Three years of lockdowns meant I was taken completely by surprise when hit by the ’flu this week.
In this household, adverts for throat lozenges and cough syrups passed unnoticed in recent years because nobody needed them.
However, the freedom to move around coming just in time for this winter, the inevitable happened and I find myself nursing a runny nose, heavy head, tight chest and – courtesy of a Vitamin B injection – a sore butt.
A cocktail of accompanying medication, including antihistamines and cough syrup containing codeine, means I’m woozy even while getting better.
Still, better the ‘flu than Covid, right? Thank goodness for small blessings.
Also surprising was the knowledge that Real Madrid is the sports team with the biggest following around the world (see page 3). With a traitor under my own roof, not so surprising is that Manchester United is the most loved sports team in South Africa.
We also have Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal fans in the mix, and, in memory of my father-in-law, I also keep track of Spurs.
The rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona, the Ronaldo vs Messi conundrum – all spark lively debate at the table.
But aside from monitoring the standings, watching Sundowns’ inexorable march to the title, and sticking it to Chiefs supporters, there is little interest in local soccer.
Our fault? Or SA football’s? The English title fight has gone down to the wire in recent years, while Sundowns have taken the title unopposed in five consecutive seasons.
The Independent on Saturday