Day 305: Root Toot

no reason

 I am suddenly grateful for the rush of immediacy that blogging now is providing for me. I’m delighted. I’m glad to be properly back. All the way through my Australian trip, I blogged, but offline, like now. I wrote freely (it was a very full on experience) and decided not to publish it, but I loved the discipline, if I can call it that, of writing every day. That word makes it sound like it ought to be hard, but it doesn’t feel hard. It feels like the thing to do. It is.

I don't THINK you can identify us

Lovely evening, I had. I should have been packing, but I got a welcome text from someone I’d hoped to see tonight anyway, if he was around, but I didn’t think he was. Dinner, good conversation and elephant masks. Now that’s what I call a date! Elefun. He brought Elefun to the party. We sat in a pub in Muswell Hill and played. It made me very happy. Indeed.

The last time I saw one of those masks was in Lyon in 2000 or 2001. Christophe Challange, my artist ex-boyfriend, had sent a blanket email to the vernissage of his latest exhibition. I turned up unannounced. It was quite an experience, for both of us. I tapped him on the shoulder and asked ‘Are you the artist?’. He turned, saw me and blanched like I’ve never seen a man blanche before. Every drop of colour went from his face. He chatted with me briefly and then disappeared into the back room for AGES. I nearly left. When he did come back, he was no better in colour, but he seemed more grounded. After that, everything was fine.

 

I’d booked a hostel. No way I was planning to stay with him when I turned up without warning. We did go back to his flat after everything was over, though. The first thing he said was ‘I have something you’re going to LOVE!’ and pulled out an Elefun mask. We didn’t know, at the time, that this is what it was. It came right out there, though and onto my face. Christophe had picked it up at a flea market. There were no others. Until there were again. Thanks to this lovely man, now there are four. I can’t believe I forgot to take one (it was offered). I think there’s a black and white photo session in the offing.

And playing was really entertaining. There are moments when we were just being silly and moments when we were both concentrating really hard. And the transfer of all the rings from one trunk to the other, while it felt a little bit wrong, was brilliant.

I’ve had a very nice time today. Thank you enormously. I’m a little bit glowy.