7 of many things that started a discussion today….
Our morning verandah chats turn up some very interesting topics.
Eric and I are a ‘young’ retired couple living in Hungary enjoying each other’s company and chatting together for many hours. We are so relaxed here and really appreciate being able to take our time and not always be conscious of the time!
Taking time to talk to each other is an excellent tool to strengthen our marriage.
Every day we chat about things that we think will interest the other. We do not always agree on some issues but I am quite happy to listen to Eric’s point of view. The mild political discussions we have tend to lean towards discussing the capabilities of different Heads of State and their working methods and policies!
Walnut Trees
So this morning we got talking about our young walnut trees we were given last year, 8 of them. The conversation was mainly about their general condition and then went on to admiring their growing leaves. Eric suddenly said he was imagining in 10 years’ time we would be swinging in hammocks between the walnut trees! A nice vision.
Aeroplane Overhead..
The sound of aeroplanes over head was a pleasant sound…suggesting the skies may be getting back to normal. It has been eerily silent for the last 3 months. We chatted about the virus and its far reaching effects it will have on our future generations, particularly for those children who are due to take final exams….this year 2020…the year of the virus.
Computer problems
We are a close family and lucky to have a son who is pretty expert in all things ‘computer’ related. We discovered this whilst I was struggling with various issues on ‘dad’s’ computer. Raphael to the rescue.🧑 He fixed everything needed and was so cheerful and happy that he had mended ‘dad’s computer’, it was a joy to listen to him. Made me think, am I not giving him enough credit for his abilities? Food for thought.
Can I tell you what I’m reading?
I read continuously, and don’t usually chat to Eric about what I read. But I was very excited to talk about my current one.
The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart by Margarita Montimore https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49931433-the-rearranged-life-of-oona-lockhart
The book made me think about my own life and in my imagination put me in the main characters’ role….how would I deal with things? An extremely thought provoking book involving time travel…not a genre I have ever read before. Eric listened politely, which I appreciated because he is not a book reader himself. I get so involved with a book that I carry the thoughts around in my head…and in my enthusiasm sometimes they spill out!! I shall be posting a full review when I have finished this amazing book.
America’s Got Talent
We live open plan, so can hear what each other is watching on our respective gadgets. Eric was watching the above clip… I was cooking a meal in the kitchen, by the time it had finished we were both reduced to tears. This was a hot discussion topic on the verandah both of us talking at the same time, both us had lots to say. We were emotional just watching it….imagine how the guy felt living that hell. Watch it and see what we were talking about.
As I am reviewing this post today (23.09.23) I realise this video is not available! I can’t actually remember which video it was, so sorry about that!
Back in Time
Talking about our past is another interesting topic. Eric described the living arrangements at his home in Beirut, Lebanon when he was a child and what each of the rooms were called and their functions. Fascinating to listen to the differences between my own upbringing. In the Middle East the culture dictates that women dominate the kitchen and food preparation whilst the men dominate the salon or living room, chatting, serving drinks and playing backgammon. They all meet together to eat.
Reading Tea Leaves
Eric had never heard of tea leaf reading, in his country they read coffee granules instead. Tasseomancy (a divination or fortune-telling method that interprets patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments) was practiced originally by Romani Gypsies. Since we are a teabag household and don’t often use loose tea very often we have never considered this…and don’t really have an interest. I am sure people really believe this practice works, but just not for us.
Are you a retired expat? What do you talk about with your nearest and dearest? 💞
Just a bit of fun and an insight into what these retired expats talk about while living in Hungary. There will be more “Verandah Conversations” very soon.
Making Hungary Home 