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I was on my way to the supermarket yesterday and there was a truck belonging to the National Blood Service in the mall carpark.  I hadn’t given blood since moving to the UK and had been thinking about it over the last few days so the appearance of this mobile donation unit was weirdly appropriate.  It’s been over four years since I gave blood (28th January 1998 to be exact) and it felt good to give again I think it was my Mother who instilled the feeling of civic duty that comes with giving blood – I have been giving since I was 17 and gave blood 37 times in NZ.  My mother never had particularly good veins and would come back from donating with bruises where they had been digging around looking for a decent one.  In the end they told her not to put herself through it any more.  Personally I must have great veins – I have little scars in the inside of my left elbow where they put the needle every time! and the fastest I have filled a pint bag is three and a half minutes.

While I was lying there I was also thinking about organ donation. I have been a donor as long as I can remember and was trying to figure out what reasons people would have for NOT being a donor.  My first though was maybe they refuse on religious grounds.  But if the body is but a shell for the soul and the soul departs after death then what’s the problem?  Me, I just think you die and that’s it so for me they can have whatever they want.  I’m not particularly charitable in life so the least I can do is help someone out in death……..

Does anyone have any thoughts on this either for or against organ donation?  I’d really like to know what the 3 people that visit this site think on this matter

Three days into our four day weekend and things are very relaxed.

Saturday was spent catching up with friends (again! ) Lunch was Dim Sum (Yum Cha in NZ) with Steve and Geetha who moved to London about a week ago.  Dinner was spent on the banks of the Thames in the sun with David, Claire and Richard.

Sunday – well football of course! England 1 – 1 Sweden.  Lucky to get away with the draw too!

Today Vic and I went out to Europe’s largest shopping mall – Bluewater.  4 hours later I had bought a t-shirt – that’s it!  4 hours and one item was all I had to show for it 🙁

BLOODY ANNOYING! I went into Starbucks to buy a bottle of water and spotted something that Vic and I have been after for ages – one of those things you use to compress coffee when using an espresso machine (anyone know what they are called?) They had the US and Canadian prices on it but no UK pricing.  The US price was $4.95 – this is equivalent to ?3.38 at todays rate (remember that figure) I took it up to the counter thinking “OK – UK prices are often the same in pounds as dollars so expect to pay about 5 quid”

“How much is this” I asked

The young lady behind the counter punched the code into the till and replied ”Seven pounds fifty sir”

Now I would have usually just said “no thanks” but was so astounded that they would want over twice as much for it that I had to say “you have got to be joking! You are seriously asking me to pay ?7.50 for something that is labeled the equivalent of ?3.40!!”

Her answer was “They ship them in from overseas”

Of course they do!  I can’t imagine any UK manufacturer making these (Italian, yes) but 220% of the US cost!

And they are surprised when people use the term “Rip Off Britain”?

Bugger me sideways with a rubber fork!

YAY for living in the UK for once!  We have a four day weekend this weekend in celebration of the Queens golden jubilee :vbg:

And our friends Steve and Geetha moved to the UK from NZ last weekend and we get to see them tomorrow

And it’ll be interesting to see how England goes against Sweden on Sunday morning in their first World Cup game

Did I mention we get a four day weekend?

Senegal just beat title holders France 1-0 in the opening game of the World Cup!

Senegal were paying 9-1 for the win which shows how much of an underdog they were! Is it the year of an African nation’s triumph?  Probably not but still a great upset

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