Here I am at nearly three score years and ten reflecting on ‘What happened in Vegas’ moments. I’ve definitely had them – I’ve danced on Spanish bars; broken plates while dancing at a taverna in Greece; visited red light districts in Kings Cross, Amsterdam and Thailand; had Mama Mia experiences in the Greek Islands, Bridget Jones experiences in London and more.
Interestingly, I now find myself squirming at the thought of sharing such Vegas moments!
I’m reminded of my mother at about my age, making ‘tut, tutting’sounds and saying ‘that isn’t necessary’ as gradually more explicit sex scenes began to be shown on television. I remember her changing the channel during a fairly discreetly directed sex scene central to a little boy’s dawning realization that he was being used as a go between in the film 'The Go Between', saying loudly ‘Now that’s quite unnecessary’! I suspect that she found herself feeling rather squirmy at the time,
‘What happened in Vegas’ moments appear to incorporate risk taking at the time and ‘squirming’ linked to guilt and shame in latter years!
This is certainly happening on rememberingt two ‘What happened in Vegas’ moments in which I went a tourist to ‘strip’ shows, once at Kings Cross when I was twenty, the other in the red light district of Bangkok during my late twenties.
In the first case, I’d been attending the Economics and Commerce Students Association conference in Sydney in the late 1960’s. My brother was there, as a representative of RMIT’s Commerce Students’ Association, while I was there as a student of the Economics Faculty at Monash University. After the conference dinner my brother and his friends decided to go to Kings Cross with the aim of seeing thei infamous stripper of the day, Sandra Nelson. I tagged along,.. chaperoned by my brother! My main memory of the event was watching the reactions of the men in the audience when a tassle attached to one of Sandra's swirling breasts became dislodged and flew off into the audience.
The second event occurred in 1976 when I was visiting young married friends who were attached to the Australian embassy in Bangkok. After a dinner party we decided to go to the red light district, visiting three or four bars, including “The Golfers’ Lounge”. I'm definitely feeling squirmy at the thought of sharing the antics observed on stage with you - so I won't!
As I squirm, like my mother in her seventies watching 'The Go Between',, I’m thinking sharing these ‘What happened in Vegas’ moments is probably “quite unnecessary!
Bev Lee
September 2016
edited June 2023
Interestingly, I now find myself squirming at the thought of sharing such Vegas moments!
I’m reminded of my mother at about my age, making ‘tut, tutting’sounds and saying ‘that isn’t necessary’ as gradually more explicit sex scenes began to be shown on television. I remember her changing the channel during a fairly discreetly directed sex scene central to a little boy’s dawning realization that he was being used as a go between in the film 'The Go Between', saying loudly ‘Now that’s quite unnecessary’! I suspect that she found herself feeling rather squirmy at the time,
‘What happened in Vegas’ moments appear to incorporate risk taking at the time and ‘squirming’ linked to guilt and shame in latter years!
This is certainly happening on rememberingt two ‘What happened in Vegas’ moments in which I went a tourist to ‘strip’ shows, once at Kings Cross when I was twenty, the other in the red light district of Bangkok during my late twenties.
In the first case, I’d been attending the Economics and Commerce Students Association conference in Sydney in the late 1960’s. My brother was there, as a representative of RMIT’s Commerce Students’ Association, while I was there as a student of the Economics Faculty at Monash University. After the conference dinner my brother and his friends decided to go to Kings Cross with the aim of seeing thei infamous stripper of the day, Sandra Nelson. I tagged along,.. chaperoned by my brother! My main memory of the event was watching the reactions of the men in the audience when a tassle attached to one of Sandra's swirling breasts became dislodged and flew off into the audience.
The second event occurred in 1976 when I was visiting young married friends who were attached to the Australian embassy in Bangkok. After a dinner party we decided to go to the red light district, visiting three or four bars, including “The Golfers’ Lounge”. I'm definitely feeling squirmy at the thought of sharing the antics observed on stage with you - so I won't!
As I squirm, like my mother in her seventies watching 'The Go Between',, I’m thinking sharing these ‘What happened in Vegas’ moments is probably “quite unnecessary!
Bev Lee
September 2016
edited June 2023
