The Sunday Spinster Sermon: Part 15: Dancing

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