Weekend roundup

Friday night I met up with Patty, Amy, and David. Patty had heard of the Teabag open mic night at the Silk Road Cafe and wanted to check it out. Johnny Hi-Fi was going to play. We met at Sweet and Tart, which was surprisingly disppointing. When I had suggested places to eat, I had called their food comfort food. After dinner, Patty said, "I don't feel that comforted." We all laughed.

At the cafe, the small basement room was packed. A girl was singing a forlorn song on the stage. The only available seats were in the front row. We resisted until a bouncer told Amy to sit there. We followed her into the spotlight.

The MC looked at me and asked who I was. He joked that he never forgot people he looked like. I didn't realize until after we left who he was. I had heard someone call him Telly and then realized that I had met him either through Cherry and Kit or through Ed. Patty leaned over towards me during the show and told me I should have replied, "I dated your mother."

The musicians were good; the comedians were bad. One particularly bad comic, upon leaving the stage said that it was his first time. "It was funnier in my head," he mumbled. It was definitely not funny on stage. After four acts, and after seeing Johnny Hi-Fi, we left to have tea in the area.

The next morning my parents arrived bearing my suit. They had come into town to go to a Chinese book sale in Flushing. I showered and rode with them. They browsed the books and I flipped through the DVDs. In the end, my mom bought four tapes. We drove to the main area and had dim sum and then I had to go back home to dress and prepare for Jean and Steve's wedding.

That afternoon I took the subway to High Street and walked to the Empire-Fulton Ferry Park. There were two wedding parties taking pictures. I ran into Lin and Janince and we followed Becca towards a small hill. I looked for a tent, but Steve told me later they decided not to bother; the ceremony was only going to be 20 minutes. Lumi appeared wearing red. Jean and Steve had asked her to officiate.

Jean's dress was beautiful. She had purchased it from a designer in Vietnam. She said she hadn't even thought of looking for a wedding dress and then there it was.

After family pictures we moved to the boardwalk where Lumi performed the ceremony. Jean cried; Lumi tried not to. Steve stood resolute. At one point those assembled waited for Jean's reply. She snapped back and laughed and said, "I will." Later she said she was trying to think of all their time together in an effort not to cry. A guest looked at her and said, "You thought of your past history so as not to cry?"

In 20 minutes it was over. Everyone congratulated the couple and then quickly made their way to the warmth of the River Cafe. The views were fantastic. We drank and chatted (the wine was very good) and then it was time for dinner. Party favors adorned each place-setting: double happiness shot glasses Jean had also purchased in Vietnam. Dinner was fantastic; I kept the menu (if only because Fumiko wrote her email address on it).

We started with roasted butternut squash soup with apple brandy sabayon and toasted pumpkin seeds. The middle course was a marinated black cod, miso glazed, with vegetable and basmati stir fry. Fumiko remarked that it tasted almost Japanese in its preparation. The entree was a crisp duck breast with whipped sweet potatoes with vanilla bean, truffled honey sauce, and French green beans. Meredith didn't eat hers and so Sam and I shared her portion. For dessert we were served apple tart tatin with green apple sorbet. And afterwards there were cupcakes from the cupcake queen of Brooklyn. Unfortunately the cupcakes were somewhat dry.

At eleven, the party was over. There was no scheduled dancing, although a few people danced anyway. By midnight everyone had left and Jean and Steve left to go home. I walked to the subway and waited to return to Manhattan.

Photos: Dave, Amy, and Patty, Johnny Hi-Fi, Brooklyn wedding, River's Edge reception. Posted by eku at October 26, 2004 11:56 AM