Interiors

We're coming to the end of Syawal, the month following Ramadhan in the Islamic calendar. This is the month in which one visits one's friends and families to seek forgiveness, and good food - though not necessarily in that order. Yesterday we spent the late afternoon and evening at a couple of places belonging to some of Noi's friends, all of whom are keen on decorating their apartments in something approximating to English country style, regarding which Noi's old chum Rohana is something of an expert. (It was Rohana who first got the Missus seriously interested in bone china and the like.)

The first apartment we visited, belonging to Kak Intan, was a sort of showcase of the general style. In some ways it might have been described as cluttered, but this would have been unfair as it reflected a deliberate attempt at manifesting a kind of rich profusion. There were lots of lovely things everywhere, and the things mingled well together, but possibly too richly for most tastes. Sitting and admiring the view it struck me that the décor echoed what you might have expected to find in an apartment inhabited by one of Proust's more artistically inclined characters.

We're off again today to places connected to the same group, including Rohana's, which is to be our final port of call. I'm looking forward to a further opportunity to observe and appreciate - though not with imitation in mind. I remain a minimalist at heart.