View From a Bridge

For those of you who remember it, don't worry I'm not including a link to the Kim Wilde song of with the same title. I am also not going to mention the Arthur Miller play with almost the same name- I'm not that highbrow! (Oops I mentioned it.)

I've been pretty wound up all day today so I'm going to something I don't often do. At least I don't often do it here on Blip, elsewhere is another matter. It's time for a rant... (Time to stop reading if you don't like hearing other people whinge)

In previous summers since I've lived in Symi, I always worked in shops that catered mainly to tourists. I've sold jewellery, clothes, leather goods and accessories. While I never agreed with it, I became used to people asking for discounts and attempting to negotiate prices with me and depending on the freedom my boss (for 3 years, me) gave me I would, reluctantly, sell goods at discounted price. My friends and I often questioned why we should and why customers expect to pay less than the stated price. The phrase 'you'd never go to Tescos/Sainsburys etc and ask for a discount on your shopping' was often used. I now work in a supermarket and have been asked 3 times in the last few days if people can pay less for some item of fruit or vegetable. WTF? If you don't like the look of it - buy a better looking one!

Moving swiftly on to my second source of annoyance today. I am a British woman, who doesn't look entirely British, living on Greek island. I understand that people may find this interesting but why does it give complete strangers the right to ask me personal questions about my ethnic origins? Once I've stated that no, I'm not Greek and neither are either of my parents, end of discussion.

While I'm on the subject of not being Greek... having dark curly hair and darker than average skin DOES NOT make someone look Greek. Not that there is anything wrong with looking Greek, I just don't. I may slap the next person who says 'but you look so Greek' to me.

On to the weather. Hot, humid and at least once today it was raining while the sun was peeping through the clouds - so where was the rainbow? I searched but it was nowhere to be seen. That's just not fair, it would've have brightened up my whole day (a bit).

My final whinge is something that those who follow my journal and are also my friends on Facebook, may have already read.

Men: DO NOT EVER tell a woman that you've noticed she's put on a bit of weight. Not even if it's only a couple of kilos and you're saying something like 'you look better with that couple of extra kilos'. You might think its a compliment - she won't and if she's standing close enough (I wasn't) she may give you a swift kick in the nuts. This is particularly true if you already know that she prefers herself on the 'slightly skinny' side!

As you may have gathered, I have no GwMs to report today.

I feel bit calmer now that I've got all of that off my chest.

Now in a very Dotty-esque stylie:

Good Things

Having somewhere to write a rant, that doesn't limit you to 420 characters.