It has been an interesting weekend to say the least. I had a great time at Sarah’s party on Saturday night. I haven’t been to a house party since I have been over here, mainly I think because the chances are that if you have more than about 5 people round to most homes over here you quickly run out of space. Not the case with Sarah’s apartment, which is the biggest I have been in since I came to HK. For one person it is almost too big, got to be about 2,500 square feet if it’s an inch.
Any way the party was good fun plenty of booze, lots of good interesting people to talk to. Lots of people who hadn’t met me to freak out by turning my false leg backwards and walking around with it like that! I have also discovered that Jack Daniels, Coke and chocolate brownies do not mix well. I had two JD and Cokes which had given me the alcohol munchies (well that and the two glasses of red wine, and 5 beers I had had by this point). Anyway I ate two brownies in quick succession and felt instantly ill and ended up puking up the brownies and JD and Coke, luckily we were getting ready to leave anyway hence why I ate the brownies too quickly. I am going to blame the eating too quickly as that is not enough alcohol to make me sick, I am sure a couple more JD and cokes would have been getting close to that. I was at least able to walk away without any assistance which was some comfort.
As you might expect I woke up late on Sunday, 2pm to be exact and was shocked and please to find that Gemma was still asleep as well. This is something of a rare occurrence as she doesn’t sleep well and even if she has been up very late doesn’t usually stay in bed past 9am. We got up had a snack and headed out to have some food at the dog of bulls in Lan Kwai Fong for our Sunday Funday with friends. That’s about where the good part of the weekend ends.
As we were heading into Central I got a call off my dad on my mobile. This is an event in itself as he usually never bothers me at the weekends and its also damn expensive to call a mobile over here from England. I got one of those feelings when I heard his voice on the phone that something was up, because we work for the same company I was expecting it to be some problem there. He told me that Gemma’s Grandfather, Harry had passed away very suddenly that morning and that I would have to tell her.
I don’t know if any of you out there have ever had to tell somebody some bad news like that, but its not pleasant and this is the second time I have had to tell someone some news like this. Losing a Grandparent is difficult enough, especially when it happens for the first time. However in Gemma’s case Harry was more than just a Grandfather as she had lived with her Grandparents since she was around 10 or 11 years old. They raised her during those years and in many ways made her the woman I know and love today, the decency and sense of family pride and duty that they instilled in her are qualities that I admire and respect in her.
Harry was a truly great chap, someone who was never short of an opinion or a view, but never opinionated. He had a sharp whit and could disarm you very quickly with it and was never afraid of poking fun at himself as well. My deepest sympathies will be with his wife of over 50 years Brenda, and all their children and grandchildren, especially Gemma.
I find it difficult that he is gone and I think I am finding it harder to cope than I thought I would, because in many ways he reminded me of my own Grandfathers who I lost several years ago and whose passing pains me greatly still. I will hold Harry in my mind in an equally high regard and although they never met when I think of one I am sure I will think of them all.
I will be heading back to England probably sometime late this week or early next for the funeral. Normal service will be resumed then.
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