Sunday, May 27

Odd little gripes...

Just a few odd little gripes today.
I have been doing my best to avoid the Televisual crap we are fed.
The so-called news, which is mostly utter rot. The 'Current affairs' which are just free advertising...or maybe it is not free?? Whatever, they try to pass it off an 'news.'

GOM likes his sport, which sees me vanish from the room. I dont mind if he enjoys watching it, & I can always either read or find something else to occupy myself. Or, I can always fall asleep!

But I was trapped watching a new series on the idiot box. A fresh variation on an old story. Gorgeous looking young things, male & female, dressed to the nines in wonderfully authentic looking period custumes. And swanning about in wonderfully authentic looking medieval sets, complete with animals, & old Oak trees, and ancient dwellings, ancient tools, ancient weapons.

And then they speak. The dialogue was obviously written by some clot who has no real knowledge of how language was spoken back in the period. Phrases such as "You owe me one!" "OK, Let's go!"

While I dont expect them to use the Shakespearian mode of speech, I also dont expect them to use modern, American slang terms. Especially when it is an English story, & English production. Nit picking? Maybe. But they lost my viewer interest. I just found it incongruous, & downright irritating, in spite of all the other visual treats.

******
You probably know by now, GOM & I like to visit garage sales. I search for fabrics for the stash. And the odd neglected bear, which calls my name. GOM seeks out books, as he reads about 4-5 a week, which can get very expensive.

I find it very interesting to look at the books. I read quite different books to GOM, I like non fiction more than he does. I like to look at the type of books, and compare the people selling them. I am surprised when there are a lot of meditation, spiritual type books, & the vendors, are the rough & ready 'salt of the earth types'. I wonder if the books had been gifts. Or had they had a shift of consciousness, that didnt last? Intriguing always.

Yesterday we went to a sale that had a large table of excellent books, hardbacks, soft covers, large small. All 50cents each. Most of the books were in pristine condition. All were clean & had obviously been well kept, indoors.

I noticed a lot of them were for 'self improvement'. A lot of diet books, how to eat healthy, how to keep fit. How meditate, how to get the most out of life. I sneaked looks at the vendors. They did look quite fit, slim, & healthy. So perhaps they no longer needed the advice dispensed in the books.

There were also lots of novels, & GOM came away with a nice stash to read. We met a fellow Kiwi, who has promised to come & visit us. He really made us laugh, & his lovely Aussie partner seems nice also. He asked me if I was a Hori*. I laughed, & shook my head. He is, & proud to be so. And he speaks a language we can understand. They live close to us, so I hope they call in to visit.

I had to laugh when he asked if I was Hori. I am not really dark in colouring, & dont know that my features would indicate Maori ancestors. But strangely enough I have often been asked the same question. Our Great Grandmother, who was said to be Irish had quite a dark complexion, & we have often wondered if there is a dark blooded connection. It would be interesting to have one of those DNA tests, to determine if we have. My Beloved Brother keeps threatening to have it done. I think perhaps cost might prohibit him actually going ahead. haha.

*****
I am off out to a Doll Bear & Quilt show today. It has been moved to a Racecourse, which promises more space, so it will be very interesting to see if there are more traders than there were last year. I am stocking the wallet, just in case.


*Hori, pronounced haw-ry, is a slang term for Maori. It is a long time since I had heard it used & it made me laugh. The nice young man, who used the term, is a Maori.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Meggie With the DNA testing there is always the nagging thought that you may turn out to be someone you are not & never thought you were & worse , never wanted to be haha ! Let Sleeping dogs lie, perhaps? Or sleeping genes.
Lucky you and GOM with the books -- happy reading to you both . Your new Kiwi acquaintance sounds interesting - Enjoy the show today Good luck with the viewing and the day

Joyce said...

I too love garage sales. When my daughter lived in Byron we went to a lot of them. One night we discussed what type of pram she needed, right down to the color and the next day there was one at a garage sale for under $10.

Joyce said...

I forgot to add that it was exactly as we had pictured it, even the color.

Peggy said...

Meggie, just a note to say you won my drawing! Need your addy to mail it.

Thimbleanna said...

Love your stories, Meggie. Sometimes I just feel dumb, cause I don't have anything else to say -- just wanted you to know that it's always fun reading your post!

molly said...

Maybe you have Spanish blood through your Irish grandmother. I'm vague on details but I think some Spanish ships were wrecked long ago off the Irish coast. The survivors assimilated into Ireland, became 'more Irish than the Irish themselves'and added their dark good looks to the red hair and freckles pot.

Ali Honey said...

The Hori term is particulalry heard in the Bay of Plenty I think. The rugby mascot was even called "Hori BOP."
Not a term I care for, or would ever use - Maoris do though.

Hope you enjoy the lovely books!

Lucy said...

I feel just like that about those stupid period dramas where they use modern slang! I know there's no sense to it, they might as well speak like that as in any other modern English, but it still annoys me.
But otherwise this post isn't gripey, but very sunny!

Anonymous said...

Ali Honey is right -- As children growing up in the good old BOP, the term was often heard used by everyone .In these PC ridden days it is less used . It was also used as a Maori word for the name George too -- one of our uncles was often called by that name -- The rugby mascot is still Hori BOP as far as I know
Molly is quite likely right about our blood lines too , Meggie

meggie said...

OMG, dont ever feel you have nothing to add! I love to recieve all comments...shows I must be connecting with someone out there!
I love reading comments, & may not always answer you all, but you all mean a great deal to me! And, please feel free to disagree if you wish!
As GOM loves to say, it would be a boring world if we all thought the same.

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

My wife and I also enjoy rummaging through garage sales. My wife loves to haggle and bargain and I am always seeking the oddity or the bargain. However, it never occured to me to do some psychological profiling of the vendors too. Sounds like a hobby I could take up. :)

Lone Grey Squirrel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
velcro said...

was it not part of the Armada that sunk off the coast of Ireland?

I umm rather like those spiritual books and have a rather large collection hidden under my wardrobe, but I'm far too cynical for my own good and get really annoyed at their fluffy bunnyness.

Ragged Roses said...

Thanks for such an interesting post! I love reading about everyone else's lives. I agree with you about the TV - I hate it when the language doesn't suit! Hope you're having a good weekend.
Kim x

Stomper Girl said...

Yes, but WHAT was the irritating show?? I hope it wasn't Robin Hood - I am loving that.

meggie said...

Hee hee...it was Robin Hood! I have watched another episode & feel it had improved! Or maybe I was not feeling so critical. Arent all the players so handsome/pretty/well placed.