STONE GUARDIANS OUTSIDE CASA NADA
The Senior University in Loule, where I teach English once a week, has long been squeezed by the climate of austerity that grips the country. Annual banquets in smart resort hotels are a distant memory. Gone too are the bespoke gifts with which the university used to reward its volunteer teachers at the end of each year. So I was pleasantly surprised to be presented with a parcel containing this attractive ceramic plate. It's nice to know you're appreciated.
Our lesson concerned the torrent of documents from an internet hack (seemingly) exposing - among others - Portugal's sporting hero, Cristiano Ronaldo, and football coach, Jose Mourinho, as tax cheats. For the record, their agent, true to form, protests their innocence. But, as I confided to the class, it's not virgins you're after in the British Virgin Islands. It's tough being super rich.
The week started badly. In spite of our best efforts, Mini continued to throw up and was off her food. A second trip to the vet failed to reveal the cause. Blood samples were taken for analysis. That evening we really thought we were going to lose her. We spent a wretched night, our hearts as gloomy as the weather.
Then a minor miracle; the next morning, for the first time in days, the little dog didn't throw up. Moreover she showed a keen interest in food, especially the chicken that Jones has continued to hand-feed her. Within hours she was chasing the orphans around the yard again, as though nothing had befallen her. And she still seems to be fine. Our sense of relief is overwhelming.
As if to complete the picture, the sun is back after a dismal weekend. On such wet days the dogs are content to sprawl around the fire for hours. But come mid-afternoon they agitate for a walk. We do our best to oblige, needing the exercise as badly as they do. Come on weather; give us a break.
RAIN RAIN, GO AWAY
We didn't have much luck! On one outing we got soaked by an untimely squall that whistled over the hill. On another, I took a careless turn and had to battle through hostile virgin bush. After 15 years of navigating these hills, that's just embarrassing.
TELL THE CAT THAT'S OUR SPOT! YOU TELL HIM YOURSELF!
Some my months ago my Portuguese bank sent me an Amex credit card with its compliments. Finding the bank's standard credit card adequate, I locked the new one in the safe for a rainy day and forgot about it. So you may imagine my ire when I checked my statement to find that I was being billed €7.00 for the "twin card" privilege. I stewed over my planned comments to our account manager.
KIDDY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS IN LOULE
As it happened, the account manager was away so it was the head of section who saw me the following day. With some surprise, he did a quick check on the account. Then he politely pointed out that the bill was for an iTunes purchase - and assured me that the card was free. Exit deflated!
RIVER ALGIBRE IN FLOOD
Once a week we do our serious grocery shopping, generally visiting two hypermarkets. One of them, part of a German chain, stocks a limited range at low prices. The staff is efficient and pleasant; as soon as a queue builds up, an employee opens a new cash-desk to ease the congestion.
The other venue, with a much bigger selection, belongs to a local chain; it is painfully slapgat ("hopeless", for non SA readers). We inevitably get caught behind old ladies who fish endlessly in their purses for elusive coins or, worse, shoppers waving sheets of time-consuming discount stamps. Unless I restrain her, Jones - whose shopping patience is strictly limited - is liable to trolley-dump.
Midweek we took a delivery of dog-food to the sanctuary we support in the hills above Loule. Marisa, who runs the place with sister, Anna, said they were looking after 170 dogs there and 25 more at home. Theirs is an unstinting 365-day of the year labour of love. Marisa was recently forced to move house because of complaints from a neighbour whose own house was on the market. As much as we sympathised with Marisa, we could also empathise with the neighbour.
Natasha and son Alex are returning to Russia for Christmas and New Year. She spent weeks searching for air-tickets within her budget before she found what she wanted. We'll be without her services for three weeks.
STILL BLOODY RAINING!
The Guardian reports that some companies are using individuals' browsing history to set personal online prices. The journalist concerned had looked at length for a cheap trans-Atlantic pre-Christmas fare. When she found one and logged in to purchase it, she found that the price had risen. After clearing the cookies from her computer she tried again - and got the original advertised price. Then she started making inquiries. Seems some airlines are exploiting both our travel record and browsing history to gauge the size of our purses.
THE VILLAGE -THE SUN IS BACK!
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