Hey, everyone!
Above is defender Ashleigh Neville, who has been with Spurs since 2017. Now, for a link about her: Sophie Penney interviewed her about the transition from being a part-time footballer to a full-time footballer, leaving her job as a teacher for special needs children, for The Telegraph in October.
Ramble of the Day
I unexpectedly enjoyed a House Hunters International marathon yesterday, for me the only interesting show on HGTV considering its light attempt at being a travel show. I also came to a realization: Despite the format being very predictable and that almost every episode is the same, I can’t stop watching.
The premise for almost every episode involves a couple, and that couple sometimes has children and/or pets. They’re leaving the country because one person got a work opportunity (or occasionally, is going to school in this new country). Then, any combination of a few things happen:
- One person is more excited to move to the new country than the other. (The more excited person is usually the one that got the job opportunity or admission into a school.)
- One person is usually looking for a home that one would find in North America, not realizing different people live differently. (This mostly applies to Americans moving to Europe who are unaware homes tend to be less spacious.)
- Someone is looking for charm specific to the region. (For example: If a couple is moving to England, someone will want a home with “English charm,” whatever that means.)
- The two usually have different desires in a home, never drastically different, but enough to make it a long list for any real estate agent.
- After the first meeting of future homeowner/renter, the real estate agent says: “There aren’t a lot of homes in [insert part of town/city] that have what they want and meet their budget.”
In turn, I react in a predictable way each and every time.
- I hope that the person less excited for the move is a bit more open to the experience, but I try not to be a jerk about it because moving is a very stressful experience.
- I get slightly aggravated that people look for things they won’t find in a home in a new place, but wonder if they really could’ve been warned beforehand that Europe isn’t roomy. (I debate it in my mind until something else distracts me, because the information is out there.)
- What does “English charm” even mean? You’re giving your real estate agent a headache, please stop saying this.
- My general rule of thumb is to let the person who is going to spend more time at home (if such a situation exists) to have slightly more decision making power.
- Finally: Be kind to your real estate agent, though being unrealistic and then settling seems to be working out for just about everyone that’s ever been on this program.
This, of course, doesn’t even begin to address the fact that parts of the show are faked, and for that I have a general rule to acknowledge that, move on, and enjoy whatever story they’re trying to tell. Still, it’s the lowest level of entertainment I enjoy, and the repeated reps don’t turn me off it — though it probably helps that I rarely watch it.
tl;dr: Watching House Hunters International is a predictable experience, but I still enjoy it.
Links of the Day
Four Serie A matches were postponed on Sunday over growing concerns about coronavirus in Italy.
Old Trafford will host the opening match of Euro 2021.
Manchester United switched out mascots for supporters over the age of 60 in a campaign with Cadbury to tackle loneliness before Sunday’s match against Watford.
Today’s longer read: Helen Lewis on Lily Parr and the early history — and popularity — of women’s football in England before the FA banned women from the sport for The Telegraph