What’s the connection between this small, shiny, green plant and my left arm? I bet you don’t know, so let me tell you. But first, there are two things I like: gardening and swimming, and I’ll tell you about both.
I usually swim in an old swimming pool called the Tepid Baths. Locals call it The Teps for short. There’s a big pool with cold water, and a smaller pool with warmer, tepid water. Schoolkids have classes in this smaller pool when they’re learning to swim. It’s also where I swim in the early mornings.
Ten years ago, it was closed for renovations. At the re-opening in 2014, I took this picture of the small pool.
Until recently, after your swim, you could use the sauna, steam room and spa pool at no extra cost. But now there’s a new rule, and it costs a bit more.
If you want to use the sauna, for example, after your swim, you now have to wear a coloured band on your wrist to show that you’ve paid. I’m wearing one in the picture at the top because I didn’t have time to cut it off when I got home.
Now for the other thing I like. After my swim, I didn’t go straight home. I went to a garden centre, and I bought some plants for my garden. I was still wearing the blue band when I was paying at the till.
A young Chinese woman was serving me, and she noticed what I was wearing on my wrist. She looked at the blue band and asked me if I was coming from the hospital.
At first, I couldn’t understand her, but then I realised that my wristband looked like the ones they put on you in hospital. I explained to her, and we both thought it was funny. And to finish, here are some of the plants in my garden.
Now Hear this. 
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