Mac Expo

I left Wales sometime around 4pm on the Friday and drove down to London. I should have checked on the Underground as they have been doing engineering works on the Piccadilly Line so parking at Oakwood was not such a good idea, this time.
I got to my hotel at about 11pm, its in Paddington and it resembles Fawlty towers.
Next morning, I set off early and wandered the streets for a while, even walking passed the hospital where George Best is at the moment. Not that I could see him, or even the front doors of the hosp, as the place was covered with journalists and vans with satellite dishes on their roofs.
I finally got to the Pub where we had arranged to meet, only to discover that it was still shut at 11am. That didn't matter as Ceebs turned up almost at the same time and Boney too, so we did what every keen Mac user does, when faced with a Mac Expo, we found a place for coffee and waited to see if anyone else would turn up. The Tweety Pie bag failed to attract any other chatters, so we ventured into the Expo, after a few phone calls to the newly grannified-bunny and to the clog wearing Oudey, who was still on his way from Harwich.
The Expo was ok, I suppose. It was the 3rd one I have been to, and had the feeling of being all the same. The fun is wandering around with others who know a lot more than me, and trying to look as if I understand what they are talking about.
I did feel it was disappointing, maybe that was its predictability. It was aimed at the Mac business person rather than just us Mac users.
After a break for dinner at an Italian restaurant where Boney got his leg-over once, or did I miss-hear that?
We returned to the Expo and met up with Oudey, Martine and the recently grannyised Bunny.



We decided to go to the Apple store in Regent Street, after the Expo and this was actually more fun, although we still couldn't get into Yahoo. But the shop was packed, we still found a puter that we could use, so we had a play..

We went off for a drink in The Argyle Arms where we were joined by Ceebs brother and then wandered around and had a rather nice meal at a Lebanese restaurant.

Watch this space....

It looks like I am going to the London Expo on Saturday. There are a few of us from the Yahoo Mac room that are hoping to meet up.. we will see, but I have dusted off my Tweety Pie bag ready for instant recognition!
I have sent an email to a hotel I know... (thanks Chance!!)
And now I just wait... pack.. and try to catch up with chores...
I hope I will be able to post a few pix here, when I get back.

This was last year... at the Mac Expo, 2004

See ya!

Welsh Time aka Amser Cymraeg

When I was first introduced to the idea of moving to Wales, I had no real concept as to what this would mean. I foolishly, like a lot of thick English people, thought it would be similar. I am learning the hard way. I actually was emigrating, to a land where they even live at a different time speed. Its not just a different timezone, its a bit like the difference between an old 78rpm record... and a 33rpm LP.

For you Americans that read this, Wales and England do have the same timezone. or should I say the clocks say the same time. Its just the people have a different idea what the clocks mean...

For example...
In England, if I was to arrange for a workman to undertake a task in my house.. maybe a plumber. We would set a time and the guy would be here... or he would phone to say he was held up. 15 mins late would be annoying, but would not lose the workman the job. I have taken time off work for workmen that didn't appear, but on the whole, these days, they know they lose the job if they don't get there... in England.
However, in Wales. You arrange a time... the guy turns up a day late.. maybe 2 days. He might apologise, but usually its as if he didn't notice.

Even my dustbins get emptied on anyone of 3 days... usually its a Monday, but morning?.. once... afternoon.. sometimes... Tuesday... could be... Wednesday, if we feel like it!

I had a call back on my car, a free job, which Citroen were happy to pay for. My old garage in England said it would take an hour... In Wales I had to allow 2 and a half hours for the same job, they also had the nerve to warn me not to be late as then it would not be done till the next day... Welsh time!

When someone says "see you later". I have come to realise that could mean in 10mins... or 10days. The time is sort of elasticated here. It stretches to eternity, but sags in the middle too. "welsh time!"

Time does strange things once a Welsh person gets behind a wheel. Einstein would have had new ideas about relativity here. They drive like they are trying to catch up all those missed days, through bendy and hilly country lanes that are 6ins wide, with huge chunks of rocks at either side of the road trying to reshape every bit of paint work. No more the laid back approach, its kill or be killed... death to the English people who dare to think they can retire to a quiet life in Wales!!

I am still working on a new theory that Welsh women seem to have a more realistic attitude to time than the blokes. The nurses and other medical and social services people do seem to have a better idea of time, although it could be because they leave it so vague. A district nurse will appear on a particular day, never at a certain time, so we wait all day. My parents have carers that turn up... at anytime, or so it seems, so my mum will wait for 3hours to get washed and dressed in the morning.

The new bathroom of my parents is still unfinished, they began on Sept 6th.. a day later than expected, of course, and its still not complete now... Oct 15th. How long did you think they quoted us at the beginning???
OK.. you are right!... just a week.. Amser Cymraeg! (Welsh time)

There is a sort of laid back attitude that drives me bananas here... I can't hurry anyone, I am not even a fast person myself, in England... I am always late, in England. But I am fast beginning to think that maybe my vocation in life here is to start a school of assertiveness, as they do seem a bit shocked when my temper finally shows here. I think I will soon have a reputation as a mad English woman... maybe I have?.. maybe I am?

The Spanish mañana would be a welcome relief here... to only wait a single day for a tomorrow that hopefully would happen... or Avrio in Greek...

But its not all bad news... Welsh time can have a good side. One thing I have found is that pubs also run to amser Cymraeg. The calling of "time" seems a bit odd when time is kind of elastic. So they think nothing of drinking till 2 or 3am...

Maybe I can adjust to this... If I ever had time to get to a pub now :(

A Chance visit

I felt it was time for a new look and a new start to my blog. So, is there anyone out there still reading all this?

Chance(aka Glasgow) did the dutiful thing and has trekked across the globe, settled in Scotland, and managed a long journey down to Anglesey. I showed her a few sights, although the weather was crap.


Chance is so tall that doorways were too small for her. This doorway is part of the Penmon Priory.
The steps to the old priory...

More information on Penmon Priory

We drove on, and finally got to the very tip of Anglesey, well, one of them... and looked towards Puffin Island.


NOTE TO READERS: since writing this blog, I have found an advert for renting a cottage which Chance and I saw while we were standing looking at Puffin Island, it was just behind us.
House for rent if you can afford it!!

No trip to Anglesey is complete without a pic of this, the most famous station in the world that few can say. And no trains stop here now... just one big tourist attraction now.

The name of the station

Someone sent me this... have fun, move your mouse... a pussy