It’s exam week and I’ve been helping AAH study. I’m learning so many interesting things! F’rinstance, did you know that Icelandic women only earned the right to vote in 1915, and the age limit was 40 years? And prior to the advent of labour unions, an Icelandic labourer had to work 10-11 hours a day, six days a week? And that before 1894, people of working age were legally obligated to get a job, or else? – No, neither did I. That’s what being indoctrinated in another part of the world will do.
Although… the other day she was studying for a World Religions exam and wow, all this stuff that I Did Not Know. Or that I knew in bits and pieces – snippets picked up here and there along life’s long and winding road [just a little sap, can’t resist], but had never really put into context. What the hell was I doing in World Religions class anyway, way back when? Goofing off, probably. We had this teacher, Mr M, who spent the entire time flirting with one of the girls and couldn’t be bothered to teach us anything. And then at the end of the year, they started going out. And then I heard they got married, despite their umpteen-year age difference. See? That’s what I remember. The story of Mr M and the Girl In My Class. But Islam, Buddhism, et al? Pfft!
TODAY’S WEATHER WAS
Not terribly interesting. Same as yesterday and the day before and the day before that. We keep hoping against hope that it’s going to be warm and nice, but it never is. EPI, the eternal optimist, gets up every morning and peers through the Venetian blinds, exclaiming ‘Oh, it’s a gorgeous day and it’s definitely not windy!’ – and then you go outside and it’s freezing just like yesterday, with that bloody icy wind from the north. Currently 7°C [sure, it sounds bearable but trust me, it’s cold] and the sun came up at 03.47 and set at 23.04.