by Technology. Who needs it? My washing machine has packed in, I’ve lost my TV signal on all channels, and this bloody computer has a habit of slowing to a crawl, especially when I use Skype or even have it running in the background. Plus I need to make a website to promote those Skype lessons that help snarl up my laptop, and switching providers to save money is just too hard. There’s no way to communicate effectively with the new hosts, and given my total lack of technical expertise I do need to communicate quite a bit. I can use WordPress to make websites, and I used Dreamweaver to make a website before then, but as for what’s really going on in the background, I’m buggered if I know. So I’m a bit frustrated.
I’ve been impressed with my doctor here. This morning (Sunday) I went back for a second time, where I got my blood pressure taken and also had my first ECG test since 2003. When his assistant administered the ECG he tried to relax me by asking me to imagine I was on a beach somewhere, far, far away, “definitely not in Mamaia”, which is Romania’s famous beach resort and perhaps a little seedy. My blood pressure is on the low side and I’ve been told to stop taking the beta-blockers. My heart was basically fine but an M-shaped pattern in my heartbeat was indicative of low magnesium, and when I think about it I haven’t eaten a lot of nuts or green vegetables, foods that are rich in magnesium, in my time here. I will change that, but in the meantime I’ve been prescribed magnesium pills. I’ve also been told to see an ear, nose and throat specialist for my chronic rhinitis. I’ve had problems in that area ever since I had pneumonia at the age of six, and I’ve come to accept them as part of my everyday life. But they have impacted my life significantly. Right now I’m full of catarrh. Wouldn’t it be great to be rid of all of that after thirty years?
I have a friend of sorts in Wellington who has no internet access or much other kind of access. Last weekend I called her on her 71st birthday using Skype. Today I penned her a letter and enclosed some photos. With all my technological woes, I quite enjoyed the simplicity of a letter.
I now lead my cousin 21-9 in Words with Friends and have a large lead in the latter stages of our 31st game. I feel a bit bad because I’ve had a series of fairly narrow wins including a squeaker that I won by just three points and another game where I stole the win with a bingo (ENDIVES) on the final play. I’ve only completed five games against other people, winning just one of them. The word building and all the strategic considerations fascinate me. I might start playing on the Internet Scrabble Club, which was started by a Romanian as it happened, but only once I’ve committed all the two-letter words and some of the threes to memory. That’s always the problem for me. Can I be arsed to learn all those words, and shouldn’t I be doing something better with my time?
It’s been a beautiful weekend in Timișoara (or Temesvár or Temeswar or Темишвар) for relaxation, which has been my goal. Yeah, I do see and hear several different languages, and that’s pretty cool. Anyway the sun, which at ten to six is just setting outside my window now, has been out just about all of yesterday and today, and I’ve enjoyed just sitting in one of the many squares, watching people milling about to the sounds of an accordion. Very peaceful, and somehow very European.
I’ve got a lot to sort out this week.
