Monday Meanderings - 6.18.12

Big kerfuffel in the British press last week because Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife went off and left their eight-year old daughter at a local pub, each thinking that the child was with the other parent. It was really not a big deal; Cameron and his wife met at the pub near their home for lunch, and while they lingered over their meal, the child had gone outside to play in the garden, and they arrived at home without her.
 
I, on the other hand, as a very young child, was left in an empty, dark, scary church building when my parents made a similar mistake. Asleep on a pew, I was forgotten while my parents turned off the lights, locked the doors and went their separate ways to home. Truth be told, I was still sleeping soundly when they rushed back to the building, though I have often used that incident to explain some of my issues.
 
And speaking of Brits, it is amusing to listen to the announcers while watching the Euro 2012 soccer championships. You hear advantageous pronounced ad van' ta jus; controversy pronounced con tra' ver sy, and immediate pronounced im meed' jut , for example. You might hear the country Tunisia pronounced Tu niss' ia, and of course there is always the old standby shed' ule for schedule.
 
We are also amused at some of the national anthems of the competing countries. The most plaintive is that of the Ukraine, a host country. Translated into English the Ukraines sing, "Ukraine has not yet perished." Meanwhile, the Czechs wonder, "Where is my homeland?" Poland, the other host nation sings, "Poland is not yet lost." The Irish, scrappers that they are, sing, "The Soldier's Song" while the Norwegians affirm, "Yes, we love this country." Perhaps the most unusual anthem is that of the Netherlands; it is titled simply, "The William" and is sung in the 1st person.