I think it was October when the grue (sounds like a Dr Who villain) flew over ecovallee, heading South West. Formation flying in their hundreds or thousands, hundreds of feet up, making strange, loud gobbling noises, they signify that winter is here, and pretty much everyone is saddened by this awesome sight/sound.
Yesterday, the first of the grue came back. Which means spring is officially here. And everyone's happy.
Showing posts with label earth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label earth. Show all posts
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Crime against humanity
I've learnt a few things since the car's been out of action.
Thing one: You meet a lot more people when you don't have a car. (Although most of them are either helping you out, or trying to.)
Thing two: Suggesting you can live without a car has the same reaction on people as suggesting you can live without a house. (And here we are, basking in a very warm and cosy yurt, tossing the occasional piece of free wood into the Yotul, feasting on venison given to us by another parent from school.)
Thing three: A crime against humanity seems to be being (a rare construction, that) perpetrated by at least one Western government. Here, it's called Prime à la casse. The guy in the breaker's yard told me...
I went in to find out if I could have a new-old engine put in the car. Fine, they said: Engine €300. Fitting it, an extra €1,200. Bugger, I said. That's the same as the Renault garage. Too rich for my blood. How about trying to sell it without a working engine?
Non-starter, I was told.
During the following conversation, the very nice man pointed out of the window at a car very much like mine. Only in perfect working order. It was sold to the breakers for €70, on condition that IT MUST BE SCRAPPED. Me and my friend who drove me there were open-mouthed. The very nice man said he had a Golf IV - €70 but must be scrapped. Apparently, it's to create a shortage in the second-hand car market so people are forced to buy new.
It makes me want to cry, I said.
Me too, he said.
You probably know about this from the telly - sadly, like the tractor and now the car, our fantastic small TV/DVD player is out of service - but it's news to me. In a world where there are clearly enough cars, governments are encouraging the scrapping of perfectly good vehicles to make room for even more.
I don't know what to say.
Thing one: You meet a lot more people when you don't have a car. (Although most of them are either helping you out, or trying to.)
Thing two: Suggesting you can live without a car has the same reaction on people as suggesting you can live without a house. (And here we are, basking in a very warm and cosy yurt, tossing the occasional piece of free wood into the Yotul, feasting on venison given to us by another parent from school.)
Thing three: A crime against humanity seems to be being (a rare construction, that) perpetrated by at least one Western government. Here, it's called Prime à la casse. The guy in the breaker's yard told me...
I went in to find out if I could have a new-old engine put in the car. Fine, they said: Engine €300. Fitting it, an extra €1,200. Bugger, I said. That's the same as the Renault garage. Too rich for my blood. How about trying to sell it without a working engine?
Non-starter, I was told.
During the following conversation, the very nice man pointed out of the window at a car very much like mine. Only in perfect working order. It was sold to the breakers for €70, on condition that IT MUST BE SCRAPPED. Me and my friend who drove me there were open-mouthed. The very nice man said he had a Golf IV - €70 but must be scrapped. Apparently, it's to create a shortage in the second-hand car market so people are forced to buy new.
It makes me want to cry, I said.
Me too, he said.
You probably know about this from the telly - sadly, like the tractor and now the car, our fantastic small TV/DVD player is out of service - but it's news to me. In a world where there are clearly enough cars, governments are encouraging the scrapping of perfectly good vehicles to make room for even more.
I don't know what to say.
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Hooray
Without meaning to be political, congratulations to everyone on the planet.
My next post will mostly be about sausages.
My next post will mostly be about sausages.
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