Hi Everyone
Back in the 1990s you could see china in a day on a bus with a guide, a packet of sandwiches and a bottle of water. Impossible you will say but it was true, a bus would pick you up in our city centre to transport you to the many pottery factories and factory shops we had at that time., so the clever slogan to attract visitors was "See China in a Day". I am telling all this Rubbish as Putin has been visiting his 'friend' Xi in China this week, two of the most powerful men in the world. Watching the events unfold what I see is two featureless sad men who don't look as though they have ever smiled in their lives, purporting to represent and protect the people of their country and therefore by definition many other people across the world. The reality for me is that they are so full of their own importance that they have lost all perspective of their roles. They are not given respect and adulation, they demand it. They are both willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to hold on to power as they have both demonstrated just in the last two years alone. I am just thankful that I will never have to be in the same room as them to applaud and fawn over them to make sure that I do not become one of their victims. 99% of the people of this world just want to live their lives in peace but sadly there are a few sad, featureless, and above all humourless leaders in this world, many of whom we cannot vote out of power.
When it comes to nature, survival is everything. For three years we have had a birdbox fixed to the top of a tree trunk in our garden. This year our patience was rewarded when a pair of blue tits moved in. Apparently, from hatching to fledging is 18 to 21 days so for over two weeks we have watched Mum and Dad busy feeding their young until disaster struck when I looked out of the window to see that the bird box had disappeared. The Main Contractor found their home on the floor among the flowers and, fearing that they were all dead or at best had escaped, she put the box on the garden table before we went out for the day. When we returned we found Mum and Dad still feeding their young who had amazingly survived the ordeal. Now we are hoping to be there to wave them goodbye. Watch this space.
It is just about 60 years ago that the first Chinese restaurant appeared in our city. Once a month we would go with our friends for a number 32 or something similar with egg fried rice followed by a banana fritter or lychees, washed down with a Coca Cola. It cost £1 for the two of us. Now that was living the high life. Now there are at least ten Chinese restaurants and any number of takeaways in just our local area. In addition, we now have foods from all over the world but have you ever been to a Russian restaurant or takeaway? Perhaps Putin should reflect on that as the only thing he has got to sell are utility cars, oil and gas and when he runs out of customers, hopefully very soon, maybe a number 32 and a banana fritter will be living the high life for him too.
Just a Thought :
Even when our world leaders get together to give advice it all ends in tears.
My friend burned down our local noodle factory. It was an act of wonton destruction.
At a local quiz night, we were asked which bird does not live in a nest, a thrush, kestrel, blue tit or cuckoo?. Easy, everyone knows a cuckoo lives in a clock.
Brian
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