25th June 2011 Giggles - The Clever Blonde Mortician

A dead man is delivered to a local mortuary wearing an expensive, expertly tailored black suit. The female blonde mortician asks the widow how she would like the body of her husband dressed, but pointed out that the man looks good in the black suit he is wearing.

The widow, however, says that she always thought her husband looked his best in blue, and that she wants him in a blue suit. She gives the blonde a blank cheque and says 'I don't care what it costs, but please have my husband in a nice blue suit for the viewing.

The woman returns the next day for the wake. To her delight, she finds her husband dressed in a lovely blue suit with a subtle chalk stripe; the suit fits him perfectly ...

She says to the mortician, 'Whatever this cost, I'm very satisfied. You did an excellent job and I'm very grateful. How much did you spend?' 

To her astonishment, the blonde mortician presents her with the blank cheque.
'There's no charge,' she says.

'No, really, I must compensate you for the cost of that exquisite blue suit!' she says.

'Honestly, ma'am,' the blonde says, 'it cost nothing. You see, a deceased gentleman of about your husband's size was brought in shortly after you left yesterday, and he was wearing an attractive blue suit. I asked his wife if she minded him going to his grave wearing a black suit instead, and she said it made no difference as long as he looked nice ...
So I just switched the heads.' 

 

Tags: blondemortician

Prev: 25th June 2011 The Dancing Egg In The Fountain

25th June 2011 Dancing Egg In The Fountain

There are some most peculiar customs and traditions in Catalunya, Spain; I guess most countries have their own too. Today, in Barcelona and most other Catalan cities, there would be eggs, imitating Anita Ekbery, dancing in the public fountains, part of the closing ceremony of the Corpus Christi (marked by fresh flowers and plants to form delightful 'carpets covering most main streets). 

The egg had been emptied and it would have some wax to add weight. Positioned over the ever rising and falling of the water jet reflecting the colourful lights all around the edge of the fountain, the egg starts turning this way and that without falling. In addition, the fountain is decorated with hundreds of fresh flowers and fruits of all variety, all combined to present a live, colourful and fragrant spectacle.

It dated back to the XVll century, the origin of it I know nothing of, nor the few Spanish people I had asked. However there exist a couple of speculations. In the religious version, the dancing egg represents the Eucharist (Christian ceremony commemorating the last supper of Jesus and his disciples, sacrament of the Lord's Supper Communion). The other interpretation, the egg is the Eclosion of fertility and fruitfulness.

Whatever might be the origin, this tradition has resisted the passage of centuries, started off in the fountain of the Cathedral and later copied by many other cities and towns, even some villages.

Today, from 10.00 to 22.00 this wonderful display can be enjoyed in many locations in Barcelona, apart from the Cathedral, Palace, town squares, churches, open public courtyards, Museum grounds ...