Thursday, July 22, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Guest Post from Richyrich no.2
Paul and Anne's Story
Paul and Anne are both teachers in their late 40's and live in the Midlands. They have two teenege children (a son and a daughter) both of whom are still at school and living at home.
Last year they had a major extension done to their house. Whilst the work was going on the ground around their house was very messy and they decided that until the work was finished, the whole family should take their shoes off when entering the house in order to keep the place clean. The original plan was for it just to be a temporary measure and that the wearing of shoes indoors would resume afterwards.
However one thing they noticed was that as soon as they started removing their shoes, the house was much cleaner even compared to what it was before the building work began. Cleaning had to be done less frequently which for two busy working people was a major bonus! They then decided to make the "shoes off policy" permanent and carry on with it even after the work was complete. At first their children were not keen on the idea, they have friends over quite often, and the thought of having to get them to unshoe themselves every time they visited did not appeal to them.
Eventually they were won over and now more than a year on and the buiding work just a memory, the whole family take off their shoes in the house all the time without thinking about it. The children's friends do it every time they visit as well. Indeed some have actually commented that they like the practice as it makes them feel more comfortable!
Paul and Anne are both teachers in their late 40's and live in the Midlands. They have two teenege children (a son and a daughter) both of whom are still at school and living at home.
Last year they had a major extension done to their house. Whilst the work was going on the ground around their house was very messy and they decided that until the work was finished, the whole family should take their shoes off when entering the house in order to keep the place clean. The original plan was for it just to be a temporary measure and that the wearing of shoes indoors would resume afterwards.
However one thing they noticed was that as soon as they started removing their shoes, the house was much cleaner even compared to what it was before the building work began. Cleaning had to be done less frequently which for two busy working people was a major bonus! They then decided to make the "shoes off policy" permanent and carry on with it even after the work was complete. At first their children were not keen on the idea, they have friends over quite often, and the thought of having to get them to unshoe themselves every time they visited did not appeal to them.
Eventually they were won over and now more than a year on and the buiding work just a memory, the whole family take off their shoes in the house all the time without thinking about it. The children's friends do it every time they visit as well. Indeed some have actually commented that they like the practice as it makes them feel more comfortable!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Guest post from Bob
Susan’s Saga
Susan is a 43-year-old single woman who lives in a tony suburb of NYC. She recently accepted a position as a administrative manager for a Broadway actress. The job requires Susan to work from the actress’ NYC apartment.
On the day of her initial interview, she arrived professionally dressed. She rang the bell and was invited in with the proviso that her shoes were to be left at the door. During the course of the interview, the actress explained that she maintained a shoe free home and as such Susan had the option of either spending the day in her stockinged feet or changing into a pair of soft sole slippers upon arriving.
What was Susan’s reaction to the “no shoes allowed rule”? She was very willing to accept the rule as she maintains a shoe free home herself.
Susan is a 43-year-old single woman who lives in a tony suburb of NYC. She recently accepted a position as a administrative manager for a Broadway actress. The job requires Susan to work from the actress’ NYC apartment.
On the day of her initial interview, she arrived professionally dressed. She rang the bell and was invited in with the proviso that her shoes were to be left at the door. During the course of the interview, the actress explained that she maintained a shoe free home and as such Susan had the option of either spending the day in her stockinged feet or changing into a pair of soft sole slippers upon arriving.
What was Susan’s reaction to the “no shoes allowed rule”? She was very willing to accept the rule as she maintains a shoe free home herself.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Guest Post from Richyrich
Kathy's story
Kathy is a 51 year old divorcee who works as a Legal Secretary and lives in Cheshire. She has two grown up children, both of whom have now left home. She had always wanted light coloured carpets but knew that it would have been impractical whilst the children were younger and living at home, as it would have been impossible to keep clean. However she now has her house to herself and is finally able to do it up the way she wants. She recently had cream coloured carpets installed throughout the house. The only concern she had before she put them in was how they could be kept spotless for long. She did some research on the topic on the internet and saw that a lot of the advice was taking off shoes when people entered the house and she really liked that idea.
Kathy often has friends over for drinks and just a chat and was worried about how visitors to her house would take to a shoes off policy. She was concerned that some might see it as a little odd or “anal retentive” even. However, as soon as she explained the reasons for it to her friends they were all very understanding and now whenever they visit her they kick off their shoes as soon as they are in through the door without any second thoughts
Kathy is a 51 year old divorcee who works as a Legal Secretary and lives in Cheshire. She has two grown up children, both of whom have now left home. She had always wanted light coloured carpets but knew that it would have been impractical whilst the children were younger and living at home, as it would have been impossible to keep clean. However she now has her house to herself and is finally able to do it up the way she wants. She recently had cream coloured carpets installed throughout the house. The only concern she had before she put them in was how they could be kept spotless for long. She did some research on the topic on the internet and saw that a lot of the advice was taking off shoes when people entered the house and she really liked that idea.
Kathy often has friends over for drinks and just a chat and was worried about how visitors to her house would take to a shoes off policy. She was concerned that some might see it as a little odd or “anal retentive” even. However, as soon as she explained the reasons for it to her friends they were all very understanding and now whenever they visit her they kick off their shoes as soon as they are in through the door without any second thoughts
Friday, July 16, 2010
Fictional People (Stereotypes?) Part 3
re-post
Tim
Tim is 22 and lives in Birmingham where he works as an IT technician at the university.
He is single and shares a house with two friends.
Tim is very keen on science fiction and owns a large collection of Sci-fi DVDs. He and his friends are also very keen on computer games.
Tim has a shoes-off policy in his house. When he was younger and lived with his parents, he was expected to remove his shoes. When he moved out of the family home, he saw no reason to depart from the norm and got his housemates removing their shoes. Taking care of the carpet just seemed commonsense. Tim's housemates had also grown up expecting to remove shoes in their own homes and when visiting friends. For them, being in socks when in a home was normal for them.
When Tim's girlfriend first visited his house, she was surpised that at a house inhabited by three young men was as clean as it is. She was impressed and had no objection to removing her shoes when visiting.
When watching science fiction movies and t.v. shows, Tim sometimes wonders why characters are seldom shoeless.
Charlotte
Charlotte is 29 and lives with her partner in Reading. She is a pharmacist by profession.
Charlotte is a passionate lover of all things Japanese. She has visited Japan three times and she attends Japanese language classes. She has an avid interest in Japanese Anime films. It is a certainty that any exhibition of Japanese art in the Uk will be visited by Charlotte.
Charlotte admits that her Japanese cooking leaves a little to be desired, but it is not for want of trying. She is not brilliant at cooking English food either, but pharmacy was her calling in life, not catering.
She developed this fanatical interest when she visited a museum at the age of nine. In the museum she saw suits of samuarai armour, Japanese statues and other artifacts that fascinated her. Ever since, she took every opportunity to learn something of the country.
Perhaps inevitably, she adopted the custom of removing shoes in her home. Of course, she had several tatami mats in her living room, so wearing shoes was not an option. Charlotte's partner was under strict instructions to follow Japanese etiquette and remove his slippers before stepping on her tatami mats. He did draw the line at changing into toilet slippers when in the bathroom, however.
Charlotte's friends smile when reminded to remove their shoes. They put it down to her nipponophile craziness.
Tim
Tim is 22 and lives in Birmingham where he works as an IT technician at the university.
He is single and shares a house with two friends.
Tim is very keen on science fiction and owns a large collection of Sci-fi DVDs. He and his friends are also very keen on computer games.
Tim has a shoes-off policy in his house. When he was younger and lived with his parents, he was expected to remove his shoes. When he moved out of the family home, he saw no reason to depart from the norm and got his housemates removing their shoes. Taking care of the carpet just seemed commonsense. Tim's housemates had also grown up expecting to remove shoes in their own homes and when visiting friends. For them, being in socks when in a home was normal for them.
When Tim's girlfriend first visited his house, she was surpised that at a house inhabited by three young men was as clean as it is. She was impressed and had no objection to removing her shoes when visiting.
When watching science fiction movies and t.v. shows, Tim sometimes wonders why characters are seldom shoeless.
Charlotte
Charlotte is 29 and lives with her partner in Reading. She is a pharmacist by profession.
Charlotte is a passionate lover of all things Japanese. She has visited Japan three times and she attends Japanese language classes. She has an avid interest in Japanese Anime films. It is a certainty that any exhibition of Japanese art in the Uk will be visited by Charlotte.
Charlotte admits that her Japanese cooking leaves a little to be desired, but it is not for want of trying. She is not brilliant at cooking English food either, but pharmacy was her calling in life, not catering.
She developed this fanatical interest when she visited a museum at the age of nine. In the museum she saw suits of samuarai armour, Japanese statues and other artifacts that fascinated her. Ever since, she took every opportunity to learn something of the country.
Perhaps inevitably, she adopted the custom of removing shoes in her home. Of course, she had several tatami mats in her living room, so wearing shoes was not an option. Charlotte's partner was under strict instructions to follow Japanese etiquette and remove his slippers before stepping on her tatami mats. He did draw the line at changing into toilet slippers when in the bathroom, however.
Charlotte's friends smile when reminded to remove their shoes. They put it down to her nipponophile craziness.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Visited Stevenage Police Station Again
(Sorry, I did not really meet Coronation Street's Becky Granger there)
I was shadowing a colleague from the Drug Intervention Program again and so got to visit Stevenage police station's custody suite again.
People detained at Stevenage cells have their shoes replaced with rubber beach sandals. I noticed some of the prisoners there had left their replacement sandals outside the cells. Perhaps the custody officers thought these prisoners might throw the flip flops when the doors were opened.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Scorching Earth
My neighbour just called on me. I stepped outside to talk to him in my bare feet and found the paving stones were scorching hot. I did not think it got that hot in this country.
Hardcore 'Offalists' might suggest it's my fault for going outside barefoot. In Japan, where shoes are always removed, nobody ever steps outside barefoot and you don't even put your bare feet in the genkan (entrance area). Though interestingly enough, a lot of people in old Japanese prints are depicted as going barefoot outdoors.
Hardcore 'Offalists' might suggest it's my fault for going outside barefoot. In Japan, where shoes are always removed, nobody ever steps outside barefoot and you don't even put your bare feet in the genkan (entrance area). Though interestingly enough, a lot of people in old Japanese prints are depicted as going barefoot outdoors.
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