July 7 & 8

Friday was a good day. I went to play duplicate bridge at the Dutch Club from 9am until after noon. My partner (bridge) dropped me off at home, where I quickly checked my email and then left for another bridge game at a neighbor’s house. She was throwing a going away luncheon/bridge party for someone who is moving to Beijing. It was a lovely meal in a beautiful setting. She lives on the 23^rd floor and the views are breathtaking. The apartment is decorated, as expats do, with lots of Asian artwork they have accumulated on their travels. In the evening, we were invited to a Whist party at a friend’s home. She has a beautiful home right across from the Botanical Gardens in a lovely neighborhood. There were a total of 16 people playing at four tables. We had a great time and didn’t get home until the wee hours.

Yesterday I took two necklaces down to the pool area and tried to get some good photos using the decorative boulders as a background and take advantage of the midday sun. It’s hard to photograph jewelry so I am quite pleased with the results.

After lunch, we went to Arab Street which is a very cool area. I had already visited this area with a friend several weeks ago and was eager to visit the carpet shops again. We bought a couple of pieces of furniture (two leather couches, a couch table, a console and a matching leather bench) which were delivered on Friday afternoon. It was time for some carpets! After quite a bit of deliberation, we decided on two 9x6 silk carpets from Kashmir. I haven’t been this excited about a purchase in years! They are beautiful and feel wonderful on your bare feet.