You Don’t Look Like Catherine

“You don’t look like a Catherine”, the woman on security said to me as I showed her my entry ticket.

Kate and I had organised tickets, and were really looking forward to the opening night party at the Australian Technology Park of the Sydney Biennale. Despite these plans, Kate had admitted herself earlier in the day to Royal North Shore Hospital with suspected appendicitis. As late as five o’clock in the afternoon, with appendicitis ruled out, she thought she would be okay for the opening. But close to 7 o’clock she called to say she would be in hospital for a few extra days. With little time to organise a “replacement”, we concluded I should go along to the opening anyway and “take lots of photographs”, as her mother was with her anyway.

So I turned up with the tickets (in Kate’s name) and that’s when the woman on security made the comment about how I “didn’t look like a Catherine”. Deep inside, a wicked voice said I should respond by saying…”Well I’m in transition…” but I told the story of Kate’s illness and made my way in.

To be honest, it was a little boring. It would have been much more fun with Kate there. There were a couple of people I knew, but not too many. There was also nothing particularly “arty” about the opening, and so after a couple of hours of wandering around and enjoying the admittedly very good food and wine, I wandered home.

I visited Kate in hospital today and she’s in good spirits. I took her a few books to read, and so hopefully her stay in hospital (until Sunday) should be entertaining at least. We’ll have to postpone our Sydney Biennale visits until later, I guess.