The hell of shopping (and cleaning ladies)

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 18 July 2003 17:39:19

I needed to get out today - I couldn't spend another day indoors, especially as the cleaner from hell comes on a Friday, so I decided to head out and try and spend a gift token left from my birthday. And anyway, I needed some shopping therapy (and stuff the overdraft).

I'll explain about the cleaner.

The landlady employs her to do the family part of the house - that is everywhere but my attic room and ensuite bathroom. She also does the ironing, but not mine no matter how much I have hanging there ready to do - I live in hope.

Anyway, this cleaner speaks very little English. All requests to do things are either communicated in a sort of sign language or via her daughters - with some hilarious results.

I don't know what I've done to upset this cleaner but each time I go downstairs when she is here I get a filthy look. The problem is that she comes at lunchtime - which means I'm virtually banished from the lkitchen. If she's not doing the kitchen I will go and make myself a cup of coffee - but you can bet that as soon as she sees me she's there with a cloth cleaning around me as if to say "you're in the way". And if I want to cook anything - well it takes courage.

So when she's around I try and head out of the house, and today was no exception.

I got the bus to a local shopping centre - pretty straightforward apart from the fact that the driver didn't want to go anywhere fast. I think he was scared of overtaking the bus in front of him for some reason.

When I finally arrived it was apparent from the numbers of youngsters being dragged around the shops by their mothers that many schools had already finished for the summer. Not that these kids wanted to be dragged round the shops - which was extremely apparent by the behaviour, tears and tantrums I encountered. First day of the holidays they wanted to play not be forced to trudge around department stores.

It was hell - and worse was to come when the schools that were open ditched their charges later the afternoon. You could not move for screeching teenagers. Why do they have to yell at each other - are they deaf?

All attempts at shopping for clothes, make up and perfume had to abandoned. You could not get near some of the counters - and worst was seeing them "try on" the make up whilst not using the testers provided. Remind me to look carefully from imprints of fingers and lips before buying any face product. Ugh.

The journey back was not too bad - except that people seemed to forget that it was the express (limited stop) bus and kept ringing the bell at request stops then shouting at the driver when he sailed past. It does have a different number, and is a different colour to the "stopping" bus but it makes no difference. Perhaps they should have an announcement system as they do on trains - "this is a number *** calling at ****** only".

Anyway - I got home and the cleaner had gone, so mission accomplished.

By the way I did spend the token - I bought Waterson-Carthy's "A Dark Light" and I'm enjoying listening to it.