The Unbreakable Wall

I had this listed public company many years back - eventually we sold out all the R&D and some patents to a major Japanese corporation and the deal prevents me from saying which one.

Anyway, at the time, one of our major shareholders was a certain 'Geoffery Hugh Christian,' (Geoff Christian), who was the doyen journalist of the leading Western Australian daily newspaper, The West Australian.

Looked like Gene Hackman, was
like Gene Hackman.

Although Geoff Christian was known towards the end of his life, as the most senior Sports Editor, the fact was, the place being intensely involved in sports, he was a well-known personality in politics and at every level of local and national society. I don't know anyone who didn't have a high opinion of Geoffrey.

One thing few shared with him closely though - although my main co-director did - was his real knowledge of, and love for, the epicurean and the culturally let's say, elevated.

Sure you could have a huge mansion in Lake Tahoe (Geoff had celebrity friends around the whole world), and you might have four Mercedes and a McLaren down the bush somewhere and be running for Parliament on the strength of your pie shop... ...but you'd be a loser when compared with those in Geoff's closest inner circle of friends.

Geoff's old alma mater - the main editorial offices and print-setting hall in St George's Terrace, right next door to the original Perth Institute of Technology - is now a top-of-the-tree restaurant, and right beside that literally in the old print hall, there is a vast pub (beer and wine and cocktails bar and restaurant). 

Yesterday evening, I was by there, back from a different, much quieter place, though quite nearby. The Print Hall Pub was, like a London City pub towards the end of any working week, almost jam-packed with young men in suites and a few hot chicks as well. I recognized one young-to-middle-aged gentleman with Persian black curly hair and a shaped beard as an offspring of one of the Emirati Emirs... Surrounded by his local business buddies.

You know when they do that 'namaste' thing, especially on the West Coast of the US these days - that bowing thing...?

Well, I had just come from having to do that to the chef at this place I shall not name here.

He served me 'sesame short ribs with quick pickled fresh cabbage' an hour or so earlier. I couldn't really swear that it was actually 'an hour' because for only the second time in my life, I was floating around the streets, smiling like a mad person and probably talking to myself under my breath as well.

I know it was Geoff's idea to turn the old print hall into a five-star restaurant and wine bar. And he never lived to enjoy it.

I think he would have enjoyed it because the restaurant in there, the atmosphere of the whole place generally, is fantastic. No question.

But it's not where I was coming from...

There were not a whole lot of people where I had just come from - it was by no means empty but it was not 'jam-packed to the rafters.' It's a privately-owned small hotel, that's all I will say for now.

And there was a moment there, when, after the first few mouthfuls, I was beginning to quickly realize that the thing was actually getting better as I ate it, not reaching any plateau - but literally climbing higher and higher in sensory gift.

Now you think there is no such thing in life, but there is. I had to raise my head more than once to look around me to see when I might be about to be interrupted by 'those friends' who would turn up to say 'hey hey, what are you doing?! This is just too much, even for you, ya bastard.'

But they were decent enough not to 'bother me right now.'

What was going on? Had the chef stuck some e's into the food?

So now, some time afterwards, not very long afterwards, here I was, walking by, above, in fact, as there is an upper plaza and walkway over the pub, and looking down on the young men and women all having a good time in the Print Hall Pub.

And good for them.

Ten minutes from now I'm due to watch this recent-release flick made in Spain - 'The People Upstairs' - which is a two-act play about a couple 'upstairs' inviting this feuding hard-working couple downstairs, to join them in participating in the orgies that they have regularly, and which make so much noise that the couple downstairs, are 'disturbed' by the sounds.

Cheval Blanc - arguably the world's
best Bordeaux.

...It was a funny movie too. Didn't really resolve into anything and we never get to see any actual 'orgies,' more's the pity. But it was a funny movie nonetheless.

The movie attempted to break the unbreakable wall, and didn't - most probably couldn't.

In life you can easily go to where most people hang out...

Not so easy to get to the white room; get into, inside - the white room.

The question really is - do you want to go hang out with the urban kids down at the Print Hall, or do you want to be alone in the white room...

McLaren. Or, as PVD calls her: 'McLaaaaahren.'