Thursday 1st March 2012

Bamboo that grows nearby.

March already, but it was just Christmas?


A calmer day, although not as yet the blue skies that we so love.  Watching the weather forecast on the few channels that we have it would seem that the whole of the eastern Mediterranean has been hit by similar weather.  Somewhat annoying to find that it is warmer in London.

With the beep, beep of the text message to say that bowls was on we set off in ‘winter wear’ to join a small gathering who were huddled under the shelters as the wind whipped across the fields.  The bowls club is situated just outside Kiti next to a small industrial estate, but has open fields on both sides.  It was freezing!

The draw was made with Lillian and I playing next to each other on adjacent rinks with only  four in operation due to reduced numbers. A good game for me, acting as skip against Jim who I skipped against last week resulted in a very creditable and easy win.  I would like to say it was down to my leadership but Rod and Bob, me team members bowled well and I even gained a couple of points myself!  However the wind was so cold we, along with about half the members decided not to play a second game and we hurried our goodbyes and made for the warmth of the car.  

A stop at the bank in Dromelaxia to pay the complex maintenance charge and a quick trip into Larnaca to leave two big sheets for laundry.  They take too much time to iron for the few € charge.

Back home it was some work on-line and then out in the garden for repair work to our bashed hedging after the winds. What was ‘unique’ for me that I was able to go across the road to cut my own bamboo poles that are growing in a nearby field.  It had fortunately become slightly warmer.

A young plumbing man, whose card we had picked up in Bar Coast called to fix the washing machine and inside I was pleased that it was not me that was the cause of the leaking but the miserable Quality Group worker who called when we first took over the house to fix the leak.  He had left a plastic shut off valve in the pipe!  Dan the plumbing man from Essex, said that he would call again to change a single plug socket in the lounge to double as he ‘does electrics too’.  It was interesting to hear his ‘life story’ and he and his girlfriend arrived here with €350 to their name and how he was now getting work and his girlfriend had just opened the small hairdressers in the village.

A meeting was held for residents with the maintenance company in the gym.  Only 5 houses were represented and all of the talking was virtually in greek.  Arguments flared over the charges being made for cleaning and maintenance and it was no way to run a meeting! Perhaps its the greek cypriot way to just speak louder?  In the end Lillian was elected on the committee.  We actually think the costs are reasonable as we want the complex to stay nice, although the inside road is a mess currently due to the main road.  I have to say that so much was spoken in greek I lost interest Lillian though seemed to pick up the gist of what was being said.  We will see what can be achieved.

Message from Stephanos in Quality Group in response to our email.  Still awaiting the Road permit!

End of Season Two of Prison Break.  Great stuff.