Jin and I just returned from a long weekend in New York/New Jersey for our friends' Steve and Yara's wedding. Congratulations to Steve and Yara! After a few years of friendship and dating, Steve finally mustered up the nerve to ask Yara for her hand in marriage. The ceremony was filled with touching sentiments and tears of joy, and of course, being the hormonal sap that I am these days, I had no problem shedding a few tears here and there to add to the emotional experience.
Speaking of crying, Jin was relentlessly teased by his friends throughout the weekend for being a ball-less sap when he got choked up during his Best Man Speech. Actually, it wasn't a Best Man Speech, but rather a Runner-Up-Best Man Speech. Steve's real best man, Jimmy Kim, couldn't make the wedding because of the tenuous nature of his incredibly pregnant wife, Christine, who happens to be my best friend (see excerpts below on Christine's status). But to give credit where credit is due, Jin did a superb job at his speech. Not only was it funny and lighthearted, but he managed to infuse a touch of sincerity by getting choked up at the end. Nice touch, Honey!
As for the reception, these guys went all out for the food spread. Guests were greeted at the reception site with a life-sized ice sculpture of an animal (I admit, I don't remember what it was) followed by tables and tables of gourmet food like Jambalaya, shrimp cocktail, cheeses and fruits, raw oysters, roast beef, pasta, salads...And this was only the cocktail hour! Of course the favorite for our alcoholic-prone friends was the open bar stacked with hard liquor, wine and beer. I don't know why Steve & Yara even bothered serving expensive wine and other fine spirits when our friends predictably choose to quench their thirst for one reason only: complete annihilation.
So it should really come as no surprise when my friend, Mina (aka Komarz in da house!!!!), after admitting to eating or drinking nothing but Johnny Walker Black and 20 blocks of cheese, threw up violently and profusely on the shuttle bus ride back to the hotel. The stale and sour fumes of fermented cheddar mixed with gut juices permeated the entire bus and singed even the deepest of our nosehairs. All the people in close proximity to the nuclear zone proceeded to move to the rear of the bus, but to no avail. The smell was unavoidable. To make matters worse, the overhead air vents didn't work and the bus was equipped with windows that didn't open. What a cruel ride it was. We all vowed immediate and everlasting sobriety only to get inebriated at the afterparty bar. Of course I refrained from such debauchery but for some reason, I awoke with a pounding headache and a missing tooth...just kidding. I guess we'll never learn...
This weekend was also my birthday weekend. So of course there was more drinking and celebration to be had. To celebrate, my friends took me to an awesome sushi bar, Blue Ribbon Sushi. Hands down, the BEST sushi I ever tasted in my life! I actually considered myself to be a borderline sushi connoisseur/snob after living in San Francisco, where dinning for sophisticated and discriminate palates is known worldwide. But when I looked at the menu at Blue Ribbon and failed to find my usual Rock n' Roll or 49er Roll (an SF favorite), I realized this place was for professional sushi eaters only. So I let my money-loving, but generous friend, Benjy, pick our fare for the night. Perhaps it was the several shots of sake, the buttery fatty tuna that melts in your mouth, or the fact that we bumped into Mike Meyers as he fled the restaurant that put me in a good mood. To top off the eventful evening, we went to Karaoke so that I could sing to my heart's delight. What a memorable birthday this turned out to be! If only my little Goo-goo was here with me...
After three nights of partying and two full days of travel, Jin and I arrived home last night and wearily slumped into bed. We awoke slightly to the sound of my cell phone in the middle of the night. In the morning my phone showed a text message from my best friend, Christine. Her water broke at 4am and she was en route to the hospital! OMG! I'm so excited for her, not only for her and her husband, but I'm excited for Bella - She'll soon have a little playmate! Good Luck, Christine and Jimmy! May the Force be with you.
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