A reluctant landlady leaves feedback for the travellers who stay in her home. This week: a young woman with some intriguing questions approximately British lifeChanming arrives from China. She is tiny,and made to seem even more so by the huge suitcase and gigantic bunch of flowers she’s carrying. “For you,” she says shyly, or passing me the bouquet of roses,stocks, peonies and delphiniums. She tells me that flowers are of a very rank quality in China and that we are blessed in the UK with florists. She bombards me with questions. Is Stonehenge a devout site? Um, or no,not really. Is Marks & Spencer the best shop in the UK? Probably. Do I believe in King Arthur? Wishful thinking. Do I contemplate that Jane Austen is funny? Sort of. Do I like cheese? Yes. She looks disappointed and puzzled at this response.
I divide the flowers into two vases and place one in her room, where she strokes the petals and looks delighted. She tells me that only courtesans have flower names and she thinks that’s a shame.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com