Chris Saul's Blog

Thursday March 27, 2008

Do as I say

I was surprised to get an SMS today from our property company, encouraging me to switch my lights off for an hour on March 29 as part of Earth Day.

I think that installing some timer and motion sensitive light switches in our block might make more of a difference to global warming than me switching my lights off for an hour on Saturday evening, when we'll be out anyway. Currently most lights burn 24/7 and doors don't shut automatically, so cold air blows out and hot air blows in.

Bienvenue, M. le President

I've been enjoying President Sarkozy's state visit to Britain. It's good to see some positive messages coming from France - I'm liking what he's saying about working together, Britain's economic model, etc.

Watching the highlights on the BBC is hilarious. Sarkozy doesn't come across as particularly presidential in the clips. He looks more like an excited schoolboy, particularly when sitting next to the Queen at the state banquet.

I was impressed to see how many MPs were managing without a translator during his speech to parliament. I wonder how many of them were actually showing off, pretending they could speak French but not understanding a word?

Carla Bruni looks very elegant, but Sarkozy doesn't quite seem to know what to do with her - ushering her around, grabbing her arm, etc. I wonder what she and the Duke of Edinburgh spoke about when sitting together at dinner and in the state carriage?

'Bonjour Carla. Belle journee, n'est-ce pas?'

'Oui, monsieur le duc'.

'Hmm, c'est qui le petit Frog dans l'autre carriage avec Liz?'

'C'est mon mari, le president de la France.'

'Ah, bien sur! Il est un peu petit pour un president, isn't he?'

'Ooh la la!'

'Pardon, pas d'offense, ce n'est pas sa faute. Alors, dis-moi - ton autre petit-ami, Mick Jagger, est-ce qu'il parle le francais aussi bien que moi?'

Phones on flights

It'll be interesting to see how Emirates' new phones on flights service works out.

Personally I quite like the fact that you can legitimately be out of contact, but progress marches on.

I'm always amazed at how many people's phones ring when they're switched on after a plane's landed. I often get a beep, telling me a text message has arrived, but lots of other passengers immediately get a call coming through. Has the caller been redialling frantically for the last few hours, whilst the recipient's been flying around Iraq, down the side of Iran and down to Dubai? I expect these guys are the ones whose phones will be ringing constantly in the air now. I will have to revamp my range of stern looks.

No fuss please, I'm English

I think Roy Hattersley hits the nail on the head in this column.

I probably feel a bit more British than Mr Hattersley, particularly living outside of the UK, where we all get lumped together anyway and minor national differences become less apparent - unless it comes down to fellow Brits teasing me about my posh English accent. At least my dulcit tones are better understood by 'foreigners' when compared to the mumbled grunts of those compatriots of mine who come from regions North Of The Watford Gap. I may sound poncey, but at least I can communicate.

All this oath swearing nonsense baffles me. It's an effort to make people feel or be British, by making them do something that's totally alien to the entire nature of being British in the first place.

Here's an English example that I'm sure I've mentioned this in my blog before - a group of friends and I were discussing St George's day. St Patrick's Day was being celebrated in London, thanks to London's Mayor's bizarre policies, but St George's Day seemed to be being overlooked in England's (and Britain's) capital city. Did we care? Well, sorry, but yes. The conclusion was that we didn't really feel the need to celebrate St George's Day - but it would have been nice to have been asked.

Which I think sums things up nicely. Anyone for a cup of tea?