A Secret Revealed....

Greetings truth seekers,

Those people who know me reasonably well know that I started off my working life as a construction site bricklayers labourer and a while later realised that I had a skill for something in a different profession that I then followed.

This particular profession has held me in good stead for the past 30 years or so and has provided me with a very reasonable livelihood and lifestyle. After all, who would have thought that I would have spent the last two years basically on holiday here in Hong Kong.

Anyway, I believe that although I seem to live a complex lifestyle that seems to be terribly busy, especially when I'm in Melbourne, I am actually just a very simple person who is also a very deep thinker.

As I was growing up in the Australian working culture, I learnt that certain things were off-limits to construction site workers and macho Australian males. For example, there was an unwritten rule that nobody was allowed to talk about opera, the ballet, art or similar things. Worse than that, it would have been a cardinal sin if anybody had actually owned up to going to one of these particular events or viewings.

As the years went on I found myself yearning to experience these cultural things in life. To that end, about eight years ago I visited my first art gallery (ever so secretly and quietly I must admit in case somebody saw me there....) and went to a country art gallery in the Victorian countryside.

Whilst I was there (and the only person there) the curator, whose name turned out to be Peter. asked me if I had a particular liking for any particular artist. I think he could tell from my embarrassed silence that I had absolutely no idea of art or artists at all. Peter offered to take me around the Castlemaine Art Gallery and give me a bit of a guided tour. He kept things reasonably simple and I remember him discussing a particular European artist who had come to Australia and painted Australian landscapes using European palates. The difference in the colour in the paintings was obvious. Australian landscapes painted like English countrysides.

Soon after I left the Castlemaine Art Gallery, I booked myself in for a guided tour of the National Art Gallery in Melbourne. Once again, a volunteer took us around and explained the old masters as well as some of the modern painters.

Since that time, I have been too many art galleries both in Australia and overseas and thoroughly loved the experience. One of the last art galleries that I visited was the Chicago Art Gallery in America.

Similar to my love of art, I always held a hidden ambition to experience ballet and opera. Of course, as an Australian guy, I could never admit to liking these things and so I never went. A little over two years ago a good friend of mine who is a ballet lover suggested that I come along and experience a contemporary ballet at the State Theatre in Melbourne.

On that particular night, I went along with her and we saw La Boheme. I had no idea what to expect so you can imagine my surprise when the curtain went up to find the audience looking into what appeared to be an 1800's Paris loft with two guys in it, a writer and the painter.

You can probably understand my further surprise when all of a sudden these two guys grasped hands with each other and started prancing around the stage. I nearly burst out in laughter when they danced up to the front of the stage and both this is a kick in their tights and lifted a leg high into the air in a movement that I have effectually come to call "the hello boys".

Anyway, as the ballet progressed I settled down and started to watch the various movements and understand the story. By the time that particular ballet was finished I was hooked. I wanted to see more ballet.

Not long after that, I went to another performance of State Theatre but this time by a Chinese ballet troupe who put on the performance of " Tales of the Silk Road". 120 Chinese dancers onstage sometimes 90 at the time and they put on a magnificent performance.

Since then, I have seen various ballets including a medley combination done by the Hong Kong Ballet Company, the Hong Kong Ballet companies rendition of Suzie Wong (I saw it twice last year), and the Australian Ballet companies Raymonda at the Sydney Opera House last Christmas.

Last night I went to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre to see a performance of The Nutcracker. I had been a little bit reluctant to see a more formal style of ballet, but last week I went to see my doctor from small medical complaint. I learned last year that this particular doctor "Doctor D" is a ballet devotee and attends every performance of the Hong Kong Ballet company at least twice every performance. He suggested that I do myself in favour and book some tickets and get along and see this performance.

I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. I ran into Dr D whilst I was there and he commented on how pleased he was to see me come along and inquired as to whether I was enjoying the ballet. I just told him that I was having an absolutely wonderful time.

As it turned out, tonight I ran into the conductor of the orchestra from last nights The Nutcracker in Starbucks in Tsim Sha Tsui. He is an Australian who lives in New York. We had a bit of a conversation about the ballet and the musical score and I joked about my past reluctance as an Australian male to experience these things. He agreed that many guys all over the world think it's uncool to experience these things.

Soon I intend to go and see an opera and include that in my life. I'm not sure what to expect but, if it's anything like the jewellery I have gotten from experiencing art and ballet then it will be well worth the effort on my part.

To any guys out there who might be macho men, tough Australian males, or just Aussies who think the guys who are only supposed to go to the football and drink beer, all I want to suggest to you is don't shortchange yourself. Get out there and experience these things and form your own opinion. If you like them then fantastic. The experience than and decide that you don't like them at least you'll have a basis to your decision rather than contempt prior to investigation.

That's all for now folks. As always, don't forget to wipe...............