Office Romances?

A Fine Romance !

Marilyn Monroe once sung the song “A fine romance” while this was originally a movie score from the film “Swing Time” (an interesting title) with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Now what that has to do with this blog is indeed the thought of: the Office Romance, and that is a fine question.

Is it the lure of love or is it just plain lust that causes us to unwittingly or otherwise get involved in office romances at all? Perhaps it’s the attraction of power that makes us go after or fall for the boss, for the boss though is it the sinister fact that they wield power over a plethora of people and use this to their sexual advantage? Personally I believe it is wrong to misuse this kind of power, but alas it probably goes on all the time. After all this is Hong Kong with money comes power, often in that very order, also of course people in power often acquire considerable wealth. Case in point being so much in the press of late, what with various Dictators being deposed, then having their assets frozen. Or in the case of a certain leader of a European country with both power and money he gets kicked in the ass for so many alleged affairs both in and out of his “Office.”

Of course the ultimate Office Romance debacle was with the one time U.S President Bill Clinton and a certain young intern in his oral office, sorry I mean Oval Office. That issue certainly both stained and strained his term as President. (Yes pun intended). Other U.S Presidents also have a questionable past; this brings us back to Marilyn Monroe and none other than President Kennedy. Again, this fact seems even more obvious when Marilyn sang yet another song…Happy Birthday. It seems someone certainly carried a torch, or perhaps a candle at least for that particular President.

So putting aside Marilyn and Presidents for the moment, what about the humble folk that just get caught up in an Office Romance? Either with juniors or seniors, or just plain each other. Actually I couldn’t think of a less romantic place than the office to begin with, so how romances start from there is rather amazing anyway. I guess just getting thrust together with the same people in the same place day after day for hours on end doesn’t help either. Well after all some people spend more time with their colleagues than with their spouse, unless of course you work in the same office as your spouse, now that really is an un bearable thought!

So to all those either in an office romance or perhaps thinking about getting into one, all I can say, is stop it, you will go blind, go back to work instead!

$$$ Valentines Day$$$

Love, Money and Valentines Day.

Once upon a time, not too long ago, we use to refer to Valentines Day as Saint Valentines Day after the patron Saint of lust….sorry I mean Love* (in reality apparently some martyred Roman Priest during the reign of Claudius the second.) Of course centuries later none of that matters as long as randy devils get a pathetic excuse to palpitate for a supposed love one. Not to mention the effects of commercialism. Let’s face it, sex sells and no matter how romantic one intends to be love isn’t going to come cheap. Here in Hong Kong, despite the chilly weather, five star Hotels and posh restaurants, pulled out all stops to heat up the action and their coffers with “romantic getaways” and dinners. A leading Hotel, had a stunning one off package valued at USD 10,000 for the night, in the Presidential Suite, including a helicopter tour of the harbor, a diamond ring and Rolls Royce transfer. Another leading Restaurant touted the usual aphrodisiacs of Champagne and Oysters along with Caviar and Vodka. Sounds to me the only thing you are likely to get up for that night is a very upset stomach!

So why oh why do we bother with Valentines Day at all? Do single women pine for an unexpected romantic liaison? Do single men out there have a chance anyway?

I once knew one married couple, wherein the female stated, “who needs some card and gift, after ten years of marriage you should know by then if you are happy in love without all that nonsense.” Sounds to me like the romance has well and truly gone out the window on that marriage. Ok now here I will start to sound like a real hypocrite, however, in my defence I am a romantic at heart. So even after my very own fifteen years of marriage, I still give my wife a card and flowers on the V day itself. Even if I am not in the country at the time, if I was really that romantic, wouldn’t I make an effort to actually be there on the day?

Back to the sordid subject of money, how much does or should love cost, oh how I love thee let me count the cash….sorry I mean ways. Oprah once said, in life you can be surrounded by a whole bunch of people but the ones you want are not the ones that will only stick around while you have a Limo, but those that will also be with you when you have to catch a bus. Right I can really see that happening in Hong Kong, I don’t even know how to catch a bus here let alone anyone that actually does. So love may well be a pretty lonely place in Hong Kong after all.

So as Valentines Day passes us once again, I write this while listening to Sarah Vaughn signing “Sweet Affection.” Oh yes how sweet it is…enjoy$.