Dice

At last! I write this, my first post on my new, pristine, perfect computer. It is unsullied and virginal. It feels like sleeping with someone else's wife - uncomfortable but immensely lovely. Well it came late enough! Problems with the shipment, problems with the tax, problems at every juncture.

In any case it is here. Warning: I'm writing this two bottles of champagne in. Fellow resident artist S. has had some wonderful news: she is heading to New York soon on a wing of opportunity. Naturally, we celebrated.

Yesterday night, three of us met D.G. at an opening, who not only pointed the way to some authenticated Malaysian-Asian Food but also invited us to his studio in Chinatown! What a space. He lays a new synthetic oriental style carpet on the floor each time he begins a new set of paintings - a ritual after my own heart. He is surrounded by his own art as well art from friends and colleagues, either bought from or bartered for.

But the best part is that he lured us into a new, sinfully addictive game: DICE. Yes, dear reader, let it be known that dice is a sailor's game - long ago banned on HMS Royal Navy ships, where the sound of them clinking together would mean a flogging of 50 strokes or more. One names their dice before the game and mine was... 'SNAKE EYES'! Hah. I knew you'd love it. Especially as I was the winner. I felt some remorse at squandering my good luck on a game (every person's store of good luck is finite) but it was the best fun I've had in years. When I see you next, I will teach you and you too shall be infected with the evil but oh-so-good dice vice. Perhaps it may even replace some unfortunate Facebook addictions...?

Oh, I can post pictures now! I'll do that tomorrow. You shall see the ships and the harbour and strange, incandescent quality of daylight here. Sleep now - tired, missing home and friends, but quite happy to be here...