Hello there. How are you? I hope you're going to have, are having, have had a great day. But you know what, even if it's heinous to the mind, body and spirit, the live performance I welcome you with is enough to turn even the most tragic into beautiful. Today, I've been thinking a lot about one of my old adages... sometimes you're dancing and sometimes you're holding the umbrella. This makes no sense whatsoever of course, unless you used to send the card with that picture on. I've now learned it's named The Singing Butler and by an artist called Jack Vettriano. See, I don't only wang on about old masters and pre-raphaelites.
my world view
This painting sums it all up for me. Sometimes I'm that maid battling with the inclement weather and looking after someone else. Othertimes, I'm the lady in red. waltzing through it all, completely oblivious to what's going on around me. Life offers you different roles and you get to see the picture differently depending upon which role you are given. Today. I am the lady in red. I type this from here.
I just Pretty Woman bubble bathed in here.
I'm going here.
I saw this.
I visited this.
And I knew that my heart would go on... At no time during proceedings did anyone ask me to hold an umbrella. I then saw some Russians doing ridiculously athletic things in the snow.
This has all been in the name of business. The only money I have parted hands with is for minibar beer and L'Occitane Verbena bubble bath. Yet when I think of this time last year... Well... it was quite constrasty... the snow was much colder... and the suite was somewhat more treacherous. I was definitely holding the umbrella. Today's business trip has been rather smashing. The highlight was not the moving Titanic exhibition where I got overly misty hearing tales of romantic daring do, nor the lights show outside the Venetian where the facade was transformed through the seasons, but through the athletic bladey rendering of Swan Lake. I'm familiar with the tale not through the ballet but through the Natalie Portman movie. Watching the white swan and the black swan dance together on the stage made me think of the virgin/whore dichotomy. In classical literature or any art form there is the virginal white swan and the whoreish black swan. In reality we all fall somewhere inbetween. My return to Hong Kong has been a bamboozlement. A wondrous one. But bamboozley nevertheless. I began a new job last Monday. The team are great. We've had work drinks already and seem to work in surprisingly harmonious conditions. Home life continues to be great. We have large family dinners and invite guests over. My social life is decadent. Last Friday began in Boujis and had a Drop session somewhere inbetween. It looked a bit like this...
Similarly to last Friday, I met another gentleman from the land down under. This scenario did not result in stolen possessions but high hopes for what may follow. I had received his number and promised to call. Alas, after checking his name and company online, his profile revealed how he MOST enjoyed spending his time was with his wife. Quite the disappointment. I wonder what he shall say when I bump into him next in this very tiny town? Thank you were his main comments over the weekend. I doubt he'll be so grateful next time. The twists and turns of fate! :) OK. I must to bed. The clock has just struck midnight and we all know what happens to pumpkins then. Peace be with you whether you're in charge of the umbrella, or simply dancing. xxx
Hello, good morning, good afternoon and good evening to all of you lovely ladies and gentlemen. Part 14 sees me two weeks into the wonderful world of Hong Kong living and it's living alright. As the fabulous Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote in the swinging twenties, 'My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends, it gives a lovely light!' I'm typing this in my best friend's flat, sitting on the couch I currently call home absentmindly watching So You Think You Can Dance on the TV. My boys are strangely grown up now and rather than party non-stop seem to work then gym then watch TV. There are lots of vegetables in the fridge. Last night was the first night I didn't go out and they did. I woke up to Andrius staggering around at 8am not having been to bed yet. I asked if Janis was at work and having been assured he was heard another young man shuffling about in the bedroom. I decided I wasn't ready to commence a morning party so feigned sleep. Then the new houseguest began making coffee and smoothies... which I thought was awfully forward. I peeked out from under my couch duvet to see it was non other than Janis. The boys really have become a regular married couple. Andrius sleeps now while Janis works. Today marks one of the first days without a hangover. This does follow a disgraceful incident on Friday night which saw me curled up on the mat outside the boys' door from 3am til 6am as they wouldn't wake up and my bag had been removed from my possession in the delightul Lan Kwai Fong bar district. My eyes had been on another prize alas. That of a ridiculously handsome Australian hunk with the look of Chris Hemsworth in Thor and the voice of Russell Crowe in Gladiator. I was already undone. Then he began plying me with champagne? What was a girl to do but lose her head... and her daybag containing wallet, HK ID, bank cards, HSBC security devices, camera, make up, jewellery and housekeys. The lovely lady who lives nextdoor began to open her door at 6am to walk the lovely dog I've taken out a couple of times. I hurtled onto the stairwell and pretended to have forgotten my keys so she wasn't exposed to a homeless person napping outside. I spent a joyful 3 hours asleep on the couch and then proceeded to the wonderful Ocean Park to celebrate my friend's son's birthday. This was something I had been long eager to do... but with a code red hangover, no sunglasses or possessions it was somewhat of a dizzying struggle. I have sunburn. I was asleep by 9pm last night. Police reports have been made. Cards have been cancelled. HKID replacement schemes are afoot. At least admin is quite easy in HK... Friday had been a bit of an accidental celebration following four job offers on the same day... for any of you who have read previous blog entries you would know this is somewhat contrasting to my experience in the UK. I was a little overcome. Oh and four offers for housing too. Two in the city, one on an island and another by the beach in the New Territories of North East Hong Kong. There is a lot going on. So since I last wrote there was Halloween. Which was a suitable return to Hong Kong. I leather corseted up and made quite the entrance. The issue with dressing like a dom however... is that whenever you are approached by handsome young things you have to tell them to leave you alone.. it doesn't cross your mind for one second to say thank you. You just sneer a bit. Having looked at photos I see there were some rather handsome admirers, most of them gay.. but still.
Trick or treat
There are more men in Hong Kong than the Shire.
I had actually planned to meet a gentleman in Hong Kong on arrival. We'd been talking for a month. Making plans. Sharing photos. Gmailing. Whatsapping. Texting. Sexting. You know. All that modern aged romance stuff. I'd seen pictures of his son, his house, his view, his friends and other more personal artefacts. As soon as I arrived in Hong Kong it all went quiet. Quite peculiar after all the plans made. You'd think he'd have at least wanted to get laid?
The life of the spinster is often baffling.
But never dull :)
After the wildness of Halloween an altogether different celebration took place last Saturday. A wonderful man named Greg Derham passed away just before I landed. He was synonymous with Hong Kong. He held court over all of the best events here and Hong Kong is strangely vacant without him. I was lucky enough to call him a friend and help with one of his Aids Concern Events. His memorial ceremony was held at the Peak in a garden with a giant screen showcasing his wonderful photos and playing torch songs. The great and the good of Hong Kong were present. It was so beautiful, the reality of the situation only hit me when I returned home.
His friend quoted Romeo and Juliet to say this,
“When he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun.”
We released 44 red balloons to represent each year he shone here.
Bye bye Madame Madame
And as we walked down from the Peak it truly felt like an enchanted evening...
In his remembrance booklet another friend said these magical words,
'You coaxed, coerced, chastised and encouraged each and every one of us, whose lives you touched, to reach beyond the boundaries of our humdrum worlds, to believe in the impossible, to discover the child in ourselves once more, and to know that fantasy is not just the stuff of dreams... and as a result, each of our lives is a more sparkling example, a richer and more exciting version than it ever could have been without you... and although we can never hope to fill the void you have left behind, if nothing else we have learnt that life is what you make of it, and that the seed of wonder is ours to grow. Thanks from us all.'
Cheers darling.
Life is certainly larger in Hong Kong. More heart filling. More create your own adventure. They were always my favourite stories. Ones where you'd go to page 12 to fight the dragon, or page 52 to stay at home and wash your hair. I'd always have my fingers in all the various pages and didn't want only one option. HK suits me. Amongst the madness there have been wonderful relaxing moments. Sitting by the beach with an old friend drinking a beer as the sun goes down. Visiting old friends and hugging babies and playing with toddlers. And of course the sunshine. The warmth. The soaring kites.
The beauty.
I'd forgotten how beautiful Hong Kong is. Green, lush, verdant, birdsong filled. My favourite white crested bulbuls, the scent of HK$10 ginger lilies, the sea, the sea, the sea. And the dragonflies. Everywhere. Hovering around. Dancing. Reminding you it's all an illusion after all so smile and be happy.
What home looks like
Peace be with you everyone.
May you find your Shangri-La and chose your own adventure.
