Tag Archives: stranger

Ronnie Corbett and Helen Mirren to star in Four weddings remake (Rousse)

I pulled myself through the yellow painted railings and dropped to the level below to join the queue for the reception. Our host JT was straight ahead of me, with his colleague and father-in-law GM just behind. The event itself … Continue reading

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Sympathy and ping pong (Rousse)

When XY broke down in tears in my room I realised that the only way to comfort him would be to invite him into my bed. Between sobs he listed many injustices others waged against his research projects, using this … Continue reading

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Snow and a new suitor in Sydney (Rousse)

My cousin B sat at a picnic table in the garden of a Sydney suburb with a handsome Asian man. Even though it was the height of summer, flurries of snow fell all around. Shouldn’t Australians be enjoying evening barbecues … Continue reading

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Congratulations to the one-legged widower father of the bride (Rousse)

My one-legged widowed father had done a fabulous job preparing the house for my sister’s wedding. With the help of a woman from the village, he’d set up three mini-dormitories so that all the guests who had decided to stay … Continue reading

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A Shakespearean affair (Rousse)

It was the last night of our holiday and we really should have been packing. Instead my sister S and I were watching Richard III. This hybrid production was part-performed live on stage in Tudor dress, with additional scenes on … Continue reading

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Rousse’s unintended drug overdose

I was struggling to make sense of the huge American hotel and how to navigate my way up and down the building by escalator and lift. It was very obvious that I was a stranger here, so I was an … Continue reading

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A PhD in Paris (Rousse)

I was living in Paris, where I shared an enormous communal bedroom with a bunch of strangers. However, I was not always completely friendless: one day PA, JB and CS from my first secondary school passed through as temporary residents. … Continue reading

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Corridor chaos and a Carlisle curiosity (Rousse)

The new corridors on campus were far too narrow. They were also windowless, and nobody thought to post any signs to the walls. As soon as the students returned for the new year, it would be chaos – and perhaps … Continue reading

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A failed kidnap and household safety advice from a Newcastle United fan (Rousse)

We two brothers (plus dog) climbed into the car. Each of us believed that it was the other who had arranged to be picked up by this strange man and his daughter. Before long, however, we established though some frantic … Continue reading

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Top wedding style and a most unusual gift (Rousse)

My parents laid on the party at the White House as a combined hen and stag night for SB and fiancé AG. The date was chosen to take advantage of the ceilidh on the beach, a short walk along the … Continue reading

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