spread the love, stone the crows

I'm trying to be nice and culturally sensitive, I really am. Nepalis don't do public displays of emotion, of any sort, so we are not supposed to snog in public, but equally we're not supposed to lose our tempers, either. Ideally, we should at all times be calm and smiley. I've been trying this out (which is probably why our car still hasn't been booked into the workshop, because I don't think being calm and smiley necessarily makes it a priority job). Another ex-pat out here advised me to just think "spread the love" every time things get a bit frustrating, and smile and take a deep breath, etc. I have been trying to put this policy into effect, honestly I have.

However, yesterday as I was walking down the main road to get a taxi, I happened to pass a building site, which was just thronging with young oiks. Now a wolf whistle I could cope with (actually I'd be quite grateful for, given my age), but no, it wasn't a wolf whistle that zoomed through the air and hit me on the head, hard, just above my left temple. It was a sharp bit of aggregate. For a moment, I briefly contemplated spreading the love, and being culturally sensitive, but I'm sorry, you can take the girl out of the comprehensive school, but you can't take the comprehensive school out of the girl. I shouted "F**k off!" as loudly as I could and stomped off, muttering darkly under my breath.