Eurovision shocker!

Last night we passed a pleasant evening with friends, a barbeque and the Eurovision Song Contest. I wanted to watch, as the contest is a big deal out here. The United Kingdom has had a particularly (or was the predictably?) bad decade in the competition, which was probably one reason Terry Wogan sounded so dejected at the end of his final commentary last year. Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the other hand, were particularly optimistic. Personally, I much prefer Laka’s offering from last year, but Regina’s effort has grown on me. I was certainly ready to cheer them on with some particularly enthusiastic locals.

I said before the show started that if the UK could get to tenth that’d be a real achievement. Imagine my surprise (perhaps even embarrassment) as Jade Ewen started picking up some serious points. Phone votes did not stop the predictably friendly donation of ‘douze points’ from neighbours like Montenegro. However, even this was only enough to propel Bosnia and Herzegovina just above comfortably mid-table. This was not the fairytale ending our hosts were looking for – and they were certainly not impressed with the manner in which Norway got theirs!