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The Touch Typed Diary - Wanderings

Some background to what follows can be found here. Other installments are here.

I started this as a way to train at touch typing (hence the title) which I have finally taken up learning more or less seriously. At first I was typing what nonsense came across my mind and deleted it once I had finished. Gradually, it just turned into a diary relating the events (not very numerous) of my life. This has also the advantage of keeping me relatively busy at work when I have nothing else to do which seem to happen rather frequently these days.

19 February 2002

Nothing very exciting happened last week. I had taken my Friday off as PFM was supposed to come over. She eventually decided that she could not. I therefore went to Bermondsey Antiques Market on Friday morning but I can not remember for the life of me what I did in the afternoon. Is that not sad, just a couple of days on?

In the evening as I was feeling a bit depressed and felt I needed to see people, I went to The Box, a bar in Seven Dials. I had been thinking about going to a bar at night for a while in the hope of meeting people but kept on postponing it.

Usually I feel rather down after having been to a G venue and not having met anyone, but for once I felt rather exhilarated on my way home. Did not meet anyone though, as usual but saw a couple of guys who were rather pleasing to the eye. The hunky barman that works there (Patrick, Australian, my age, massive and tanned) left almost as soon as I arrived, his shift probably ending at 10.

I went for a run on Saturday morning and spent the afternoon on the Internet updating the reading group’s website. I then went onto Gaydar in the hope of meeting someone again. I decided to try to log on to one of the chat rooms available there. I said hello several times and even asked if there were any regular of Trade, as I want to know at what time it closes, but nobody there took the trouble to answer. People just kept on talking nonsense. That was a rather distressing experience I have to say.

On Sunday afternoon, I went to the London Museum to finish the visit I had started with GSJ a few months ago. I noticed there what they call “nest” weights of which my parents own of couple. The one held in the museum collections was made in Nuremberg in the 16th century, the city having apparently specialised at that time in the making of these objects. There were quite a lot of G guys there although all of them, it seemed, in couple.

Once out of the museum, I took the tube back to Leicester Square and took a stroll in Soho via Seven Dials. I had more or less in mind to go to The Box again but once in front of the place, I got shy and just walked on.

While half way through Old Compton Street, some drumming coming from China town attracted my attention. I went closer to have a look. These were celebrations for the Chinese New Year. A “lion” was dancing on the doorsteps of shops and restaurants, the owners of which hung a sort of cabbage or salad and a red envelope (with money in it I believe) from the door frame. The lion then symbolically ate those before moving on to another shop.

At home I gave another shot at Gaydar and was slightly luckier this time as I got in touch with three guys. I still do not really know where this is going but that is an improvement. And as usual, the more interesting one is the less responding…

Yesterday saw another rehearsal with the LGMC, which prevented me to chat further with the guys I had met on Sunday. I will not be able to attend next Monday. It is a shame really as they will be auditioning for the position on Musical Director for the chorus but I have those tickets for a lecture at the Purcell Room and this will also be my first meeting in the flesh with P..

Things seem to be going quite well with him. We will probably not end up sentimentally entangled but that is probably for the best. It would be nice finally have a really good friend.

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