A Sorry Night That Is Hard to Remember

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Wayne
Member
文章: 1500
註冊時間: 週四 5月 13, 2004 10:53 am
來自: Taipei, Taiwan, Pandemonium

A Sorry Night That Is Hard to Remember

文章 Wayne »

T.G.I.F.

I worked overtime a little bit as usual and then locked the door, leaving the place I was confined for most of the day. It was a family reunion night for Claire as a routine, which would that she visited her mother and I would not have my favorite home-made food for dinner. Since my office’s close to Bazaar Cafe (known to Yoyos as California Sunshine), I unwittingly walked into the alley where it was located in. I wanted to pass by the restaurant, but my feet would not to listen to my brain. So I stopped at the door, hesitated for a few moments, walked in decided to sit down, and ordered a set meal like I used to. A guy came to me immediate and brought over to me a menu. It was all too familiar to me. The bar, the tables, the sofas, the poster of Indiana Jones and Waterworld, on the wall; what was missing, if senior Yoyos could remember, was the target board for the darts game in the corner. The guy was wearing an artist’s tam-o’-shanter, but neither a grin nor even a gloat. Aged in his late 40’s or early 50’s, he looked kinda mean – I told myself - a thug, perhaps.. Before I stepped in, I took a glance at the advertisement board outside the door, saying they would serve set meals with six side dishes. It reminded me of the good old times. A set meal in the Yoyo’s dynasty cost me only NT$100, including the soup and the dessert. However, I soon realized it was four years ago, and then some — I was afraid. I told the waiter that I wanted a set meal that would go with six side dishes but was corrected in no time, “There are only four side dishes now.” I was taken back. Things were not the same any more. There was the new management, new boss, new lady boss, new waiter, among others. Yea, right! The menu in the Yoyo days was in oblivion; instead of it was a different one although some dishes would remain on it, such as the lion’s head meatball. Wait, the price went higher. It would take NT$150 for the most affordable Tenderloin set meal tonight. I told myself, “You haven’t been here for three zillion years; no wonder the price has been raised for merely 50%, you lucky dog.” I said to the waitress that I wanted the Tenderloin set meal, but her reply struck me. I was dumbfounded when I hear, “We have already sold out all the Tenderloins.” “What? It’s only 7:35. I can’t believe my ears.” Her forced smile betrayed herself and silently told me she was merely trying to do an upselling on me. I had no choice but ordered the second most affordable set meal of Fried Chicken Steak at. Unyieldingly, the waitress was trying to talk me into ordering a hot pot. “Thanks, but no thanks,” said I. This time, she refused to tell me it was all gone and went away. I sat there waiting for my dinner in a slight fit of the sulks. Fortunately, the meal arrived in less than 10 minutes. Now the live show had just started. Being bald on the top of his head, the singer and organ player looked like to be in his 50’s but definitely looked older than me. That’s all right. This restaurant ain’t no Casa Blanca, and the organ player not Sam. The first song he did was the Platters’ Only You, a typical doo-wop number. The meal was OK but it did make me reminiscent of the NT100, six-side-dish Tenderloin. Then came a B.J. Thomas’s Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head, a classic of the 70’s. The singer was able to improvise a bit, but I was annoyed as much when he was up to “… but that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' RAID”. I might be a little picky, but I vehemently insisted that “red” not be pronounced like “raid”. Anyway, I kept having my dinner slowly – in order to stay longer for the show. It seemed that the singer could not find his songs and each break seemed to last almost a decade. The next one was Lady, written by Lionel Ritchie and popularized by Kenny Rogers. (Hey! I went to his concert at Roanoke Civic Center, Virginia, with the Righteous Brothers opening for the then mega-star.) Well, the singer’s voice was as low as Kenny’s, if not like that of Rod Stewart, but, after all, he was not Kenny. Of course, I could manage that. It was followed by Here Comes The Sun by Richie Havens but first recorded by the Beatles. It was one of the better performance tonight such I that I almost forgot my dinner. Then came a song I did not know, so I’d skipped it. Thus far, I finished most of my dinner except one half of the chicken steak – I’d always save the best for last. Nevertheless, a waiter brought me the juice and dessert, red-bean soup. The music started again. It was Gypsy Woman, a Brian Hyland’s cover of the Impressions’ original. It was one of my Top 500 songs, but I almost rushed out of the restaurant when the singer keeping singing She was a ”Gipsy woman” instead of Jeepsy woman.” “Gipsy” woman… “Gipsy Woman”… “Gipsy woman”… I felt like I was going die any minute. Thank the Lord! I only passed out for tens of seconds. The next song surprised me a lot as it was a country music oldie, Glen Campbell’s Try A Little Kindness. I couldn’t help myself but singing along affectedly in karaoke. I did not know when I finished my dinner, but there would no singer who’d never end his show. It was time to go now. I walked up to the counter and paid for the bill. For one more time, I looked around at the restaurant, seemingly giving it my one last salute, with a sigh. Goodbye. Sayonara. Au revoir. Arrivederci. Auf Wiedersehen. Adios. Farewell, my dear California Sunset.
Knowledge is power -- when shared.
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Leon
YOYO member
文章: 256
註冊時間: 週日 5月 30, 2004 9:55 am

Re: A Sorry Night That Is Hard to Remember

文章 Leon »

Wayne,

You remind me those good old days!
When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
Kooper
YOYO member
文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: A Sorry Night That Is Hard to Remember

文章 Kooper »

I guess only members who are senior enough can know and sense the crumb of nostalgia between the lines. I am lucky to have ever experienced the era of California Sunshine, though the period is rather short. It is a wonderful place with a lot of memories for YOYO's.
Georgia
YOYO member
文章: 480
註冊時間: 週三 11月 07, 2007 11:49 pm

Re: A Sorry Night That Is Hard to Remember

文章 Georgia »

What a torturous meal/night! Forget it already! :ssmile:
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