h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Wouldn't that be handy. Although I always thought a big telephone would be more dramatic!

Been away on hols for a bit. sorry for the two week silence.

So did you go somewhere nice?? Hope you didn't get caught in that lovely rain a couple of days ago. We'd floods round parts of Belfast.

Oh no that's rubbish, how are things now?

I went to Brittany. We had a few really sunny days but mostly it was cloudy, dry and warm there were a couple of days where it chucked it down, so a bit of a mixed bag really.
it's the first time I've been away for two weeks for ages, so a bit weird coming back and realising I don't have to say Bonjour and auvoir anymore! my french is really rubbish. I thought it'd all come back when I went over there but I think I'd forgotten so much because I gave it up halfway through school that I didn't have enough to remember if you see what I mean! I chose to do Spanish instead, it was easier!

I gave up French after GCSE, but had to do it that far. Would've prefered to do Spanish instead myself. WAs a lot easier. Though some of the things they get you to learn in school is all a bit bonkers. Do we really need to know how to talk about what we did last summer or whatever??

true. That always bugged me, but my spanish teacher was really good and got us prepared for all eventualities if we went on holiday there. She taught us how to order food, say stuff if someone got ill, if there was a problem with the car...! Also how to ask someone if they want to meet up, or whatever, it was really good

That's useful though. You need stuff like that. I've always felt a bit bad going abroad and everyone speaks such great English and we can barely manage two words of their language.

yeah I always feel really embarrassed.

Thought I'd put this here as it' vaguely Doctor Who related. Totally gutted as cos of the stuff going on in town over the weekend I missed DT in Taking Over The Asylum on BBC4-thought-no problem-be able to catch it on iplayer-not so. I wanted to see what he was like in his debut...

I missed it too!!! Only saw it was on too late and missed it all. Was looking for it on dvd but haven't seen it for less than about £12 and a bit reluctant to pay that when I haven't seen it before. Saw a clip on youtube though and it looks good.

Think it's this clip he's in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlvyWn8Fk_w

It does look good doesn't it? I caught a bit of the other episodes the other night but found it pretty difficult to catch up with the plot so will probably have to see if I can get it from the local library or something. My mum thinks I'm weird, but I've always liked social drama like that it's interesting. Quite scary that the stats on mental health haven't changed that much and they're actually cutting mental health provision in the UK. I think that's really bad.

I know! It does look good. I've looked in our local library and video retal place for it with no luck. But maybe I have to request it. Hope you get it though.

You're not weird for being into that sort of stuff. I like it too. Suppose working in the mental health sector kinda helps too. Think that's part of why I'd like to see it.

Do you work in that then? that must be pretty difficult.
I used to work in the voluntary sector and the way voluntary organisations are all embedded in the whole system can be good, but also counterproductive as it takes the pressure off Govt to do so much

Yeah, I work in a supported housing scheme for people with mental health prolems. It's a way of helping people to live as independently as possible with the support and backup of the staff in areas where they need it. Can have it's moments, but it can be quite fun at other times.

It's really quite inbteresting at times coz I find myself watching a film or reading a book and digagnosing chaacters as bi-polar or OCD or whatever. you start to pick up on things and see symptoms. Kinda eerie too.

yeah. That sounds a bit like an organisation near me, who the volunteer beaureau used to work quite heavily with. I think its so important to give people that independence.

I know! Thinki so many people struggle to cope totally on their own, and others could end up in long-term hospital coz they've no support or aren't well enough to live alone. But it's great to see when there are improvements in someone's confidence or state of mind through being in something like that. One of my colleges got an OBE years ago for going out and bringing people with learning disabilities out of long term hospital and into suported housing.

Oh that's brilliant! Those are the people who really deserve the OBE's. I get sick to death of this celebrity parade we get every year...

Yeah, it can be annoying. Especially when it's someone who's more "popular" than actually talented. (Or is that X-Factor? Maybe both.) Think it can be great to honour someone like Paul McCartney who's written so manyt amazing songs and has influenced so many people, but the day Wayne Rooney gets an honour from the Queen, there's no point going on.

(Just googled him to make sure he hadn't already got something.)

yeah.

Unbelievably, as well as missing that Taking over the asylum show I also managed to miss the Quatermass experiment, but I think that is on iplayer.

Did you get Taking Over the Asylum last night on BBC4?? I turned the tv onabout 10 and got the last two episodes. WAs really good. Funny bits and sad bits. David Tennant was great. Very young and I think even skinnier than he is now if that's possible. They night repeat it again though. have to see the start now.

Missed it (again!) But hope they repeat it. Yes I thought he looked skinny in the clips I saw. (!)

So very skinny!!! Really want to see the whole tyhing though. But not as much as I'd like to meet David in real life.....