Monthly Archives: May 2022

Show-off shopping (Rousse)

My new companion was a bit of a show-off. A little older than me, this slightly overweight man was keen to present himself as a wealthy individual with ready cash to spend. To demonstrate this, he identified a shop that … Continue reading

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Mistaken scholarly schadenfreude (Rousse)

‘I’m surprised that you would even wish to mention the REF given that your results were so poor’ said SY, with a hint of schadenfreude in her tone of voice. This was a rather strange comment in the light of … Continue reading

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A tryst with a Turk in Toronto (Rousse)

I’d grown very fond of my tiny Turkish room-mate over the course of the conference in Toronto – so much so that I was in the habit of bending down to kiss the top of his head whenever I passed … Continue reading

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Orange shopping with Jason Isaacs (Belle)

The move to Spain had been disappointing so far. I hadn’t expected the fruit market to resemble the Bromley Glades shopping centre this much. Jason, however, seemed to love it, joking around with the stall holders and juggling oranges into … Continue reading

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Trapped on a non-stop train to Heidelberg (Rousse)

I jumped on the train to accompany MM – for just a short while – on her long journey east across Europe. The plan was for me to accompany her as far the next stop, leave the carriage, cross platforms, … Continue reading

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New Apple iPhone 13 in Sunshine yellow (Rousse)

Hot on the heels of ‘Alpine green’, Apple launched the ‘Sunshine yellow’ iPhone 13 mini. My sister was one of the first proud owners of this beautiful new device.

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Gym sex pest (Rousse)

My father-in-law’s much younger brother Richard invited me to the back of the house to show off his ‘gym’. The old panelled bar – handmade by my father-in-law in the 1970s – still stood, and old water colours of sailing … Continue reading

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Le Creuset mini-pan measuring spoon set (Rousse)

I was relieved to learn that the messy holiday cottage in Lanarkshire was not, in fact, ours. My parents had bought it with my middle sister and her husband – and then filled it to the brim with junk. I … Continue reading

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Sleeping in the office (Rousse)

I was reasonably comfortable cocooned in my high-tog duvet in the photocopying room. Sleeping in the office was not such a hardship, and it did make my working life a lot more efficient. Provided that I could keep my sleeping … Continue reading

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Eyebrow disappearance (Rousse)

My over-enthusiasm with the tweezers meant that my right eyebrow had all but disappeared.

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