A Very Strange Place Indeed

1. In the middle of July, having visited 14 European countries, diverse in their geography, history, culture and language we came to the oddest place so far. A place where, for a start, no-one drove on the right (right) side of the road but on the wrong (left) side of the road. And they all thought it was normal. Just as they thought a distance-measuring system based on increments of 12, 3 and 1.760 units was normal. Just as they thought a volume-measuring system of 1/8th., 8 and 36 units was normal. Just as they thought it was a good idea to invent games which nobody else played, teach them how to do so and then let them do all the winning was normal.
2. But they weren’t entirely odd. By cannibalising a few of their neighbours’ languages, they synthesised a new one which they named after themselves. Then they refused to understand any of the languages they had made theirs up from and made it clear to their neighbours, either by shouting or appearing to be deaf, that they would only permit themselves to be communicated with in their made-up language.
3. They invented constitutional monarchy. But they refused to write down what the constitution was, because they said it would limit their freedom for manoeuvre.
4. They invented post offices. They invented postage stamps, but they refused to write the name of their country on the stamps because they said it was obvious where they had come from because they had invented them in the first place and, anyway, why would they wish to converse with foreigners? See (2) above.

There could have been lots more of this, but there is a body of opinion which says that my posts are too long! Cheek!