Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 29-11-2024 — Vanuatu.

29th November, 2024: Vanuatu.

Right … I am officially up — and showered — early.

Yes.

I’m expecting another visit from an occupational therapist: from my GP surgery.

She’s the one who managed to get hold of the bath chair for me: and — once she realised I’d find a step stool handy — offered to do another visit.

Just to — you know — assess things.

Here’s hoping things go well.

~≈🪑≈~

You’re possibly aware that — here in the UK — the House of Commons is to have its second reading of an assisted dying bill: a private members bill called the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

It’s getting a lot of reporting, understandably: with many — on the Today programme, at least — putting the bill on a par with the ones that legalised homosexuality or abortion, and that ended capital punishment.

An assisted death isn’t something I see myself — as I am, today — wanting or needing.

Nor — as they are today — is it something I seem my friends and family wanting or needing.

But … ?

Ever since the death of Sir Terry Pratchett — after years of struggles with Alzheimers, and his own campaign in support of assisted death — I’ve concluded physician-assisted deaths must be made UK law.

Or, at least, law in England and Wales, as this bill lays out.

It’s something I feel is truly on a par with abortion.

You may not want one: I may not want one.

That does not mean an abortion — or a dignified death of our own choosing — should not be legally available.

“If I knew that I could die, I would live.   My life, my death, my choice.”

Shaking Hands with Death, Richard Dimbleby Lecture by Sir Terry Pratchett.

~≈🪦≈~

From the grim, to the ridiculous.

I have to confess, I’ve woken up with an earworm.

“Jai-ho”: the Pussycat Dolls version, rather than the version from Slumdog Millionaires.

Quite why the chorus left me in tears, I don’t know!

~≈🎵≈~

Let’s move on.


Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga*, Mum† and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with Olga and Deebi scoring six out of six, and Mum on five.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s [insert number here] questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video.

Q1)        29th November is Unity Day in Vanuatu.   Vanuatu is in which ocean: the North Atlantic, South Atlantic or South Pacific?

Q2)        What’s Vanuatu’s capital: Norsup, Port Vila or Sola?

Q3)        What’s the most popular religion in Vanuatu: Christianity, Islam or the John Frum Movement?

Q4)        Kava is a traditional Vanuatu what: drink, stew or soup?

Q5)        Finally … ?   What’s the most popular sport in Vanuatu: cricket, football or baseball?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        28th November is Independence Day in Albania.   It marks the country’s independence from which empire?

A1)        The Ottoman Empire.

Q2)        Albania is part of which region: the Balkans, Baltics or British Isles?

A2)        The Balkans.

Q3)        What’s Albania’s capital: Tirana, Durrës or Vlorë?

A3)        Tirana.

Q4)        Some fifty percent of Albanians practise which religion: Christianity, Islam or Hinduism?

A4)        Islam.   (The majority of confessed Muslims in Albania are Sunni: with a small minority practising a form of Sufism.)

Q5)        A Ballokume is an Albanian what: beer, loaf or cookie?

A5)        A cookie.

Q6)        Finally?   Which British comedy star was popular in Albania: Charlie Chaplin, Norman Wisdom or George Formby?

A6)        Norman Wisdom.

Here’s a phrase …

“Long God yumi stanap”

“With God we stand”.

Vanuatu’s motto.

And a national anthem …


Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.



The next ten question set is tomorrow.

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        That’s one thing I remember from the holidays we had in Spain, when I was young, Olga: Bennie Hill was huge!   I think it was the chase sequences that made it popular.   However appropriate they were, none of them had much dialogue: so could be aired anywhere.   I think that’s why Mr Bean’s proved popular: the originals had very little dialogue: and what there was could be easily dubbed.

†        Hello, Mum!

‡        I don’t know if he was a saviour, Debbi.   I think the fact Enver Hoxha — Albania’s Communist dictator — thought Wisdom was hysterical had something to do with it!   (I think it’s something like Olga was saying about Benny Hill.   Hill got hugely popular in Spain … whilst the local comedians were careful what they said.)

        John’s done another biography?   I might have to re-read No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs, at some point: it was fascinating stuff.