Ryan was still awake this morning and tried to tell me about how he spent all Sunday night/Monday morning partying with the police (some annual banquet) and the police getting called on the police, prompting the police to shout “Fuck the Po-lice!” and on and on and blah blah blah. It probably was interesting but I’m sure you had to be there.
Far more entertaining to me this weekend, was my friend Kim’s grandma. After a million years of school, Kim was throwing her graduate school graduation party. My girlfriend and I went and felt just a wee bit out of place, being some of the very few non-Vietnamese people there. We sat not far from a table of ladies who were having an animated non-english discusion about something. Their volume level seemed to increase every couple of minutes, but I couldn’t really tell what was going on.
Finally Kim came over and translated. Grandma, the “ringleader” was encouraging everyone to have a drink with her. Followed by another drink with her. Followed by another drink with her. Apparently this was something of a tradition at any of the family gatherings. Suddenly I noticed several of Kim’s cousins were sitting quitely far from the table and and even in another room. These 20something year olds were hiding from their 81 year old grandmother, because they just could not hang with her. Year after year, this tiny little asian woman has consistantly drank everyone else under the table.
Kim’s sister tried to tell me the name for grandma: Quan bo? Qui cho? Qui gon? I just couldn’t get it. But I did have Kim pass on my admiration to her. I really wanted to have a drink with her, but I had plans to drive home more or less on the road. However I think I will have to invite her up for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Ryan and his police buddies just don’t stand a chance.