Cartier Polo

Still battling exhaustion from staying up late trying to get work done (how on earth did I end up with so much work to do on a weekend?), I dragged myself out of bed at 7 AM to go to polo. When I arrived at Waterloo, there was a train just leaving, so I didn't have a chance to get any food or cash. Yet when we arrived at Sunningdale, I found that there was a Waitrose right by the station, so I picked up a few things for breakfast and a picnic lunch. In the end, my preparations turned out to be just like the umbrella I didn't use, I never ate them, but I suppose it was good that I had them. After shopping and getting some cash from an ATM, I went back to the station and caught a cab to the polo grounds for £15.

I arrived after the 11 AM start of the first match, and so couldn't get into the stands until halftime. Still, as everyone was out divot-stomping, I had a chance to look around for people I knew. Sadly, I couldn't find anyone, and so made my way towards my seat. Perhaps somewhat to be expected at an event with thousands of people wandering over multiple giant fields, it was going to be tough to find anyone in this crowd. Then, as I was just about to sit down, who should I see climbing the stairs towards me but the Adorable Australian? My God, what are the chances?

He introduced me to his friend Simon, and then realised that our seats were quite close to one another, but why not just sit together for the match, since the stands were mostly empty? So I sat next to Tom for the duration of the match, and we had a fine time sitting together, in the cramped tiny stands together.

At one point, from my vantage point in the stands, I was horrified to spot the Awful Scotsman. I don't know if he spotted me (he was talking to some girl, although he definitely was looking in my direction), but I certainly wasn't about to go over and say hello. Thank goodness at least that the first person I ran into was the one I really wanted to see!

After the match finished, I joined the Adorable Australian and his friend Simon for a walk through the retail village. I had to admit that Simon was really funny and nice as well, and the two of us were totally bonding over our shared love of Argentina and Buenos Aires. He seemed like a really nice guy, and we certainly got along.

We decided it was time for lunch, so we got a jug of Pimms and went to the BBQ for lunch. I got a chorizo sausage for £7, and then we went and found a spot in the sunshine to sit and eat our lunch. Thank goodness I'd worn a long skirt so I could sit on the grass! I suppose I could have eaten the food I'd brought from Waitrose, but I wanted to join in with the crowd.

We ended up sitting there, drinking three jugs of Pimms, just sitting out and enjoying the sunshine. (Luckily I'd thought to bring sunblock, but only remembered to put it on after I was already turning pink. At least I had a chance to offer it to the Adorable Australian, whose pale complexion was making him turn bright red!) We had an interesting rambling conversation, where I learned the two of them met because they both used to work in shipping. I'm fascinated given my experiences in Panama. I also found myself bonding with Simon over my love of obscure topics, as when I started talking about the London Underground, he instantly joined in with how fascinating he found that topic too. I always love the company of fellow geeks like me. We also talked a lot about the pace of life in London, where the Adorable Australian admitted that he's overwhelmed at how when living here, you're likely to have a social engagement every single day after work, that you're more likely to use your weekends to recover from your weeks, rather than the other way around. He's only been here for about four months, but he protested, "I need downtime!" I have to admit, it's sometimes exhausting to realise that my next free day is sometime in mid-August (and I'll bet the calendar will fill up by then), but this is life in London...

Finally, it was time to head back in to watch the match. I once again sat with the Adorable Australian, instead of in the seat I was supposed to be in. The stands were much more crowded this time, and I kept worrying that someone would come up and say, "That's my seat!" and I would have to move, but I guess it was fate once again, for as much as the stands filled up, that never happened.

At halftime, we went out to stomp divots and met up with Thomas, who runs Englefield polo. I was introduced to Nathanial, a chap who I had met on Friday night but he was so drunk he didn't remember it (although to his credit, upon meeting me he realised that I looked familiar). As we stood out on the field, we were told to look out for a trailer for a film he'd made, The Polo Kid. Finally did see a tiny bit of the trailer!

When we were ushered back to our seats, we ended up going back to other side of stand with Thomas' group, and I ended up sitting with Nathaniel. It turns out we were both at the US Open in 2007, sitting about three cars away from each other. How random. It was great though, because he is so connected with the world of polo that he was able to answer a few questions for me about that event and the patrons who played that day.

When the game finally ended and we made our way back onto the field for the prize-giving, Simon seemed incredibly relieved to see me. Turns out that he hadn't realised I was just sitting on the other end of the row, and he's spent the entire second-half of the match worried that I was lost somewhere on the other end of the field. It was so funny, because he seemed so concerned, and I have to admit it was really sweet to know he'd been so worried. How charming that he was so doting on a girl he'd only met a few hours earlier...

As we stood around at the prize-giving, I finally met up with Cat and Sara, two friends who I'd also known were going to be there. We then all went over to the clubhouse for drinks (since we knew some polo people, we could manage to get in), and so we spent our time standing around chatting with people, drinking Pimms on the clubhouse porch.

Finally I also got to see Sophie. Sophie asks me, while the Adorable Australian is standing right there, "Meet any interesting men on Friday night?" Ummm...so I guess the one I'm standing next to doesn't qualify? I kind of did joke, "Well, I met the Adorable Australian..." and Sophie laughs, "I didn't realise the two of you didn't know each other!" Indeed, we're like best buddies now, as the two of us have been hanging together all day. But yeah, I guess I was starting to get a sense that while the Adorable Australian immensely enjoyed my company, I'd just made a new best friend rather than a romantic interest.

I also learned that the reason I never saw them come out of the club on Friday night, was that they never did! Apparently (and I didn't know this), I wasn't supposed to leave, as the club turned into a lock-in after they threw everyone out on Friday night. Oh well, I think I was hot, sweaty, and tired by that point anyway, so it was probably a good thing that I went home anyway!

At this point I noticed that Simon was missing, and had been for some time (much longer than it would take to run to the loo). I rather wondered about that, as it seemed unlike him to leave without saying good-bye. When I asked the Adorable Australian about it, he asked, "You mean you haven't heard?"

Apparently he tried to crash the Chinawhite party (big thumping party with overly-loud music going on in a tent across the way, very much a chav-fest), by just running in and hoping the security guys didn't catch him. Of course they did, and had then physically escorted him off the property. Not just out of the party tent, but off of the property of Guards Polo Club, and so he was now stuck several miles away down the road. Eventually, someone was going to have to go out and pick him up on their way home. I just had to wonder, who on earth DOES that? Seemed like a move that was the height of stupidity to me...and such a shame I didn't get a chance to say good-bye to him, as he'd seemed so nice...

As the hour grew late and the sun started to go down, I was kind of dissappointed when the Adorable Australian just kissed me on each cheek and said, "Well, I'm off..." Okay, so I can't be too bothered, because between being Australian, 26, and a smoker, it's not like there was much chance there. (Seriously, how many strikes can we fit into one person? It's like all of my deal-breakers rolled into one) Yet, I'm just bothered because he seemed to really enjoy my company, and want to spend time with me, yet seems to have no interest in me beyond that. Wow, way to shake a girl's confidence. Because it's a little disturbing when you can meet a guy when you're all dolled up and looking glamorous, and then later when you look cute and fresh, and he still just seems to like your personality, and nothing more.

As well, I just can't shake the whole wonderment of why I met him in the first place then. I always like to think that the universe has some sort of plan, and when on Sunday you randomly turn out to have seats right near the guy you spent all of Friday night with, you can't help but wonder if there's something to that. There were so many extraordinary coincidences and run-ins, and we clicked so well and so instantly, that you have to think it was part of some plan of fate. Except I somehow think I may have missed the message that fate was trying to send me...

Finally it's time for us to go home too. Sophie was going home with another guy in our crowd, Zeno, while Cat offered to drive me and Sara home. Yay, I get to skip the train! I probably wasn't the best conversationalist on the drive, I was so tired, but luckily Cat and Sara really carrying on the conversation. At last I home, and then had to struggle to stay up while I got some more work done. But in the end got to drop off to sleep. Time for some rest after a long day!