Monthly Archives: November 2011

Prime-time reality TV botanic bonus (Rousse)

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Dreamaticus

I was the star of a prime-time reality TV show. Cut off from the rest of the world as the team leader of six adventurers, I was only allowed one short walkie-talkie call with my family over the course of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bonus, botanic, challenge, collect, family, frame, identify, leader, leaf, leaves, mount, organise, parents, performance, prime-time, reality, series, show, specimen, specimens, star, task, team, television, TV, walkie-talkie, win | Leave a comment

Alice in Wonderland attraction (Rousse)

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Dreamaticus

The rules of the race stipulated that you would be disqualified if you placed a foot on concrete at any point during your run. I decided to make the wood my starting point and see what would happen. Inevitably I … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alice in Wonderland, attraction, clothes, concrete, dress, dressing up, Edinburgh, enlarge, London Road, phone, race, running, shrink, supper, talent, TPR, wood | Leave a comment

A rotten job in Tibet (Belle)

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Dreamaticus

I had gone to live with the ‘famous ice-makers and ice-breakers of Tibet’. It was now ice-breaking season and family groups, including tiny toddlers, were breaking the ice with pickaxes. However, as an outsider, I was required to serve an … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged fish, ice, lift, offal, production line, sofa, Tibet, tower block | Leave a comment

How to cook an elephant (Belle)

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Dreamaticus

The cooking demonstration was underway and there was a palpable ripple of excitement in the audience as the cook revealed her main ingredient (baby elephant) and the cooking method (fiery pizza oven). Appalled, I decided the best thing for me … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged chef, elephant, France, gap year, hospital, kitchen, pizza oven, school, toilets | Leave a comment

Basking sharks and a bikini malfunction (Rousse)

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Dreamaticus

I splashed along the Hebridean shoreline on a beautiful summer day. For company I had the birds and an occasional seal. I even spotted a few small basking sharks surprisingly close to the water’s edge. I couldn’t understand why TPR … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged America, basking, basking shark, basking sharks, bathing costume, bikini, bird, birds, boot, campus, car, cotton, gym, Hebridean, Hebrides, job, knickers, offer, pool, sea, seal, seals, shark, sharks, shoreline, summer, swim, swimming, swimming costume, swimsuit, TPR, transparent, US, water | Leave a comment

Small frustrations blight playgirl lifestyle (Belle)

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Dreamaticus

For no apparent reason I was now living the life of an international playgirl. I was staying in the world’s best hotels. I was dating rich, handsome men from countries I had never heard of. I could ski! My latest … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged boyfriend, complaint, hairdresser, hotel, international playgirl, jewellery, rich, ski-ing, stairs, telephone, the Alps | Leave a comment

Mistaken identity and a monkey (Rousse)

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Dreamaticus

At first it was flattering when delegates approached me to say how much they admired my work, but soon it became obvious that they were mistaking me for someone else. I had never written a single word of research related … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged address, ape, beard, business, business card, card, conference, delegate, delegates, handbag, identity, industry, knowledge management, lady, logo, mistaken, monkey, old, pet, research, shipping | Leave a comment

A spot from which to watch the boys go by (Rousse)

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Dreamaticus

I peered through the bannister spindles at the top of the stairs at the White House, watching the men arrive. I was terribly excited because amongst them were some of the boys who had not made it to the recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bannister, boy, boys, men, reunion, school, spindles, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees, White House | Leave a comment

Nosey Rousse risks her health on her way to breakfast fry-up

Posted on November 12, 2011 by Dreamaticus

Breakfast on the morning after the school reunion comprised baked beans, sausages, roast parsnips and potatoes, all lovingly cooked by HH (HP back in our school days). Just before I went downstairs to join the others at the breakfast table, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged allergic, allergy, baked beans, brekfast, cat, cats, door, feline, fry-up, fur, health, parsnips, potatoes, reunion, risk, roast, room, sausages | Leave a comment

On the tiles with Sammy Davis Jr. (Belle)

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Dreamaticus

While we average people mingled downstairs, the famous people remained in the upper restaurant. Each of us were awaiting our ‘audiences with’ and I knew that at 10.20 pm I would be taken upstairs to meet Sammy Davis Jr. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A&E, Anne Widdecombe, dancing, funeral, hospital, restaurant, Sammy Davis Jr, toddler, travel, window | Leave a comment