I was speechless

Oh the joy of the unexpected.

This rather prosaic photo typifies, brilliantly, the huge, yawning chasm I am sometimes aware of, between my experiences of life and culture in the UK and those I have here.

Some context first - today was the school summer fair. I was helping on the raffle stall ("plus ca change..." and all that) and was told about something that I found so intriguing that I asked to leave my post and rushed off to see it with my own eyes (and record it for posterity - and Blipfoto - on my camera).

Nestled next to the toy and book stall was the luizen lady (as my friend described her - and at first I thought I had misheard) from the luizenkliniek (Dutch speakers, are you beginning to get the picture?). In this picture, she is demonstrating how her machine works, on a willing teacher.

You see 'luizen' is Dutch for 'lice' (head lice to be precise). And while I know that there are travelling lice catchers in the UK. who will clear your child's head of lice, for a fee, I have never before seen or heard of one being present at a school summer fair...operating next to the toys and books as if it were perfectly commonplace.

It's great news though. The school undertakes regular lice checks on all primary children and this lady is going to be used if any child is found to have those nasty critters scurrying around their locks.

In my quote of the year, so far, she told me "I can clear a school of head lice in one afternoon."

Priceless.