Just wanted to pop in and say hi. I'm a relatively recent Fforde Ffan. I got hooked by The Big Over Easy last year, after spotting it in Big W and being compelled by the interesting cover to take it home with me. I then checked out the website and got into the Next series, but unfortunately read them all out of order (as they periodically became available through the local library). Now, however I am the proud owner of The Next Set and am in the process of re-reading the series (this time in order) as I avidly await the release of The Fourth Bear .

This morning I was once again prompted to visit the website when I found a reference to my name (!!!) in WOLP. A very strange thing for me to see my name in a novel (as it's not your average, run of the mill name), and even stranger still because I did not notice it when reading WOLP the first time. It's on p85 of the UK edition where Thursday tells Miss Havisham to turn right ' after the lights turn to greeeeeeen.'

I've now wasted away many hours of my day poking around the site and reading some of the Fforum pages. It's been great reading, but now I'm getting very hungry so I'm off to find some food.

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'Who looks after the animals?'

Hi and welcome Zuki,
and a very nice photo (Dubbo Zoo?) on your profile too! (I take it you're the one with the long legs.)
'Green', unfortunately, is a fairly average name, though it is a coincidence that you also have quite so many e's in yours.
Some stores were offering free gifts with the boxed set. Did you score an apron with a dodo on it or anything?

:-D thanks for the complement. Yup that's Dubbo zoo. I volunteer out there when I can. The boys are Jerry and Opala - very cool to work with!!!

Sadly, you are mistaken about my name - it's not Green. The name in question is my first name and when I was growing up it was often confused with a rather aromatic flower. However it was easy to get people to pronounce it properly when I was at uni in Newcastle (NSW) because I lived right next door to it (quite confusing at times).

When I aquired my box set I had to get it on order so nope, no special dodo aprons or anything... Why, do you have one you want to give away?

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'Who looks after the animals?'

Hey Zuki!~
Always glad to meet new vict- er, visitors to the site.

<nudges kitten in ribs>
shhhh!

Oh look! Is that a potter's wheel over there?

<turns back smiling broadly to Zuki>

Stinkweed Greeeeeen, what a charming name!

WHERE???

Sorry Kitten, I meant to type, "is that a rotter's whorl over there?" because I'd just saw a fingerprint mark on my nice clean window.

<Whew>

Ok, I had to look it up, but your name is Jesmond? I've never heard that as a name at all.

And Dubbo Zoo is my one and only reason for wanting to holiday in NSW. *sulks*

What is it about clean windows that rotters always find so alluring? And not just for fingerprints, I had a forehead print on my sliding door last week!

Incidentally, can a person be identified by their forehead print?



- Zuki-pah, aka: Stinkweed Greeeeeeen

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'Who looks after the animals?'

Hi Kaz,

Yup Jesmond it is. It was passed on to me from an English friend of my Dutch mother - so no I'm not named after the suburb... I'm named after a lady... who was named after the suburb.

And Dubbo Zoo is well worth the visit! I fully recommend it as the best zoo in Australia, and I'm not biased (much).

-SG

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'Who looks after the animals?'

Welcome to the fffffforum, Jesmond!

It's a bit of a tradition here to always offer food to newcomers. Would you like a slice of cake?



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Metaphors be with you!

Welcome Zuki-Pa/Jesmond. I expect you can be identified by your forehead print; everything else is unique - why not that?

So is Dubbo Zoo an actual zoo then? First time I've come across it.



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If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.

I went to Dubbo Zoo when I was a kid, and it became indelibly imprinted on my brain as an utterly wonderful place to visit. One of the most interesting zoos about, imho.

There's a zoo in my town too, you might have seen it in the paper recently, someone yanked a rabbit from the petting corner, ran to the reptile house and threw it to a crocodile. Nice people about.

Oh wonderful. Sounds like it would have been way more public spirited to cut out the middle bunny and throw him(?)self to the crocodile.



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If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.

That would certainly stop him re-offending. More effective than tagging.

Certainly sharper.



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If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.

I seem to recall a story about someone being identified by their ear-print... But no-one has actually done a propper study into how unique fingerprints are... especially partial prints.

People (well...its happened at least once) have been convicted on the basis of fingerprint evidence, even though they had witnesses saying they were elsewhere. I can't remember how the misjudgement was spotted and accepted by the system.

BTW, hello Jesmond. Have some cake. I think there's some Battenburg left over from last time we had a newbie. It should be OK if you cut the crusts off.
And does beer really flow and men chunder where you come from?

Rob



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That statement is either so deep it would take a lifetime to fully comprehend every particle of its meaning, or it is a load of absolute tosh. Which is it, I wonder?
Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

Contrary to popular belief, Rob, beer does not flow freely here - it can be quite expensive - however I can understand people being confused if they have seen the Tooheys New Raining Beer ad. And if you haven’t seen it, it can be viewed here: [www.boardsmag.com] (It may take a while to load, but it’s worth the wait.)

splat21: Dubbo Zoo (otherwise known as Western Plains Zoo) is a real place and it was recently visited by Prince Edward, who was here for the Duke of Edinburgh Award. If you would like to check out the WPZ website, you can find it here: [www.zoo.nsw.gov.au]

Thanks for the welcome guys. Dunno about the Battenburg cake, but maybe some unscrambled eggs would go down nicely, or Apples Benedict, otherwise I’ll just settle for a marshmallow or two.

-Zuki-pah

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'Who looks after the animals?'

Ahhhh. I'll just pinch a couple from the dodos for you.