Monday, October 19, 2009

fishes, leaves, 2.30



Posted by PicasaOn ice 2.
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The big oak at the corner of the Grove is shedding its long leaves. Children rejoice in their crunchy generosity. They kick them as they wade among them, throw them in the air, and one little girl fills her dolls' pram with them. Meanwhile, whenever there is a gust of wind the dropping leaves swirl and shimmy in the air.
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In the health food shop, a customer is helping the assistant with the prices of some of his purchases of which she is not certai. "That one is 2.30," he says, "the dentists' price." "Yes, " she says appreciatively, " I used to be a dentist's receptionist. We always used to say that. Some people got it; some didn't."I overhear this as I am leaving. I don't get it. As I close the door I consider going back into the shop and asking for an explanation. Then, just in time, I get it.

5 comments:

CC said...

It took me a second look to get it too.
And both my brothers are Dentists. ;-)

Roderick Robinson said...

This anecdote makes even more sense for me since my new dentist is Chinese and is linguistically disadvantaged.

Unknown said...

I wonder if the joke could be translated into Chinese.

The Crow said...

What fish is that in the photo? I like the blood red around its eye and the gold band across its nose/face/snout(?).

Unknown said...

I can't remember, dear Crow. It could be a hake, but there were a lot of fish looking reproachfully back at me as I surveyed the slab on which they lay. For a long time we have not had a fishmonger in Tunbridge Wells, and this seemed an embarras de richesse.