Friday 22 August 2008

Things nobody seems to ever teach you

Washing machines

Did anyone ever take you to one side and explained to you how to wash your clothes without help? Me neither. A whirlwind of trial and error followed. I was 17 and had just moved out from my parents with a friend. We had a washing machine and no idea what to do with it. We settled on ‘everything at 40’ in the end. I still wash everything at 40 – unless I am feeling daring and go for a boilwash. And then realise that yes, the colour of the red top still runs after ten years and I have grey underwear once again. Why is there no crash course for this sort of thing?

Dusting

I have never managed this successfully with a duster. All it seems to do is spread more dust around. This seems rather pointless.

Making beds

Now I know that in theory you kind of flatten or fold the duvet and stick the pillow somewhere at the top. Only to then unravel it all again when you want to go to sleep. What’s the point?

Bleeding radiators

It’s cold. The radiators don’t seem to work. There’s always a male friend helpfully advising you to ‘bleed the radiators’. How the hell does that work? What will I do with all this blood? Is the blood boiling? Is that how they keep warm?

Cleaning windows properly

Spraying on windowcleaner and then wiping the contraption does not seem to work. Windows are left streaky and look no different to how they looked before you got started. How are you supposed to do this?

Excel

I don’t know anyone who has ever been trained on Excel before they used it for the first time. My first time with Excel was at a temping agency interview and I made it up as I went along. Having spoken to quite a few other people, it seems we’re all in the same boat. Nobody actually has any idea what they’re doing.

Look interested

An important skill! But how? Think of something interesting and you will instantly look interested even if you’re not. That doesn’t quite seem to work. Why not have courses to prepare you for those dull parties and boring conversations you will be forced to have in later life?

4 comments:

Richard said...

Washing machines - just learnt this a few months ago! Also do everything at 40, on advice from mum.

Dusting - never tried it.

Making beds - stopped doing this years ago.

Cleaning windows - not learnt yet, but last week a huge slug slithered all over them, so I think I may have to.

Spreadsheets - ive taught children who still have no clue what a formula is after 4 years of instruction, so you must be quite intelligent to pick it up on your own.

Richard said...

radiators - ive never bled them, but i believe the theory is that air gets trapped in the system, reducing the amount of hot water, and that by opening valves on the radiators the excess air can be 'bled' off.

fengshite said...

they also didn't tell me to only post each post just the once. just realised i posted this once twice. whoops.

as fpr spreadsheets - children!! children never learn anything at school. i certainly didnt!

fengshite said...

they also didn't tell me to only post each post just the once. just realised i posted this once twice. whoops.

as fpr spreadsheets - children!! children never learn anything at school. i certainly didnt!