Author: F C

An “Auntie” of mine passed away this week (it’s a complicated genealogical relationship – the closest “western” description would be my mom’s younger sister’s husband’s cousin.) Her wake ended up being on Valentine’s Day. The nicest thing there was the three frames of photos throughout her life, from the wedding in Jamaica, the ones raising the kids (and a shot of the living room from the old house), and trips to China and back to the Caribbean. She had a good life and a loving family.

Afterwards, P- and I went to Randazzo’s in Sheepshead Bay. Even at 9 PM, the place was pulling a 35 minute wait for their glorious seafood, today being served on actual tablecloths. Normally, if you did not know better, you would first think it is cafeteria-style Italian with its linoleum floors and plain decor, but you would be very wrong. Calamari is not stereotypical here. Their secret red sauce that accompanies the plate is the star. It is thick and rich and must have some seafood stock to pump it up. The advertised cherry stones on the half shell were fresh, meaty, and full of flavor. We shared the lobster fra diablo, which was more than enough for the two of us. We saved some lobster pieces and red sauce for dinner the next night, which we used to cover our own pasta, licking our fingers. Recommended for the seafood, but you’ll have to go elsewhere for dessert. Some reviews gripe about how it isn’t Olive Garden, and that they serve 1950 style 8 oz Cokes out of the cheeky bottles, but deal with it – it’s inherently Brooklyn.

Afterwards, we did a flyby and visited the old digs in Sheepshead Bay. Much has changed, but much has stayed the same. There were a few new buildings, including a large Petco. We had one of our usual late night shopping dates at the nearby Stop N Shop, and we bumped into some people that we knew from NYU alumni (making my random meetup quota for the month). Maybe we’ll move back to the neighborhood.

I like dogs in general, but I have a soft spot for beagles. Maybe it’s their incredible sense of smell, even compared against other canines, or maybe it is just so cute, but there is so much in one little package.

P-‘s sister’s beagle Shelly can tell when I’m anywhere near her house, and then I always get a warm welcome upon my entrance. (I’m conveniently overlooking the other dog, Mimi the mini schnauzer, who is also real cute and affectionate, but quite frankly not that bright). While Shelly doesn’t normally speak, she can generally communicate what she needs, be it food, snuggling, or being taken out for a walk. When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing more comforting than having a lap full of beagle taking a nap.

Yesterday’s win by Uno the Beagle (a.k.a. Ch. K-Run’s Park Me In First) at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show rivals the Giants’ win over the Patriots. It wasn’t the favorite coming in, being that the poodles were coming on strong, and that a beagle had never won in its over 100 year history. But Uno played the perfect game – a 10 score from the judge, and well-timed baying to the capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden that aroused a standing ovation at his win.

Like that other famous beagle Snoopy, if you give them a chance, they will figure out a way to make you happy.

My landlord has listed the building for sale. While there are many unknowns, such as whether he can fetch the multi-million dollar sum asked for in this economic climate, there is the acute possibility we’ll have to find another place to live in the Spring.

What it is about this place that brings about nostalgia? There are plenty to gripe about the place, from the puny size, the multitude of deluges from the upstairs apartment, the painful walkup when hobbling around with injuries, and the general seediness especially at night. But overall, I have to say it is OK. There is the stone’s throw to work, the intersection with a number of classy neighborhoods, being within one hour of anywhere in the city — either via subway or a nearby Zipcar — and of course generally being safe and generally kept warm or cool.

I would be here ten years come March, and two for P-; this is just one more step toward the next phase of our lives. It’s gonna be all right.

Martin Luther King was assassinated at the young age of thirty-nine, not much older than I am today. In his famous “I have a dream” speech in 1963, he talks about how the check of freedom issued to all citizens, including African Americans, has come back because of “insufficient funds”.  That is one step ahead of where we Chinese would have been in 1963, because it was neigh impossible to become a citizen then. If I were a contemporary of MLK, I would be waiting two more years in Hong Kong or some other place in the British West Indies for the Immigration Act of 1965, when the quota of 105 Chinese a year was finally lifted. Chances are 1,000 to 1 for being a barrister/solicitor, 10 to 1 a scientist or a teacher, and even money on shopkeeper or restaurant cook. How far the journey has been, such a dream, and how fortunate we are to have it!

Last week I drove down to Red Bank, NJ for the premiere of the movie Camp Woz, which was about the real life youth computer workshops organized by Apple Computer founder Steve Wozniak and Real World Miami participant and social worker Joe Patane. I knew Joe in high school. This is clearly where one person can make a difference in the lives of others. I was impressed.

I would have not known about this event had I not joined Facebook and hooked up with old friends. I’ve refused to hook up with MySpace and some of the other social networks like Twitter, but Facebook is different in two main ways: they allow the users to write or plug in their own applications, and that the installed base is dramatically larger than most of the other networks. While there are some claims that it is a waste of time, I find that it actually saves time by letting me see what all of my friends are doing in a glance.

Scrabulous is Facebook’s killer app. I’m sure Hasbro or Mattel can figure out a deal rather than annoying the hundreds of thousands of people that have been drawn back to Scrabble.

Eateries this week: microwave burrito from the Red Bank 7-11 (sprung for the extra 20 cents for the “hand made” spicy beef filling, exactly the same), Burger King at the curiously named Cheesequake Service Area (weird chicken sandwich). Beef stew at the Borough Hall Crossroads stand (not really that good), buffalo wings at Fraunces Tavern (yes, George Washington’s favorite watering hole is still an excellent fully functioning pub), the new Marriott Eastside for a banquet (crab cakes were soggy, filet mignon and sea bass reasonably ok, huge slices of cheesecake for dessert), Rachel’s Taqueria for Tex-Mex (awesome Chimichanga -recommended).

There are a lot of people out there that can tell a good story. Between the Internet and small publishers, these gems no longer fester in someone’s file cabinet, but can make change (and yes, that includes our teary eyed presidential candidates).

I’ve been following Ron Lopez’s Kensington Stories. His vignettes about the neighborhood where I grew up in Brooklyn ring true – the Buzzarama slot car birthday parties, the old movie theater, Scotto’s, bagels, and more. I went to the local parochial school IHM, so I didn’t have the public school experiences he had, but of course each person has their own takes on things. He comes up with these fantastic hooks – strawberry shortcake and goal setting, sunsets on rooftops and unrequited love, and a happy reason to go to the funeral home on New Year’s Eve (needed some extra seats for the party). Recommended.

Stumbling through some other websites, I find a college friend (actually the very first person I met at orientation in college) running a literary magazine in Park Slope called One Story. Simple concept – the subscription-only zine publishes only one thoroughly vetted story every three weeks. They’re already into issue 100, and have been recently written up in the NYT, Time Out, and the Brooklyn Papers. I’ve signed up!

Sen. Obama wins for the Dems, Gov. Huckabee wins for the Republicans, and Rep. Wu wins on C-SPAN?
I’m a sucker for the underdogs, especially the ones with the crazy videos.