Sorry I missed yesterday, just a very very long day and then my colleague Ben was taking myself and Janet to the Hong Kong Club, an institution from earlier times in a colonial HK. Now it is quite different, it has lady members and guests are allowed, but it still manages to retain some of the gentility of those early days…..the good parts ! No mobile phones, no canned or background music and a dress code of Smart, Ties and no trainers ! I very much approved of those rules, it was not noisy and the service was impeccable ! Ben is a member of a London club and has a reciprocal membership of overseas equivalents.
We went at 6pm to one of the bars, of the leather clad chair variety, and had aperitifs. Thing was……I had not eaten at all since my small packed lunch at 12.30 and was misguidedly persuaded to have a G&T. It took three glasses of sparkling water and a Diet Coke for me to hoik myself out of a chair and walk in a straight line. I haven’t felt that squiffy since I was about 19, it was a long forgotten experience which winged its way back to my wibbly wobbly legs and brain at about 137mph. I don’t think Janet or Ben were aware quite how ‘happy’ I was.
At 7.30 we went into the Jackson Room, no idea why it is called that……too foggy to ask at that point. It was a splendid room with the most magnificent flower arrangement of pale hydrangeas and cherry blossom, and was a centre piece the size of Gisborough Hall. Attentive waiters and a maitre de with the exquisite manners of the Queen Mother without the hat, homed in discreetly and we were off.
I had Onion Soup Colonial, just superb, followed by a large Wiener Schnitzel, which proved almost impossible for the Cantonese waiter to pronounce, (though he valiantly tried to say it without spitting) then an exquisite bowl of fresh berries and cream, this could also have been topped with icing sugar from a porcelain bowl, but I declined ! By this time my glucose numbers were pinging all the time so I turned my watch off, no point in spoiling the occasion with a bout of ‘spike depression’ ! This was a one off evening, well to be honest I have had a few ‘one offs’ but who is counting apart from my bloody arm bandit.
It was such a lovely, and special evening, Janet had Asparagus Veloute, then Suckling Pig, then the harmless berries and cream, and Ben had an exotic Indian starter, Calves Liver and compote, then more alcohol rather than dull his palate with dessert ! Ha Ha !
Like wounded and overfed rhinos we struggled to get a taxi home, but eventually a red cabbed saviour hove into sight and we managed to get in, sit down and not snore for the whole10 minute journey back. Bravo us ! Apart from Ben pressing the lift button I have no further memories after that. It was an unusually refined and sated oblivion after too much food, too much alcohol and simply too much…..full stop.
Marvellous.
I have said nothing about my work day because it was not memorable, and I think it is a hazy mist of fairies and Schubert, probably at the same time. The same goes for today.
I skipped breakfast as I was still suffering from a surfeit of magnificent food at 7am this morning and breakfast seemed superfluous to requirements ! Today it was my final solo class sessions and guess what….fairies and Schubert AGAIN !
In fairness, I did hear some very fine singing this afternoon. Some students from the equivalent of the Junior RAM from the Performing Arts School sang and quite blew me away. Real young talent and would have graced the hallowed halls of the RAM any day of the week ! It was a very good way to finish my solo adjudications and I told them so !
Only a class of superb SSA vocal ensembles tomorrow morning and yours truly is finished and can let my poor brain and right hand finally relax. I am on my 8th pen now. I m not altogether sure that pens have the stamina they used to have, but then, neither do I !
Next blog will include some sight seeing…….Ah…..but first, sleeeeeeep.
(All photos illegal, no permission given. Oops)
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