Monday 2 April 2012

Fooling About in April.


I had a friend in the 80's who was a bit of a prankster, I'll call him Dave. When I knew Dave, he was at a loose end and had volunteered to be a rep for a holiday company; a job he didn't take very seriously.  In those days the holiday season started in early April and Dave used this as an excuse to try out his practical jokes on his unsuspecting clients.  On one transfer back from Dalaman airport, he got the driver to gradually reduce his speed, at which point Dave leant forward from the rep's seat, exchanged a few words with the worried looking driver, then grabbed the microphone and announced:  " Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid we have a problem. The driver has informed me that we have a slow puncture on the right side of the bus and has asked if all the passengers on the right can lean to the left please." To his delight, they all did and they would have carried on for several more miles like this, had the driver not got a fit of the giggles and given the game away.  His best idea has passed into travel rep mythology.  The first airport in Dalaman resembled a large shed and the luggage collection area had two exit doors. Dave had prepared two large signs and he stuck one above each exit door. He then donned a white coat,  held his clip board in one hand and a pair of dressmaking scissors in the other and waited on the other side of the doors.  As clients retrieved their bags and walked towards the exit they were faced with this choice CIRCUMCISED or UNCIRCUMCISED.

11 comments:

  1. Sounds like one of my crazy uncles in Jo'burg telling his French mother when in the car approaching a red light: quick open the door and put your foot out! We need to brake!!! You need to know my French grandmother probably to appreciate that!!!

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  2. Oh, I'm the sort who'd have completely fallen for those.

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  3. It's almost worth getting the snip for!

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  4. . . amazing what childhood preconditioning can achieve - what was that Jesuit saying - 'Give me the boy and I'll give you the man.'
    Stand up; sit down; keep moving . .

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  5. Brilliant. He sounds like a really fun guy to know!

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  6. Hilarious! Having been on the end of a number of April Fools' jokes, I tend to get nervous these days and keep clear of anyone with that 'look' in their eyes. Including Jack ;-)

    Loving your blog.

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  7. This was too funny....I have to show this too my husband. He will get a chuckle from this.

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  8. This is a totally random question but if you don't ask...
    Do you or any of your readers know the Turkish name for ghee/clarified butter?

    I've found references in translations to 'drawn butter' but I'm not sure if it as the same thing, or in common use as a name over there. I was hoping that people coming here for your great thistle recipe would be the sort of folks that might know. Thanks to anyone that can enlighten me.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Cally, I would also welcome an answer to this as I haven't seen clarified butter used in a recipe here. However I am living in the South West, where olive oil is king and butter an after-thought. We need to venture north, where butter is used more than oil. The traditional Iskender kebab should have a bubbled butter mixed with red pepper poured over. A Seasonal cook might be able to answer the question if you put it directly to her

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    2. bubbled butter and red pepper - oh, you are making my mouth water! will definitely as A Seasonal cook, thanks for the tip.

      I know how to make it at home but I don't trust my bloke to learn from me on skype in case it cuts off and he ends up with a flaming pan of burnt butter.

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  9. a joker with style and immense imagination!

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