claudine left hong kong. over Christmas she moved with her husband and kids to Brisbane.

I never really saw much of Claudine after she met her mr right. they moved (and bought a place!) but she always had very cool, very easily memorisable phone numbers and she was always a link to the past. when you're in a transient place, it is tough to let go of those people who have been with you for years. (left: Claudine and I at Igor's circa 2000)

and i have known her for years, since 1997.

the next year, i met sandi at a wine dinner. she was terrorising the poor pr girl who knew nothing about wines compared to sandi, who has written books and endless articles on the topic.

sandi. who loves wines, movies, cards, good food, laughing, television, clever literature, morgan freeman (but maybe not any more), new york, soft top cars, walking, diet coke, interesting people, her husband Cliff (who also falls into the previous category) and life…but not necessarily in that order. (left: Sandi, back row 2nd from left and Claudine to the right. yes, that's charles on the extreme right front row and his sister penny front row left, at Igor's circa 2000)

sandi is also fond of blunt talking. when i informed her that i was pregnant with sebastian i was sitting at her kitchen table. the week before i had run into Cliff at the top of the peak and he had seen me and said, "you're disappearing!" and i said, "there's more here than you think!" so i reckoned he might have told her.

but apparently not. she put down her diet coke, looked at me, and said, very seriously, "is this something we;re happy about?" and when i smiled and said, "oh yes", she said, "then congratulations! it's wonderful news!" she was the first person who came to visit sebastian when he was born.

back to the straight talking. when i let her know that i was pregnant with triplets, again the diet coke was placed on a counter, and the comment was, "no really?" and then, "well, that's what you get for F*%$ing with mother nature!"

that's our girl.

sandi and i went to shenzhen back in 1998. shenzhen was nothing like it is now. very few policeman about and no signs anywhere! and we were feeling quite brave when we went. this is the time i fell through the sidewalk, for no apparent reason. because that's what sidewalks in china were like at that time. and sandi hissed at me, "are you alive?" and i said, "i think so!" and she said, "well good, get up, because there is a crowd gathered around you, and they all want your camera!!"

sandi came to our wedding.

we moved quite near to sandi in pokfulam. we could always tell if she was in or not, depending on if her car was at the bottom of her driveway.

and now, she's moved back to the states.

these past few days, watching her dissemble her flat have been difficult. i can remember when she purchased a lot of these things. i can remember when some of the photos were taken. i can remember afternoons sitting around tables, bringing my kids to her flat, introducing them to her. (left: Sandi on Igor's closing night in Hong Kong)

hearing her pronouncements that sebastian no longer looks anything at all like woody harrelson.

it is sad to say good bye to her. but my flat now has her things. i remember her by looking at them.

i have her paper mache dog, now named sniffy.

and i have a suitcase, crammed full of clothes that she'll be back to collect in may.

so i'll be seeing her again.