Random Photo of the Day 15: Cape Town

This is just a flower, right?

Look more closely: wrapped around the stamen are actually 2 small frogs, camouflaging themselves brilliantly. Well it fooled me, anyway!

From the excellent Cape Town Aquarium, July 2009.

Drolgerg Does Istanbul #1: Why You Shouldn’t Always Listen To Your Mother

Drolgerg & wife took a brief break in Istanbul.

This is their story

There are actually times when you shouldn’t listen to what your mother tells you. We had decided that for our 3-day trip we were going to pack as light as possible so as to avoid tedium of the baggage carousel & take all our luggage on the ‘plane. We did our research on what you can’t take through customs: most liquids, aerosols, sharp pointy things, rocket-propelled grenades, meerkats & the like.

We stayed overnight with my wife’s parents as they’re close to Heathrow & they own beds & ovens & such that conveniently have walls & roofs built around them

After an intervention over my wife’s latest scheme to bring down the government, or at least people she doesn’t like, we got onto how smug we were feeling at cramming all our stuff into itsy bitsy cases.

“You can’t take mascara you know” mother-in-law says.

What mascara does to you on airplanes, say mothers-in-law

“What?” says my wife.

I say nothing as I’m not entirely sure what mascara is. Also in conversation involving my wife’s family I find that it’s generally the best policy anyway. Also they don’t pay any attention to anything I have to say, which is probably quite reasonable actually.

Mother-in-law is very convincing. Wife decides that she can go without her ladyshave, scissors, lotions & potions but no way in the world can she go to Turkey for 3 days without this mascara stuff.I’ve left behind my deodorant & razor, so by holiday’s end I expect to look & smell like this:

Despite the lack of deodorant probably being more her problem than mine, the fact remains that now all my sacrifices are in vain,  so we check in her luggage regardless, mascara & all.

Turns out mother-in-law dearest was wrong – you can take mascara (less than 100ml) onto airplanes! So there you go kids – sometimes what your parents say is actually total codswollop!

She’s lovely really, just wrong about mascara. Holiday off to great start!

Got luggage almost straight away at Istanbul airport, luckily, then off we went to the hotel.

So what do you think?
Is mascara evil?
Should you listen to your mother-in-law?
Do I look better with a beard?
Should we be allowed to take our meerkats on ‘planes?

My advanced psychomattress research techniques tell me that the average Blog of Drolgerg reader is smarter than the average bear, so I’d love to hear your comments here.

More to come: with nicer pictures, hopefully