Small things

Ususally I don't do those Small-Things-That-Made-Me-Happy posts, because they'd simply be too long. Not to mention boring. Today, however, I had this moment of Life-Is-Good: I left for work (well, not that I'm going to do much, but I'm at the embassy) shortly before nine, after sleeping till 7 -- luxury!! no alarm!! -- and when I'd walked about 200m I saw Alain, the French military attaché, drive up the road (French Embassy is about 500m further up the hill from my building). I waved, saw that he stopped, and went to stand next to the car and talk to him. Slightly dangerous, because I was standing on the driver's side, and other cars were passing us. Seeig the astonished look of one of the drivers, I said, OMG, now everybody thinks I'm the local hooker. Turns out that Alain will be here over the weekend, so there might be drinkies. And then the French Ambassador drove by, grinning and waving, and I thought, isn't it lovely here, knowing a relatively large number of nice people, meeting them here and there -- none of that big city anonymity... Plus it's a warm day, the air seems to be made of fragrant silk, the trees are blooming and wearing green veils as if painted by Impressionists.

Yesterday's concert was actually good. first they played Barber's Adagio for Strings (a tear duct wrencher, if there ever was one...) and afterwards Fauré's Requiem. Instead of the usual opera choir, they'd invited an English choir -- which made me think how nice it would be if dickgloucester 's or mundungus42 's choir came to perform here -- and, although the performance wasn't dazzling, it was very good. Amazing, how the orchestra perked up in the presence of those guests. The fact that a whole plethora of ambassadors and even the foreign minister were there might have helped, too.

Afterwards we strolled through the city centre. On 1 April, people dress up in costumes and masks, especially the Roma population, and they roam the city, having a good time. There was a stage on the main square, with a Roma band performing traditional music. So it was a highly enjoyable evening.