Mar 2012: When I went to the Playboy Club

So I saw that there is going to be an exhibition of photographs of Peter Townsend. But guess where it was? at the Playboy Club. He was an iconic photographer of the 1960’s, you can see the photographs in a much better way here.

It took them 15 minutes to check me in at the reception. Can you believe it? I was registered as a member and only then I was allowed in. Why? because its a gambling club. FFS.

But it was extraordinary, the ladies on the desk were quite nice. Ahem, yes, they were very nice.

I didnt have my proper cameras with me, so the only thing I had was my iphone which i used to snap the pics. Here is the lady who walked me up and then went down the stairs.

Here is the poster of the exhibition. The Beatles…

And a cash machine in the corner.

The photographs were hung in some really strange places, on curtains which covered the windows. Extraordinary.

There’s twiggy.

Rolling Stones.

Why do they have a telephone booth inside the damn club?

Maharishi Yogi

I think this was Jacqueline Kennedy.

Somebody or other

Couple of Bankers in front of the Bank of England.

An iconic Mercedes Car

Rolling Stone?

The Beatles. You can see the bar reflected on the glass.

Some models

 

Another group?

I sat there and ordered a mohito while I leafed through the exhibition catalogue. You can purchase prints of these photographs, the prices ranged from £1000 to £2250. Crikey. That’s expensive. Sat there to soak up the atmosphere while I was drinking the mohito. I could see the gaming tables, the restaurant on the side, the bar area. Not many people, it was about 8PM so early in the night I guess.

Not impressed, it was sad frankly and dingy. Even the bunnies were not attractive. It didnt speak to me, so I took off home. Boring old git that I am, lol.

Mar 2012: Food in March

Some of the stuff I cooked or ate or drooled over in March. Looks like I didn't click enough, lol.

How does the lamb look? it was delicious..

Frozen yogurt with mango, honey and coconut

What my colleague keeps next to her desk, sighs.

Cooking cod roe, it was brilliant.



And my first attempt at fish curry. I think I need to practise much more, lol.

Mar 2012: What were the Arabs doing at night at the British Museum?

It was the Arabian Nights at the British Museum, so I sloped off to check out what the hoo haa was all about.

The BM is one of my favourite places, every time I get there, I find something new. Wonderful place. I spotted this curious carving of 5 acorns at the gate.

A mashrabiya projected on the wall?

The coffee shop. I had one of those cardamom flavoured coffees. It can wake the dead and make it dance the waltz to the sounds of Bob Marley, I tell you. I could feel my toenails whimpering and curling up.

The projected and real thing.

Waiting for a song to start.

Looked up at the roof.

I obviously could not understand the lyrics but the rhythm was catchy. I liked it, it reminded me of a song that I had heard in Cairo while I was staying at the Mena House. While sitting in the courtyard and observing the pyramids, there was this wedding party behind the hotel and they had this band playing a wedding song. It was brilliant, the cadences, the rhythm and and and was lovely. I have never been able to hear it again. Just cannot describe it at all.

Then this lady popped up to sing a romantic song..

She was warbling away to glory. Again, very beautiful lovely looking lady, but the song was a bit lost on me . Looking at her facial expressions and how she was moving her hands around, I figured it was a love song.

Then there was an exhibit of various Saudi Arabian dresses.

Leave aside the issue of the veil, that’s an argument for another day and place. But look at the vibrant colours and shapes. Why do the poxy Saudi’s force their women into those horrendous black coffins when their culture and presumably religion allows them such wonderful clothes? The mind boggles. This got me a bit turned off. Wandered around looking at the calligraphic exhibition, the henna tattoo place, the story teller, all interesting but I was a bit bummed off.



You could dress up in Arab dress and get photographed. And then the chap would upload to a website. I was tempted to try it out but the guy was pretentious as hell.

Here is one chap all dressed up.

Then I was told that there is a modern interpretative dance. Hey, that’s nice, that should be fun.

I look down, hey there Tenny old chap!

There, behind the partition, the lady is praying and preparing.

She popped out and put her hands together.

Then bent down

Till she was on the floor

And laid a stone on the ground.

This chap was banging on the drum

And there was a slow build up

And then she was rolling about on the floor.

I have firmly realised one thing, contemporary art is not for me.

Here is a pre-Arab, this is a quartzite head of the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III, about 1400 BC. Beautiful carving.

Pottering around in the great courtyard…





This is a unit which is strapped on top of a camel and carries stuff to the Haj. Man, the camel looks very very disgruntled and morose. Well, I would be so as well, just look at the colour combination!

I really couldn't take it any more, left fairly early.