilet....
• #2 hmm...
• #1 ... and you had to go outside to get there in the night....cold winter nights.
• #2 Ohhh
• ME- oh jeeze.....
• #1 Like recently my holidays in France...we stayed at a lovely country house, and I woke up....and it felt like someone was in...the bed....beside me...giving...pressure...
• #2 Ohhhhh.......ummmm
• ME- wishful thinking...
• #1 ...and there was a cold current of air...and sounds.....tapping sounds....then it
• #2 the pressure....the pressure?
• #1 very forceful...pressure....you know....?
• #2 Yes...pressure....yes...
• ME- Burp.... curry now going down badly... beer not tasting so good
• #1 I think my flat is haunted...well not haunted exactly....just a transit "space".....
• ME - and more pressure no doubt...
• #2 ohhhhh....what are the manifestations?
• #1 Pushing and banging....and sometimes other things...
• ME- There you go ! Check PLEASE!
• #2 oooohhh
• #1 ....and sometimes I wake up and feel a bit....you know....touched...
• #2 ummm....ahhh..ohhh
• ME- OUTTA HERE!!!!!

Hearing that from the two 50 somethings did nothing to help digest the curry.

I went to two movies/cartoons with my daughter this weekend: Happy Feet and Flushed away. Both worth it and a good laugh, even for the adults.

I don't have much to say other than I had a frustrating chat on the phone with my estate agents, the transcript is as below:

• St A.......Bureau
• Hello?
• Hello
• Yes, Hi, This is Terry Robinson at 3............Cottages
• Yes?
• Hi, you did a flat inspection this week right?
• Lets see........Yes its in the diary..On Wednesday the 29th...your next one is in February 2007
• OK, Well I think the guy didn't close the door....I had a laptop taken. When I came home last night the door was ajar...and there was no forced entry,and well the police said it was someone with a key...and you're the only ones with a key.
• Hold please
• 15 minutes of Muzak.....line goes dead
• St A.....Bureau
• Hello, its me again , I was cut off and-
• Hold please.
• Muzak
• Hello?
• Hello, Its Terry-
• Yes , What can I do for you Mr Robinson
• Well you did a flat inspection and-
• No we did not
• The girl just said that-
• It was in the diary but we were too busy. Nope, none done at your location that day.
• So the first time in three years that you have not turned up, is the week that I get burgled
• It appears so
• C'mon....I'm not stupid....If you ever reschedule something there is always a letter...no letter received so.......
• I'm really annoyed..... you seem to be saying I'm lying
• I'm really annoyed that my laptop is gone and that you're trying such a clumsy excuse
• I don't have to take this
• Hang on a minute, are you really sticking to this ? You said that you had done it and are only changing your line when you realised that you're at fault!
• I am a professional,I've done this for 12 years. Hook me up to a lying machine if you don't believe me.....

There was more but you get the jist of it.

Wimbeldon Village had a Christmas festival today. Bizarrely it had a Russian theme. There must be some reason for that. What it is, I can't say.

My daughter and I stood in the crowd and watched the surreal spectacle of the local Conservative MP and the Mayor of Merton, standing at attention whilst the Russian National Anthem was played at full volume. Russia recently re-adopted the tune from the old Soviet Anthem (they've changed the words).

I like the tune, but still associate it with watching the Canada- Russia Hockey Series way back in the 70's. How odd to hear it in front of a crowd of "Hooray Henrys" in Wmbledon Villiage on December 3rd 2006.

As I said earlier, there must be a connection there somewhere though what it is, is beyond me.

Finally, I've discovered one of my fav pics of Jess and me. Taken about a year and a bit ago, it whisked my back to a great February Sunday at Speaker's corner in Hyde Park. I thought it was lost with my laptop, but was lurking in the hard drive of my work computer.

Love to all

Off to the Middle East tomorrow AM

Next post from Dubai

T