Regular readers will remember the recent "incident" where that nice Mr Plod stopped me and deprived me of some of my hard-earned cash as a punishment for crossing the road while the little man was still red. Warsaw traffic lights for pedestrians probably stay red for just a few minutes but it always seems like hours and hours, especially when it's cold and snowing.
I thought I would grow to hate them but I've managed to turn them to my advantage. When I go running they are ideal for making me vary my pace by either sprinting to catch them while they're still showing green or stopping to get my breath back if they are on red.
My current bête noire is the local Lidl store. It is only a two-minute walk from home and its presence was one of the factors that helped me choose this place over others I had viewed. Well known in UK for being "cheap and cheerful" I thought it would be a big plus. But actually every time I visit it raises my blood pressure. Firstly you always have to have a 1 zlotty coin to hand to release a trolley from the stack. It is an enormous trolley and there are no baskets available. Obviously a psychological ploy to encourage customers to fill it. Inside the store there are narrow aisles. I'm forever barging aside the trolleys of Poles who aren't going as fast as I am - haven't they got lessons to prepare? Perhaps that will be my next transgression of the law - a breach of the peace inside a Polish supermarket. And the queues at the cash desk are unbelievable. Occasionally, when the queues get too long another cashier will deign to open and relieve some of the pressure but it is only occasionally. Usually most of the cash desks remain firmly shut. Uncharitably, and surely it's not just me, I always think that the staff are on extended tea breaks in their rest room. I shall pray for patience both on the way around the shop and at the cash desk.
Rant over, get on with life. A friend has no life left to get on with as he was killed earlier this week when his motorbike crashed into a car on icy roads. Rest in Peace Kevin. We all cling to life by a very thin thread. Puts things back into perspective.
Here is a snow picture from Monday morning, or was it Tuesday? I forget already. There is no snow now but more is promised. It is only February after all. Everybody has been posting snow pictures recently so here is mine. It was the view when I stepped outside my door. Completely unexpected as I had forgotten to either check the weather forecast or look out of the window.
I thought I would grow to hate them but I've managed to turn them to my advantage. When I go running they are ideal for making me vary my pace by either sprinting to catch them while they're still showing green or stopping to get my breath back if they are on red.
My current bête noire is the local Lidl store. It is only a two-minute walk from home and its presence was one of the factors that helped me choose this place over others I had viewed. Well known in UK for being "cheap and cheerful" I thought it would be a big plus. But actually every time I visit it raises my blood pressure. Firstly you always have to have a 1 zlotty coin to hand to release a trolley from the stack. It is an enormous trolley and there are no baskets available. Obviously a psychological ploy to encourage customers to fill it. Inside the store there are narrow aisles. I'm forever barging aside the trolleys of Poles who aren't going as fast as I am - haven't they got lessons to prepare? Perhaps that will be my next transgression of the law - a breach of the peace inside a Polish supermarket. And the queues at the cash desk are unbelievable. Occasionally, when the queues get too long another cashier will deign to open and relieve some of the pressure but it is only occasionally. Usually most of the cash desks remain firmly shut. Uncharitably, and surely it's not just me, I always think that the staff are on extended tea breaks in their rest room. I shall pray for patience both on the way around the shop and at the cash desk.
Rant over, get on with life. A friend has no life left to get on with as he was killed earlier this week when his motorbike crashed into a car on icy roads. Rest in Peace Kevin. We all cling to life by a very thin thread. Puts things back into perspective.
Here is a snow picture from Monday morning, or was it Tuesday? I forget already. There is no snow now but more is promised. It is only February after all. Everybody has been posting snow pictures recently so here is mine. It was the view when I stepped outside my door. Completely unexpected as I had forgotten to either check the weather forecast or look out of the window.
No comments:
Post a Comment