Proud as an Albino Peacock

Albino Peacocks
Originally uploaded by Taking5

Today, I received the following message in my Flickr mail:

Dear Sir/Madam

My name is Olivia and I am writing on behalf of Atlantic Books. We are in the process of putting together a hardback book entitled "Cooler Faster More Expensive, The Return of the Sloane Ranger", which Atlantic Books will be publishing in October of this year. You may remember "The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook", which sold over one million copies in the 1980s and was written by Peter York and Anne Barr, well "The Return of the Sloane Ranger" is also by Peter York, and is co-written by Olivia Stewart-Liberty. It is a witty and cutting-edge guide to Britain’s largest, most powerful, most invisible tribe: the new upper classes.

In "Cooler, Faster, More Expensive", Peter York ('The Nancy Mitford of our time') and Olivia Stewart Liberty give the
essential account of the current Sloane renaissance and reveal emerging breeds of a subtle and powerful social network. From Chav Sloanes and Party Sloanes to Eco Sloanes and Turbo Sloanes, English society will never look quite the same again.

The book is made up of text, illustrations, tables and photographs which reflect this powerful social group. We are currently collecting images and wondered if you might supply us with some, free of charge, for inclusion in this trend-setting book and you would of course be credited and sent a copy of the book, should we use your picture of an albino peacock, numbered 302764907. Permission for usage would include the right to use the image in the promotion of the book (e.g. if a newspaper decides to review the book and asks to run your image in conjunction with the review then your image would be reproduced in that newspaper in conjunction with the review).

We greatly appreciate any help you could give us.

Best wishes

Olivia

Olivia Hunt
Editorial Assistant
Atlantic Books

To which I replied, in essence, "but of course". Being a rather cautious person, I did wonder what the catch is. And why this particular photo has been selected. Surely it is not the most perfect peacock photo on Flickr. But then I googled the Sloane Rangers handbook and find out that yes, it is indeed being updated - as this report from the Daily Mail indicates. So yes, let's go for it, no such thing as bad publicity and why do I care if mine is not the best albino peacock photo ever, its the one selected!

Am flattered, excited and (let me admit it) more than a little chuffed. Am I on my way to a new, second career?

Writer's Block

I admit I have not been posting too much on this blog in recent days. But my writer's block refers not to the lack of posts. Rather, it refers to my sheer inability to get out the first paragraph of the chapter I'm writing for a book. So picture me, sitting here, next to my window with its pleasant view of a green quadrangle surrounded by white colonial buildings. A tall, lofty old tree casts its cool shadow over one corner of the quadrangle. Its branches sway in the breeze. Every now and then a bird calls. It is very pleasant, yes, but unfortunately it does not provide sufficient inspiration for me to break the block.

So, I thought I would turn to this blog because the only way to cure writer's block is to write.... anything! Is it working? Perhaps if I continue a little more...

I met a former colleague yesterday and she disclosed that she too has started a blog! Of course, she is still filled with the enthusiasm of a new blogger and is posting regularly (unlike yours truly). But it was pleasant to swap anecdotes of our blogging experience and stories of other people we know who blog. I think we were both startled to find out about the other's guilty little secret... but why should it be a guilty secret? Alas, in our case it is probably because of the prevailing work culture in our organisation. Time should be spent working and not reflecting, on "productive pursuits" instead of sitting, watching the world go by and writing about it.

Sigh. With that, it is probably about time to return to my chapter. Am not sure whether the block will re-emerge once again, but one must make the attempt....

Shakespeare in Fort Canning Park

Went to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Singapore Repertory Theatre yesterday in Fort Canning Park. The acting was pretty good. And, given the outdoor setting in the park, it should have been a magical performance. Somehow, that didn't quite happen. Perhaps it was because there were lighting towers in the middle of the park area, blocking the view of the set.

In fact, the set started off with a small stage at the bottom of the field and extends into a grid shaped walkway in the middle of the field and for those who are not fortunate enough to get into the middle of the grid, the view of the stage at the bottom of the field and parts of the grid are obscured by the lighting towers. I thought if we arrived at about 6.30pm it should be ok, of course both of us were late and it was already pretty crowded when we got in at 6.50pm. So we sat at the top left of the field (facing the stage). From there, it was not so easy to work out what was going on at the bottom of the field or on the right side of the field.

Costumes were also pretty odd. I never really got the concept. I don't like fairies with white long blouses ending with mini skirts and knee-length tights underneath. Lysander walked around in what looked like a whirling dervish costume. What gives? By contrast, Hermia wore knee-length shorts (like a little Swiss girl?) for her jaunt through the park. The best part of her costume was her backpack with the teddy bear tied at the back.

But as I said earlier, the acting was good. Oberon and Titania, the two sets of lovers were well played; Bottom was absolutely brilliantly funny and utterly believable as a man who didn't know he had an ass' head (but still walked like an ass!). The enactment of the story of Pyramus and Thisbe also took on an exotic, Asian theme, with Thisbe dressed in a cheongsam and the lion looking as though he had just finished work at an event down at the nearest community centre.

All in all, an enjoyable evening even though I am not quite sure about the rapturous reviews given for the performance.