No trabáho, gulpién, no kanén, in-inúten.
If it's work, do it fast. If it's food, eat it little by little.

This afternoon was spent waiting at the surgery, but only for two or three minutes, when nurse called me, and the flu jab...not...for she noticed my sniffling and chesty cough, and announced, 'I'm afraid this jab will only make it worse, how about next week?'
Oh, a mix-up yesterday where the surgery forgot to log-in my appointment, and today my flu jab postponed because I have the flu!!! It's a comical week~~~

So...to my friends house for her birthday party. She is a filipina who loves videoke and cooks the most perfect food. Tonight, when I reached her house, which she shares with another Filipino family, was full to the rafters with food. She told me it took three days preperation, as around twenty people were expected, and so I tried shomai, caldereta, pancit moto, siopao, bopis, peking duck, sushi, goatmeat with hot chilli, embotido, (a meat roll), followed by leche flan which is so sweet and delicious - rather like heavier and sweeter, richer caramel, macaroni salad, biko - glutinous rice with coconut and very, very yummy, and finally cassava cake - root fruit and coconut...ummmmm, yummy.
This was washed down with San Miguel Philippine beer, (San Miguel is orginally from the Philippines, and arrived in Spain afterwards!!)

My friends sung from their videoke, "My Way", "Brother Louie", "I Don't Want to Talk About It", "Bootylicious" etc, etc...but not my choices as my voice is reserved for blogging if you get my drift!!!
:b

I was so happy they invited me, because my eating habits nosedived today, but were truly rescued by my friend and excellent hobbyist cuisinier.

Tonight, I'll check my student's English papers, and try to revise my own study too.
Have a nice night all of you.

What have you eaten today dear bloggers?
My eating habits are sad today; no breakfast, just soya coffee, and a lunch just finished, consisting of two fried eggs on toast, followed by three Twix biscuit fingers. That's quite yummy but not a very clever diet is it.
Well, my flu jab awaits, it's official, so after posting this I'll make my way to the surgery.

Spare a thought for some past food habits;

Henry VIII and the 800 people who made up his court con­sumed 8,200 sheep, 2,330 deer, 2,870 pigs, 1,240 oxen, 24,000 larks, and 33,000 chickens in one year.

A townsman tended to eat as much meat as he could afford, break­fast consisted of salted or pickled herring, cold meat, pottage, bread, and ale, the midday meal bought at a cook shop or tavern (roast meats, meat pies, and stews were available), and supping on cold meat, bread, cheese, and ale.

In contrast, the diet of the average husbandman was made up of black bread and cheese, and perhaps eggs, leeks, parsnips, cabbage, peas, beans, and parsley. There would be little sign of beef or mut­ton, although bacon may have appeared every now and then, with mutton or pork at public feasts.

Lucky food for the months;

January - Black Eyed Peas
February - Noodles (for the Lunar New Year)
March - Seeds (like Sunflower or Pumpkin)
April - Eggs in any form, even raw
May - Yogurt or Cheese
June - Wedding Cake
July - Watermelon
August - Corn on the Cob
September - Oysters or Fish
October - Pumpkin Pie
November - Turkey
December - Fruit

Today is the flu jab!!
I know I said yesterday was the flu jab, but I forgot I was speaking about the NHS who promptly told me at the local surgery, simply, "what??"
It is a great healer isn't it, to be told curtly, "what?"...anyway, it transpired that they forgot to book me in, after handing me the appointment slip. So, today is flu jab day...perhaps.

Also yesterday, I tried to discover the date and whereabouts of my MRI, after being informed that it can be done in King's Lynn. My phone calls to the hospital were a bizarre mix of hilarity and madness bordering on the ridiculous. I phoned the switchboard, who put me through to orthopaedics, and a warm voice greeted me, (the only I would encounter), and she helpfully told me that she only deals with 'in-patients', (my chance of winning that title for treatment to my spine seems years away), and put me back to reception; who then gave me a new number, which I tried in earnest, and was greeted with a familiar and pleasant female voice, (yes, the same lady at orthopaedics), upon which I hysterically said, "It's me again, your reception put me back through to yourself, help!"...there was a pause as she muttered unmentionables, (I really did not hear these words), and finally she chose to give me a direct number to the "bone man", an expert in orthopaedic bookings, dealings, comings and goings etc. At last, a real number, but alas, an answerphone, whereby I left my details, and completed my reluctant message by supplying my phone number....yes, my phone number....yes...what is it, my number??...oh God, my mind was blank, and I couldn't remember...so I hung up...after one hour of circling the hospital phone system, I'd forgotten my own damn number!!

I tried again, and finally, a man answered, it was him, the "bone man" who was excellent to be honest, and very helpful, though he told me, "Your name is here, your medical record too, but as far as the database is concerned, you have been discharged, with no further dates pending."
Oh!!
Two weeks ago, I received a call offering me an MRI, so what has happened now??
He too was concerned at this, and chased it up, and called me back an hour later, confirming that the MRI, in King's Lynn, instigated by the NHS is definitely "on" and for me to confirm it directly with them, which I promptly did, and now await my MRI, several months late, in King's Lynn and not Norwich, because my local hospital admit they cannot manage it for the foreseeable future. This man I would like to thank, because without my phone call, and his own investigations, the King's Lynn appointment, (though noted within the NHS), was not made known to myself. I fear, it was a move to help statistics...whereby my name is dropped from the waiting list, and my MRI appointment would have been missed, (because it was booked for the 9th and no word, letter of confirmation was sent to me), so administration would have been able to state, "He was given an appointment but he didn't bother to turn up."
True, but that is only one view.

However, the appointment I've been waiting for ever since the early Spring, throughout my blogging career, is now looming, yahooooo, so I'll be positive and thank the NHS as of this week only. (I always say, the medical staff do a fantastic job against appalling administrative restrictions, and I applaud all the nurses and doctors risking their own good health to help others; however, some administrators and consultants locally have spent more time telling me how hard their job is, and forgetting that I, (like thousands of other more needy patients), need help!). The Government has created hell for the NHS here, and withdrawn resources that had been promised to our flagship hospital, so I do have some sympathy, but how far should sympathy go??

~~~

A great snow, and so to church this morning with my wife.
-Pepys, December 7th, 1662

~~~

Colour: skyblue
Music: Chris Coco: Falling (kupper ibizalectro mix)
Nu Soulsta: A Karma Life (freeflow mix)