Diff Diff Sniff Sniff

Today I noticed my knuckles turning dark.  They started to form scales over the joints of my fingers.  When  I washed my hands they all stung--dry and scaly skin are friable.  I hope this word means what I think it means otherwise if it means close to how it sounds then it means my fingers are more or less fried.  That's how I remember new worlds, you know.  Some times it helps, some times it doesn't.  Like for example:

Ear = Ohr
Hair = Haar
Cup = Tasse (tasa, quite close to the Bisaya version).

...and when it doesn't help:

Bein = Leg
Leaf = Blatt
Tree = Bauch

But exercises like these make the day less cold:

B:  Ist Herr Janssen nicht hier?
A:  Nein, er kommt heute nicht.
B:  Ist etwas passiert?
A:  Ja, zwei Polizisten waren bei Herrn Janssen.  Sie haben geklingelt.
B:  Polizisten?  Was ist denn passiert?
A:  Na ja, er war nicht da.
B:  Ist es schlimm?
A:  Nein, das nicht.  Aber die Polizisten sind wieder gegangen.

B:  Hast du es schon gehoert?  Die Sache mit Herr Janssen?
C:  Nein, was denn?
B:  Zwei Polizisten waren bei Herrn Janssen.  Sie haben geklingelt.
C:  Mein Gott!  War es schlimm?
B:  Ja, die Polizisten sind eine halbe Stunde geblieben, dann gegangen.

C:  Haben Sie es schon gehoert?
D:  Nein!  Was denn?
C:  Zwei Polizisten waren bei Herrn Jansen.  Sie haben geklingelt.
D:  Was ist denn passiert?
C:  Die Polizisten haben Herrn Jansen mitgenommen.
D:  Das ist ja schrecklich!

Gossip.

I was feeling unusually buoyant Saturday as Leia and I had a walk [no no no no, I keep forgetting.  She had a seat and I had a vigorous walk].  I kept wondering what it was that set my spirits soaring, now I remember.  As I passed by one parked car, this man had his stereo on high volume and the song went...

Pretty woman, stop a while
Pretty woman, talk a while
Pretty woman, gave your smile to me...


Anyway, what I wanted to note was, before I forget, that I never saw anyone combing their hair, or fixing their hair for that matter, in public.  I've never seen anyone fixing themselves.  I've never even seen anyone run their HANDS in their hair either.  I mentioned this to Nils and he said I was right.  And I pointed out that you see people doing this all time in public in the Philippines, why not here?  All he said was 'it was not appropriate'.  I went away in a huff like I imagine Hufflepuff of the house of Hufflepuff would have huffed and puffed.


We do so many things that are inappropriate.  We bathe in the rain.  Half-naked.  As kids.  Adults run naked in the streets and call it Oblation Run.  Why cover the face, though?  Ah.  I've been reading this book and it's great.  Here's a taste:


"What we refer to as customs or culture is inscribed in our genes.  Cultural evolution began in prehistoric times.  That was when our mind was laid out.  Sure, these days we design aeroplanes, helicopter carriers and opera houses, but only to continue our primitive activities on a so-called civilised plane..."


I am not done reading it yet.  I will be soon.  That will make me really sad.


Yeah.  It's like a Greek Tragedy.


But seriously, Greek Tragedies do not compare to Norse Tragedies, they just didn't have Ovid or Homer to write theirs.  Take Signy and Sigurd.  Ah Signy.  Can Medea really compare to her?  Or Clytemnestra?  Sadly, I think not.


I had found this one single word that I thought perfectly described Terry Pratchett's novels, but I forgot it about 2 hours after having thought about it.  Then about after 1 day of obsessing about it, I remembered and I thought I'd never forget it again because I already had, but then, to my dismay, I did, I have, and until now it still eludes me.  Damn.