September 23, 2010
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Tied Down
Having entered the final two weeks of single life, the preparations of a new way of living have taken unprecedented steps. The wedding – see posts passim – is all sorted out, and all the remains is to head Down Under to get that ceremony out of the way. In all emotions and thoughts, Joanne and I are already married anyway.
But I have to look my best for the ceremony – having possibly found a way to get the wedding in Brisbane sorted on a webcam, my suit needs to be cleaned and pressed, and I keep forgetting to go to the dry cleaner. The amount of days I have left to remember to do this are running out, so I know I had better get on with it ASAP. And I will. Kind of.
I have sorted out a few additional surprises for my wife to be – after all, I can’t have her thinking she has married a man who is totally predictable. All of these surprises will be made publicly known once the honeymoon is over, and we’re back in Taiwan.
Married life holds no fear for me – to commit to a woman that you love is no big deal. To commit your whole future, your whole life to that one woman who makes you happier than you have ever been, that is what it is all about. I was always told I was a die-hard romantic, a man with no grasp of reality, but in the end, I am marrying that woman. Romantic? Yes, but also realistic. You don’t have to choose between romance and reality.
Joanne has already chosen and bought the dress she will wear for the ceremony in Brisbane – we’re planning to have the ceremony broadcast live via Skype to the olds who will get up at around 4 in the morning UK time to watch, dressed in their finest linen and raising a glass to our health as they get to watch their son and heir to the family overdraft finally tie the knot. I bet they’re wondering if there will be some last minute surprises.
Last week, when we were out and about at the clinic, we (I) spotted a nice tie. Anyone who has seen me more than a couple of times in a suit will tell you I have very little in the way of ties. The last time I bought one was almost 3 years ago, just as I was leaving Slovenia for the last time, thinking those American Airlines idiots who lost my luggage would actually pay for it. But that’s a different story.
Despite liking the aforementioned tie, I did not purchase it. Not sure why really. At the weekend we went shopping at Carrefour, looking to buy things other than what we ended up with, but before buying things, we were hungry. Joanne was in the mood for some chicken, I was in the mood for a Sundae. Burger King provided.
Once satisfied, we headed up towards Carrefour but first Rob spotted some ties, so I had a look. Rummaging through perhaps 100 to 150 ties, there was not one that I liked, and I thought once more about the one we had seen the previous week.
Last night, after dinner at KGB’s, we were walking past the same store, so I decided to buy it. We walked in to the store, the sales assistant coming up to us and before she could say anything, I pointed to the tie, made sure she understood it was the tie I was interested in, and not the suit and shirt that it was being displayed with, and told her to wrap it up.
She then said something to me in Chinese which I got Joanne to translate – do I want the tie ironed? Ah – it was a tad wrinkly, not unlike its new owner, so I said why not, and we waited until the iron was warm enough and she had zapped it. In to the box, and the deal was done. I even paid for it.
So now I too am ready for the wedding. Except for getting the suit dry-cleaned. And a new white shirt. And perhaps the shining of the shoes. Ok, I have STARTED getting ready for the wedding, and damn I will look totally dapper!
