One of my everyday reads is Hemlock’s diary. Written by an expat, living where I wish I could be, Hong Kong, he has unique and insightful revelations on life near the “Fragrant Harbor”. Yesterday’s contribution is a classic and sums up my romantic experiences to date:
Sun, 30 Oct–To Causeway Bay, in search of a large wooden chopping board on which to discipline the parsley in Perpetual Opulence Mansions. IKEA, to no great surprise, does not offer what I want – theirs are cheap and nasty. But I find the Swedish emporium is, as ever, a superlative spot for people watching. With glee, I observe self-conscious young couples walking around with tape measures choosing the contents of their very first shared apartment. They have gone beyond the stage of leaving toothbrushes in each other’s homes and are moving in together. The Scandinavian-designed furniture is surely a metaphor for their relationships – a bit awkward to put together, almost instantly disappointing personally and increasingly embarrassing to friends, and eventually dismantled with difficulty and looked back on as a learning experience, at best.
Sums my life up pretty well. Expensive learning too………
