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

I spent about an hour in the waiting room at the surgery today. My usual doctor had called in sick so things were a little less tranquil than they usually are there. But never mind; I don't mind waiting, especially when feel like death warmed over and I don't have the energy for anything other than an ostentatious display of patience.

I could have read an ancient copy of the New Yorker or something, but I decided to rest my eyes instead. I just sat there and watched people.

You hear such fascinating things in waiting rooms. You also hear mind-numbingly boring things, courtesy of the two women of a certain age who were poring over some glossy magazine or other and discussing celebrity weight loss/weight gain/dysentery or whatever it was with every indication that they thought this trash genuinely mattered.

The woman next to me was obviously employed at the government department next dor to the surgery. I could tell by the fact that she was proofreading documents from that department. Making use of downtime is one thing, but proofreading government documents in public is a damned silly idea. (They were boring documents too - I had a good read. Being longsighted has its dubious advantages.)

Then there was the double amputee in a wheelchair who would keep on rolling around the room at high speed and occasionally apologising for flattening other people's toes. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to do that, I've got nothing against feet or legs. I remember mine fondly.' That was slightly disturbing, to be honest.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room a dopey-looking girl was having a loud conversation on her mobile. 'Yeah, I got it workin' again. Didn't I tell you? I dropped the bloody phone while I was boilin' rice the other day and it stopped workin', but now the bloody thing's come good.' If anyone wants to know what sort of phone survives being boiled, it was a Nokia.

Finally, my name was called and I could escape...

(I'm at home for the rest of the week.)

Ivan.

Of course it was a Nokia *waves Finnish flag proudly*

Take care of yourself now - staying at home, you'll have plenty of time to read the NaJoPoMo postings of other researchers *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*

I see someone's re-read all of yours in order today.

Yeah, that was indeed although I had to post in one of my favourite threads so that it wouldn't slip too far down my list of conversations.

People watching is one of my favourite things do to, especially while sipping a vanilla latte, seated in the Central railway station in Stockholm - there's always a lot going on there. It's like a microcosmos of the

Nokia's will survive the nuclear winter... But I've no idea if cockroaches have the appropiate opposable thumbs, necessary to type out texts to each other...

Mine's a Nokia, and I wouldn't change it for any of those new fangles all singing, all dancing phones!

Sorry you are under the weather, Ivan.

Get well soon



lil x

Glad to hear you're home for the rest of the week.

Once while I was in an emergency room waiting room waiting for my father, I heard a mobile conversation in which this woman discussed her recent miscarriage.

get well soon Ivan

I can't imagine anyone in Germany buying a Nokia, after they backed out of Bochum. They got a huge Government grant for setting up there, then after a few years, moved the factory to the Czech republic, leaving thousands out of a job and not paying anything back. I'm not happy with my Samsung, but I'm not getting a Nokia. Nosirree.

For us of Finnish origin, Nokia isn't just about mobiles, but also wellies and tires. Quite good looking wellies too, long before it became fashionable to make 'cool' wellies. Rubber products, that's how Nokia started out.

TC, if you're not planning on boiling your phone there shouldn't be a problem with not having a Nokia...

mines a mobile phonebut it don't move unless I carry it

Conversation snippet overheard in my surgery waiting room.

"Hi Mary, how are you, haven't seen you for ages"
Mary "I'm really well Sally, how are you?"
Sally "Oh, couldn't be better"

Err, ok, so what were they using up 2 appts to see a doctor for in the first place if they're so well?

I last went to my doctor for my annual checkup/ prescription renewal. I go in mid-afternoon and there is never anyone else there.

The wheelchair bit was actually kind of funny, Ivan. Reminds me of something we saw at the zoo recently that was somewhat disturbing.

My first cellphone was a Nokia. I've been using a Motorola for ages because it was free when I switched carriers in 2003 (my old company was bought out by one that sucks, so I switched to another one that sucks somewhat less). My next one will be a Nokia even if I have to pay for it.