Elvis'n'Eric'n'Frank
Yesterday, we went to karaoke at Big Echo. Fatt (husband - he doesn't like being called 'hubby' as it sounds too American, so we've agreed on Fatt) and I can't sing for toffee but we couldn't resist going with my Japanese classmates. After all, these are the experts and we weren't disappointed. They had obviously practised and were pretty much note perfect. They knew all the etiquette and proprieties of having a karaoke room. And most important of all, they knew how to work the damn machine.
Fatt chose all the low key numbers which I couldn't sing. Well I can't sing anyhow but I definitely couldn't sing 'Can't help falling in love with you' or 'Wonderful Tonight'. Then I had to sing Abba so I gargled 'take a chance take a chance take a chance take a chance'. And we finished up with 'My Way' which to be 'frank' was really not that bad, except I kept giggling because surely I wasn't that drunk to sing 'My Way' in a karaoke bar? My classmates were most bemused at how unseriously I was taking this. Fatt thought I was giggling at him and got a monk on.
Well, we managed to stop just short of 'I will Survive'. We must be thankful for some things.
+++++++++++++++++++++
On a different note, I also went to the hospital for a quick jab yesterday. I find it quite ironic that the hospital I frequent has a Mickey Dees and an ice cream parlour on the mezzanine level. But hey, it's not the NHS you know, you have to pay and the hospital makes a profit, so why not encourage as much unhealthy eating as possible?
To their credit, these hospitals are super models of corporate efficiency. Everybody speaks English. There is plenty of nice seating - not the horrid plastic NHS 70's style, but real seats. There are newspapers and pamphlets and you can always phone up Au Bon Pain downstairs for a takeaway meal while you wait. You register with the minimalist of info, sign a disclaimer absolving the hospital from any nasty side effects, have your temperature, weight and blood pressure taken and then see the doc.
Seeing the doc lasts for about 10 seconds. Here's a conversation that Fatt had with his doc:
"So what's the problem?"
"I think I have a stye on my eye."
"Oh yes, I think you're right. Take all this medication. The nurse will show you how to pay."
Simple! They bombard you with as much medication as they can offload (e.g. do you really need antibiotics for a stye?), you pay and leave. And it's pretty much cheap as chips! I mean, really, if the NHS was run like this there would never be any waiting lists.
Fatt chose all the low key numbers which I couldn't sing. Well I can't sing anyhow but I definitely couldn't sing 'Can't help falling in love with you' or 'Wonderful Tonight'. Then I had to sing Abba so I gargled 'take a chance take a chance take a chance take a chance'. And we finished up with 'My Way' which to be 'frank' was really not that bad, except I kept giggling because surely I wasn't that drunk to sing 'My Way' in a karaoke bar? My classmates were most bemused at how unseriously I was taking this. Fatt thought I was giggling at him and got a monk on.
Well, we managed to stop just short of 'I will Survive'. We must be thankful for some things.
+++++++++++++++++++++
On a different note, I also went to the hospital for a quick jab yesterday. I find it quite ironic that the hospital I frequent has a Mickey Dees and an ice cream parlour on the mezzanine level. But hey, it's not the NHS you know, you have to pay and the hospital makes a profit, so why not encourage as much unhealthy eating as possible?
To their credit, these hospitals are super models of corporate efficiency. Everybody speaks English. There is plenty of nice seating - not the horrid plastic NHS 70's style, but real seats. There are newspapers and pamphlets and you can always phone up Au Bon Pain downstairs for a takeaway meal while you wait. You register with the minimalist of info, sign a disclaimer absolving the hospital from any nasty side effects, have your temperature, weight and blood pressure taken and then see the doc.
Seeing the doc lasts for about 10 seconds. Here's a conversation that Fatt had with his doc:
"So what's the problem?"
"I think I have a stye on my eye."
"Oh yes, I think you're right. Take all this medication. The nurse will show you how to pay."
Simple! They bombard you with as much medication as they can offload (e.g. do you really need antibiotics for a stye?), you pay and leave. And it's pretty much cheap as chips! I mean, really, if the NHS was run like this there would never be any waiting lists.
posted by sylv at 4:14 pm
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