So I'm finally back home after another mad dash to various cities around Europe, and I can't hear a damn thing. Just in time for this trip I developed cold. When I left, it was just a sore throat, but it duly developed into a wider afflictiong that has now reached my sinuses. It's nothing serious, and I can mostly function normally. Except of course for the fact that this particular trip included several speaking engagements for small audiences. My voice was mostly uncroaked and the frequency of coughs was thankfully low while I was at the lectern, but it was just enough to be annoying. And the spread of the cold to the sinuses has made aeroplane travel very unpleasant indeed. The pressure differences completely clog up my ears and it takes a few hours after landing for it clear up.

It's not entirely true that I can't hear anything. My hearing is just sufficiently impaired so that I can't follow a conversation very well or take phone calls, but it has no problems in picking up screaming children or annoying passengers. There's a corrolary of Murphy's Law in here somewhere.

I also managed to pick up an exchange between the passenger next to me and the stewardess. She asked what he'd like to drink, to which he replied "red wine." So asks, "Would you like the South African or the Chilean?" Unless every KLM passenger memorizes the exact wines they serve, distinguishing them only by country of origin gives very little useful information about the winesl. If it had been a question of Bordeaux or Burgundy it would make sense, or even Tuscany versus Piemonte. Of course, passengers react by furrowing their brow deeply, thinking a bit, and then gravely announcing their decision. "A wise choice, sir."

I need to get some sleep.