#justsaying

I laughed reading a news article about the dilemma that men in Taiwan find themselves in. To sit or not to sit. While having a wee. I could not believe it. According to a Taiwanese minister, sitting on the toilet like women do, creates a cleaner environment. Seriously! Local governments are actually going to put up notices in public places suggesting that men to sit down. Turns out 30% of men in Japan sit down and there’s a serious political style campaign in Sweden to advocate for sitting down. Why sit down? No pee puddles = a cleaner and fresher smelling toilet! While I am all for toilets that smell of roses, this whole thing just made me realise that being in a developed country means that people have the luxury to worry and spend time and money on things that, in the greater scheme of things, don’t actually matter! In Taiwan, gents care to take a (toilet) seat? In the rest of the world approximately 2.6 billion people have nowhere to go to the toilet. That’s not ‘Oh crumbs! They don’t have a flushing loo with a seat and a basin. Not even a bidet? Heavens no!’ I mean inhumane water and sanitation conditions. In the developed world; a family of four need £36 800 to be able to fund what most people consider to be an acceptable standard of living! In parts the developing world; what an acceptable standard of living is, changes daily. It depends on whether you’ll be alive tomorrow, not whether you have a functioning car or if you can afford a holiday that year! All I’m saying is some things matter and some..........really don’t!

How are you by the way? I am a little angry! The Olympics are over and there’s this massive wait for the Paralympics to start. I’m in withdrawal! And I know loads of you feel the same, but I don’t have anywhere to watch the Diamond League events, so it’s even worse! Aren’t the Olympics great? I absolutely love them. Every single shoot out (too many shooting disciplines for my taste), every track and field event, every rowing event! Tell me why so much rowing? Man kneeling in boat going down the river (my favourite!), four men in a boat going down the river, eight men in a boat going down the river, man sitting in boat going down the river, man in boat trying to negotiate an angry river, two men in a boat going down the river and all the same for women! Overkill? A little! But I love the Olympics nevertheless. There is nothing better than watching people at the pinnacle of what they do, competing in front of an audience of billions. I envy them. Even the ones that crash out. At least they gave it a go. There aren’t enough ‘Olympians’ in the world. You know, people just willing to try, without worrying how silly they’ll look in those athletics onesies. Before this year is out, give something a go and if you’re lucky you may turn out to actually be good at it, like the Mo Farahs and the David Rudishas! Let your guard down a little.

There is one exception! Never let your guard down at the salon! I learnt a few weeks ago to never go to a salon or beauty shop wanting one thing and then letting my guard down and agreeing to another treatment in addition! I had my eyebrows threaded and as I lay there, the beautician asked if I wanted my upper lip area done too. And upper lip doesn’t mean my actual top lip (Gordon! I mean the space between my nose and my upper lip!). DISCLAIMER: I do not and have never had a hairy face or a moustache. So why did I agree pray tell? It was excruciating! I was in tears from the very first swipe of that thread. My poor parafiltrum (googled!) was so terribly swollen, like I was trying to smuggle marbles. Never again! You know what else I’m not doing ever again? Hand washing jeans with long nails. I tried it a few weeks ago and my fingers resembled lollipops, it’s not pretty. I do all this crazy stuff so you don’t have to!

Something crazy that you must do by the time this week is over? Swallow your pride and call up that person you need to apologise to. It could be a friend, a sibling, a colleague, your husband or wife. We all have bridges we need to mend, people we need to say sorry to. Sorry you have neglected the relationship perhaps? Sorry you took them for granted, sorry you disrespected them. Sorry you couldn’t be there?  There is nothing better than putting it all out there. Tino, I’m sorry that I won’t be there to see you start university. Somehow life managed to get in the way. But I will be thinking of you, freaking out over you and praying for you. Go out there and make your teary eyed aunty proud!

Now it’s your turn.........