What a Weekend!

Work has been fairly uneventful lately. I really can't complain since my client base consists of clients that I have either had a lot of experience with or am very interested in and also are comprised of a pretty stacked EY team. The only news there is that my friend is leaving to try being a stay at home mom, which makes me sad and happy at the same time. I really like being able to chat with her in the office or online and working with her, but at the same time, I know I'll keep in touch with her. And more importantly, she's doing what's best for her family and especially her son.

This weekend was pretty fun, between David's wedding and the Ravens game. Saturday started with a short jog (knees are not cooperating much these days) and then cleaning up and getting ready for my cousin's big fat Chinese wedding. David's my almost-twin and the cousin that I was closest to growing up. He and I share the exact same birthday, and I am just 2 hours older than him. Since we are Chinese-American, that basically means we have been competing with each other since birth, and I rather think that I am slightly resented for having beaten him out of the womb. David's done pretty well for himself, and he seemed to have a real turnaround in terms of being at peace with himself after college. He became a devout Christian, which is how he met his wife. They seem to balance each other out, since Christine is really mellow and agreeable, and David's a little more outgoing and active.

The ceremony was a bit longer than the others I've been to recently due to all of the hymns and readings. The pastor also talked a lot about how the wife should submit to the husband and it was up to David to make all the decisions. I was sitting next to my Aunt Tai, and the two of us were pretty much scoffing at every mention of this...we were taught to give orders, not take them. After the exchange of the rings, David and Christine spoke to their parents and thanked them for their support. David had the whole crowd in tears because he tried to keep it together when he presented his parents with their gift and thanked them for sacrificing so much to give him the best. He had to stop a few times to keep his tears in check, and it took his Uncle Raymond saying, "It's ok David, jia you" for him to keep going. Jia you is Chinese for go (as in Go David, or Go Redskins!), so that got a few chuckles and he managed to get the words out before breaking down as he hugged his parents. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, our family does not openly show emotion. Encouragement and the words I Love You are not spoken unless in moments of extreme duress. I think a lot of the non-Chinese people in attendance were a little surprised that David had such a hard time saying it, but you have to understand that he just unleashed 29 years worth of emotion.

After the ceremony, we headed to the reception at the restaurant where Christine's dad is a chef. They had a Chinese banquet, which is about 10 courses. Mel and I were seated at the singles table, along with some of Christine's cousin. Her guitar-playing cousin wasn't there because his band is currently on tour, but I did meet his older brother Gary. He was pretty cool and at least I had a drinking buddy for the evening (since he and I basically polished off both the bottle of champagne and the merlot). It was a pretty good time, and David and Christine looked genuinely happy, so that was what mattered most at the end of the day. The only other thing I'll mention is that it's really, really, really weird to see someone you've known since birth kissing in public. It's definitely a car-crash kind of moment...you feel like you shouldn't look but it's so disturbing/surreal that you just can't help it.

Today was all about recovery. Recovery from 5 glasses of wine last night. Recovery from a 5.5 mile run that felt like 50 miles when my left knee locked up again. And now recovery from another atrocious week of fantasy football (hopefully Kotter's team is just that much worse and will hand me the win). The Ravens game, however, was a nice break this afternoon. I was pretty happy that Tom offered me the ticket, and Anne and Ryan were there too, and they're always a good time. Aside from Landry's serious injury (hope he's ok), the Ravens tore it up on the field and had a stellar day on defense. This was my first regular season NFL game, so I'll have to re-think going to FedEx Field and giving Mr. Snyder some of my cash. These games are intense, and if I was that into it with a team that I'm not really all that concerned about, it should be even better with my beloved (yet often disappointing) Redskins.

So, a few final thoughts on the events of this week. First, I'm pretty content with my job and career choice. I like the work, I've been able to work on the jobs I want to work on, and I love the people I work with. Next, I should never, ever put money on my fantasy football team...I think a blind chimp could pick a better squad by flinging poo at a player list. And lastly, I have to give my mom more credit and not be as defensive when I talk to her. David's very emotional speech at the wedding made me realize that if I were to ever get married, I would not be able to say those things without blubbering either. My parents really have done so much for Mel and me. Whether we want to admit it or not, what we have accomplished so far is the direct result of their guidance. There is one other thing that my mom did that was somewhat surprising. It was a fairly innocent comment, but it was surprisingly restrained for her. She asked me how I would like to do my wedding, and we had a brief conversation at the end of which she said it was important to wait for the right person. It was rather tactfully stated - my mom is more blunt (like me) and I would have expected her to say something like when are you going to get married...and why aren't you trying harder to find someone? For most of my life, I have been conditioned to regard anything my mom says as an attack, so I literally brace for impact and then fire right back. The fact that we were able to talk about something personal in a pretty supportive manner was a big change for us. Hopefully that's a good sign for things to come.