Agreements

1. Chris will not identify with authority at the expense of supporting his wife. This agreement extends to encounters with police, border security, and Lost Property Departments in large department stores.

2. Josephine is not to get anxious about Chris’s overidentification with authority. She is to understand that Singapore is a rule-bound state made for men like Chris. There are historical reasons for Singapore being the way it is, and Chris being the way he is.

3. Ditto Josephine.

4. If Josephine displays wit, or, more overtly, tells a joke, Chris will laugh, even if he does not get it. For a Funnymooner on a Funnymoon with their partner, appearances matter far more than content.

NOTE: Laughter is best signalled by the display of teeth and the horizontal elongation of the lips. Eyes can become slightly closed, giving rise to small lines at the corners of the lids. For real impact, shoulders can rise and fall, as if involuntarily. In the first hours of the Funnymoon, a participant is cautioned not to over-do it, as this can have an adverse effect. Satire and parody are dangerous genres of humour on a Funnymoon and are to be utilised only if both parties have confidence in each other. Reddening of the epidermis (facial) can be a good sign, but for Funnymooners who are either beyond acceptable BMI’s or over 50 years of age, high-blood pressure and imminent cardiac arrest are co-indicated.

Day 1: The Funnymooners Log. 9.35 QF 77 to Singapore.

Despite the 5am rise and the lack of sleep the night before, smooth sailing so far!

Minor setbacks and some baring of teeth already! Josie disappeared into the sunglasses section, while Chris bought the duty-free gin, and despite his forgetting she had told him where she was going, they were separated. Chris returned to find wife, and did not exhibit signs of stress. A great start!

At the boarding Gate Josie decided to leave Chris in the queue and seek out the prices of IPOD Touches. Were they or were they not cheaper at the Airport? Inquiries were cut short by Mr. Hill, who had given up his place in the line to search for wayward wife. No jokes were told. No shaking of shoulders. A barrage and retort and general salve of pointy un-funny words were exchanged before a truce was established.

Issues of control can come between Funnymooners. If one of you is more attuned to timetables and to taking responsibility for 1,500 children, then expect a few early setbacks.

Films: Dallas Buyers Club, American Hustle, Philomena…

Food: Hoisin Chicken with Star Anise, Gin and Tonic.

Full steam ahead!