Simon and Garfunkel Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Another lazy day at sea. Still very calm, fairly overcast weather. Temperature about 17C. Not nearly as foggy as yesterday and when the sun came out, it was really quite warm. We lay on the back deck for a while reading and that was very pleasant. Went to the port talk on Nagasaki and got some ideas of things we want to see there. Sounds as if the cherry blossom is going to be out for us which will be very special.

Bob felt like he was starting a cold so he had a rest in the cabin and I went to art. We were sat in the back of the room and you really couldn’t see what he was demonstrating at all and the little handout picture was blurry. Today’s subject was a landscape of a hut on a tropical island beach. Lots of palm trees and reflections in the water. Astonishingly I managed to produce something that looked vaguely like his painting and he said it was “lovely” “very good”. I don’t think I’d go that far and probably he thinks I’ve only just started and therefor it was good
for a second painting. It is better than last year at this time though. We’re going to have to get to the classroom much much earlier to get a seat at the front though so we can see. Otherwise we might as well not bother and just do our own thing.

Tonight was our first formal night on board. The evening dress codes on this cruise are mostly “evening casual” interspersed with a formal night roughly every 10 days. So, tonight we were
invited to a welcome-on-board cocktail party with the captain and officers. It was hosted around the main swimming pool. Bob wore his black dj and I wore a hot pink silk kurta I bought at Fab India teamed with some black Indian leggings (wrinkly from the knee down) and some diamante mule high heels. It was a bit of a bun fight at the cocktail party. We met the Captain,
downed 2 glasses of champagne each and grabbed a glass of red wine for dinner and left.

Dinner tonight was one of the Marco Pierre White special menus. I started with asparagus with poached egg, parmesan crisp and hollandaise sauce, then Lobster Thermidore, truffle mash and veg, then the cheeseboard including port soaked stilton. A bit of a naughty night for me which I allow myself on each formal night.

After dinner we went to the show. Tonight it was The Simon and Garfunkel story, a cut down version of the stage musical given by two chaps who have been in it. They were just brilliant and I loved it. Have always loved that music and at times have owned all the albums. In particular some of the songs are very redolent for me of the year I spent as an exchange
student in New Jersey. I played the Bridge over Troubled Water album soooooo many times…. And counted the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike too LOL. I know all the words and sang along to all the songs. Probably loudly…. Bob said it was all right though…… The lyrics have just got more meaningful as I’ve got older and are a tribute to Paul Simon who wrote them. Even though he is an ego maniacal Ass**le of the first order. Tragic.