When political figures meet they often will shake hands. The recent climate change meeting or COP21 (Conference of Parties) showed endless footage of people facing the camera while shaking hands. I never understood that this has to be filmed. I mean; who thinks that shaking hands is so interesting that they actually want to see a film reportage of it? The Chinese leader was a bit bored by that conventional gesture. He looked as if a lemon had difficulty being accepted. Shaking each others hand and fingers interlocking seems a reasonable thing to do in accepting the other person as an equal. A kind of, let’s be friendly and acknowledge each other. The arms and hands are the logical tools to do that with. One could perhaps use legs and feet, but balancing on one foot would be difficult, especially for the elderly.
There are some cultures that have different methods of greeting. Here and there nose rubbing is normal and the ‘Dab’ amongst the young is also practised. See below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dab_(dance)
But, the gesture of acknowledging each amongst royalty remains stuck in genuflecting or curtsying. I am not totally sure of this ritual between royals but certainly in strangers or other non-royals we are supposed to do a bit of a dip on one knee and then, if done appropriately, might be given the opportunity to touch the hand of the Royal. It is supposed to be a sign of one standing above the other. I am not sure if I could or even would do this. Apparently, if one is lucky enough to meet a royal, many are urged to practise the art of genuflecting well before. No doubt, one could even do a course in genuflecting, a bit like when I took dancing lessons from Phyllis Bates’ dancing academy back in the late fifties. This was held above a milk bar in Sydney named ‘Spyros.’ At that time a malted milkshake could be bought for one shilling and sixpence. I had to make sure that the book was held between the teacher’s and student’s breast or chest. It is still a much revered achievement that I successfully managed to do that. I remember the title; it was ‘Of Human Bondage.’ Of course, holding a book between a royal’s chest (or breasts) and a ‘common’ while genuflecting would never do.
As for the spat between us and the nasty one; let me just put this one up as a response to a dear follower on my previous piece.
The person we feel is responsible to the threat that we should go and sell up, also has a thing about the Royal Family. When the English Prince Phillip was given a Knighthood by Australia, she fully applauded the move by our previous government. It was such a silly move that the government subsequently lost the election.
We joined in the chorus of most, in condemning and rubbishing the giving of Knighthoods and Dame hoods. However, the nasty neighbour is English and when she holds Court would bore us to death about her regaling the English monarchy to its minute detail. She hinted she actually was the illegitimate fruit of one of the many Prince Phillip’s amorous conquests, supposedly consummated in a swanky address along the Seine in Paris.
We finally had enough and refused to genuflect and told her off. She is silly.
Tags: Book, Curtsy, Dame-hood, Dancing, English, genuflect, Kighthood, Of Human Bondage, Prince, Royal, Spyros
September 15, 2016 at 1:06 am |
Big M.
We just read your brilliantly funny and succinct review of my latest ‘Oosterman Treats.’
Sorry to be a bit late off the block, but I don’t often look at my Amazon’s account.
Helvi burst out in that delicious laughter of hers. You, Big M, made my day.
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September 15, 2016 at 1:17 am |
The review could have been longer but I felt pressured to get something in for the Amazonians. Glad you enjoyed it. Both books and a bunch of black and white Sci Fi vids arrived at the same time as the chain saw incident, so time off to read and view.
I remember Paul Keating being berated by the media for failing to bow, and also daring to touch Her Majesty’s back whilst being shown around a room full of sycophants. The Queen’s spokesman said she wasn’t offended at all, and thought that Australia should be a republic.
I suspect it’s only old Anglophiles who revel in such minutia.
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September 15, 2016 at 1:41 am
Your review is just making for a lot of happy. Very good and very very funny. As for that meeting between Paul Keating and the queen; a lot more normal than that embarrassing idea by our previous PM T.Abbott with insulting the whole of Australia by bestowing a Knighthood on Prince Phillip whose bed side drawer is rumoured to be full of Knighthoods. ( buried underneath some fell fingered Playboys)
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September 15, 2016 at 1:48 am
I’m sure the Prince’s response to the Australian knighthood was, ‘where the farksthat?’ He strikesme as an all round shitty character.
Keating
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September 15, 2016 at 1:54 am |
Keating got rid of the British awards because they were being bought, $50000 donation to the conservatives won you a knighthood. I suspect the Australian orders are the same.
We are in Exmouth, holidaying in luxury, but the wifi is sporadic, so only just saw your post. I take it as a great compliment!!
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September 15, 2016 at 2:07 am |
You, your dear wife and good wifi, enjoy your well earned holiday at Exmouth. The wild-flowers are supposed to at their best in WA. How is your chainsaw cut hand healing?
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September 15, 2016 at 4:26 am
Thanks Gez, healing well, but is forming a thick scar which I’m massaging with Bio oil. The wildflowers are amazing. A dear friend from my nursing training took us on a tour around Perth and Kings Park.
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September 15, 2016 at 12:13 pm
My brother, Herman, especially drove all the way from Toronto to WA for the wild flowers but got stuck with a broken down fuel pump/filter somewhere near Albany. He is now on the way to Noorsman. He is so keen on WA wildflowers. Glad your chainsaw hand is healing. Say hello to B from us.
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September 20, 2016 at 7:01 am
Sorry to hear about Herman. Cars really need a good maintenance session prior to driving though all that desert. Even then they can succumb to some mechanical devilry. The wildflowers are magnificent. The Nullarbor is quite green, with surprising native flowers popping though. Kings Park in Perth is wonderful. It is the largest city Park in the world, and sports some specimens of near extinct natives.
I can see from your other posts that you are both well. We return home tomorrow to be reunited with our canine offspring.
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September 20, 2016 at 8:07 am
Welcome back. Your friendly wagging friends will be so pleased.
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September 15, 2016 at 2:21 am |
I am glad that as an American I have no need to genuflect any longer. My knees couldn’t take it. Good post Gerard. May your nasty neighbor trip on her skirts as she curtsies.
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September 15, 2016 at 3:50 am |
Instead of genuflecting we would rock upwards on our toes and look formidable.
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September 15, 2016 at 11:50 am |
Apart from the fact I struggle to balance on two feet, the thought of trying to get up again after curtseying or bending a dofgy knee is risible. Do those who insist on etiquette not know about dodgy bones in old age?
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September 15, 2016 at 12:09 pm |
Perhaps, just ‘ a gooddayehowzit going yoreold Phil, would be more appropriate?
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September 15, 2016 at 12:18 pm
‘Fancy a swift gin and tonic, mate?’ I think would be the best one. He was – allegedly – famous in Saudi for having a load of gin shipped in.
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September 15, 2016 at 11:43 pm
A gin-palace springs to mind.
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September 16, 2016 at 2:09 pm |
As a young person— long ago and far away in another galaxy, I got used to genuflecting when I served as an altar boy in the Episcopal Church, Gerard. I look back on the experience with humor but haven’t genuflected since. It might be better than kissing someones ring, however. 🙂 As for your short term on the Board, our Condo Association was constantly fighting over parking. When I moved my van inside to take it off the street, the gloves came off. –Curt
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September 16, 2016 at 10:59 pm |
Parking cars is by far the most contentious issue in shared living space. However, in our compound it is really a bun-fight between an elderly lady whipping up discontent between ‘owners and renters.’
She thinks that people who rent have less rights and are somehow of a lower order.
She expects deep genuflecting and total subservience by ‘renters.’
I certainly would not like to kiss her ring. 😉
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September 23, 2016 at 1:28 am
There was a fair amount of whining about renters in our complex as well. Most complaining came from only a few people, but they were loud! 🙂
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February 8, 2022 at 4:07 pm
This is horrible to have to live with!
During the spring of 2016 Peter was diagnosed.
We were shocked that the ‘tumor’ was indeed what we had feared it could be. From then on our lives were never the same again. One good thing was, it brought us closer and closer together. I knew then already, that sooner or later I had to let him go. I thought I was well prepared for his departure. But I was totally wrong. Why couldn’t I have died too? This is how I felt when he was gone, and I had to live a desperately lonely life 24/7 – – – – Will I ever again feel less lonely? Sometimes I start feeling hopeful again. I am still so very, very healthy despite having to slow down so very much and having many, many age related limitations. Being 3 quarters blind now and the rest of my eyesight nearly gone too, having very faulty hearing etc. it’s amazing that internally I can still feel so very healthy and adventurous. My most ardent wish now is to be Allowed a Natural Death when the time comes. Yes, AND,
Allow Natural Death! Right now I have to type with 2 fingers on the left hand and 3 fingers on the right hand! I feel I am gradually getting better at it, but I have to type very, very slowly. If I start a little bit too fast, I type totally the wrong keys – – – – There is some hope, that I can get hopefully soon a Carpel Tunnel Relief Op by that nice surgeon by the name of Jenkins who operated on me once before: My new GP found out that J operated on me 8 yrs ago on my right hand! So, the GP wrote out a referral for me to see J! The next thing is, I have to make an appointment. With my new phone it is easy now for me to make outside calls. I can also very easily receive calls. My dear daughter Monika was able to fix this phone for me. It took her a while to find out, how it should be set up. But it is working very well now. I am so happy, that I can work with it now! Whether the extension works well too, I don’t know yet. I am very, very tired now. Good Night, UTA
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September 21, 2016 at 8:14 pm |
I’m a dab hand at a variety of genuflections. When I was a child in the convent in Belgium (Flanders), I had to genuflect endlessly in church, do a deep knix with bent head to the Reverend Mother at any encounter and a smaller dip-plus-nod to any nun I passed or spoke to. The only time I met Prince Philip, we shook hands like ordinary mortals.
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September 21, 2016 at 9:56 pm |
Yes, my mother too told us stories too of her days in the girl’s orphanage in Amsterdam. (Maagdenhuis or house of virgins) Some of the nuns were nice but some of them monsters.
I am curious about your stay in a convent in Flanders.
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September 22, 2016 at 6:58 am
Same here, some nice, but many monsters. My father was stationed in Germany, but moving about and the BFES schools were so-so. Several parents sent their daughters to this convent for a good education. I was nearly eight. I learnt French, if nothing else.
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September 22, 2016 at 10:56 am
Oh, I see and understand it now. My mind’s eye saw a childhood drama when your explanation cleared it all up.
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