When It Was New

Surprise.  My older daughter flew back to New York to see her younger sister for her birthday.  I had a call at 3:30AM and they still hadn’t sprung the moment yet.  I was back to bed after that call to Sao Paulo and by the time I’d awoke they were all there together in our living room:  My older one, her boyfriend, my wife, my niece, my mom, my stepdad, my sister and her son and their pooch Friday and the lady of the day, my little one who was happily enjoying center stage during the waning moments of her time as a fourteen year-old.  I got passed around the room and it almost felt like I was there.

Not sure why.  Well, I know why, I was craving something passive and had, had-it with work on a Friday night, but I watched a Steve Marriott documentary, and then a Ronnie Laine documentary, which was a bit better produced, or was it just that it had more top-shelf cameos.  Later, after a middling “Japanese” meal at the local mall, complete with Japanese pop music that sounded like a bowl of frosted flakes with confectionary sugar, maple syrup and butterscotch lathered atop, I got lost in old clips of John Lennon being wonderfully snarky on Youtube.  His karate-chop dismissal of Eric Morecambe on the Morecambe and Wise show in 1963: “It’s not like in your day,” was as powerful as ever.   For me and like tens of millions of other people, it’s like spending time with a family album, or a religions icon.

Decided to play Lester Young all morning today, as I catch up on things.  Learned among other things that he was drafted during the war, and wasn’t allowed to play in an army band the way Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw were.   He was caught with pot and dishonorably discharged after serving a year in the detention barracks.  Perhaps they can find way to commute Prez’ weed charge, in memoriam, now that it’s no more criminal than a speeding ticket.  Styles all changed so fast after Bird shows up in the late 40’s.  Trying appreciate Prez’ style for when it was new. 

A good friend and his wife who live here in Beijing now wanted something authentic to eat, informal, Chinese, a hidden gem.  So many of my hidden gems over the years have long since been discovered and ruined or have simply closed.  Things that used to delight my palate in Beijing now seem predictable.  But the other day a friend and I came across a Sichuanese place run by the Chengdu City Government folks here in the capital that was mighty tasty.  It’s not far from the base of Jing Shan.  So, we’ll have a climb, and then take a number and when we’re seated, fill the table with peppercorns.

Saturday, 9/21/19