It was a very international evening
Saturday, 21. June 2008, 06:50:36
We headed down to Sunset Hill the other night for a picnic. And why not, with this view?
On a clear day, you can see Vancouver Island, i.e., Canada. This was a clear day, with an international view. Being Americans on a picnic, we ate (organic) fried chicken, among other things (like ricotta cheese cake!). Though the picnic was typical, the setting was not. Only half a dozen other people were there.
Sunset Hill is usually overrun with parkgoers. It doesn't even have to be warm, just a tolerable temperature with a lack of precipitation. This particular Saturday evening, though, was far from tolerable; it was perfect. Still, only a dozen or so other people were around.
So why were so few people present? The wedding party, or just its foreshadowing, probably scared them off: tables with giant flower bouquets, a few dozen white folding chairs, a balalaika player, and a handful of smartly dressed people conversing in Russian.
Over the next hour, the wedding crowd grew, and my knack for conversing with complete strangers came in handy with a passerby. I never got his name, just his life story. A Norwegian immigrant, he moved to Ballard, Seattle's famously Norwegian neighborhood, in the early 1970's in search of an education and a career. He found both and thought about moving back to Norway, but life happened - wife, kids, a fish processing business in Alaska.
After hearing all that and tales of Ballard's Norwegian glory days, a racing green BMW rolled up with the bride in back. Feeling innocently voyeuristic, we just sat and watched a brief, bilingual, secular ceremony: the officiate read vows in English, the translator read them back in Russian.
The whole ceremony was all of ten minutes long. We didn't hang around too long afterwards. Canada, Russia, Norway, and the US of A - four countries were enough for one night.
On a clear day, you can see Vancouver Island, i.e., Canada. This was a clear day, with an international view. Being Americans on a picnic, we ate (organic) fried chicken, among other things (like ricotta cheese cake!). Though the picnic was typical, the setting was not. Only half a dozen other people were there.
Sunset Hill is usually overrun with parkgoers. It doesn't even have to be warm, just a tolerable temperature with a lack of precipitation. This particular Saturday evening, though, was far from tolerable; it was perfect. Still, only a dozen or so other people were around.
So why were so few people present? The wedding party, or just its foreshadowing, probably scared them off: tables with giant flower bouquets, a few dozen white folding chairs, a balalaika player, and a handful of smartly dressed people conversing in Russian.
Over the next hour, the wedding crowd grew, and my knack for conversing with complete strangers came in handy with a passerby. I never got his name, just his life story. A Norwegian immigrant, he moved to Ballard, Seattle's famously Norwegian neighborhood, in the early 1970's in search of an education and a career. He found both and thought about moving back to Norway, but life happened - wife, kids, a fish processing business in Alaska.
After hearing all that and tales of Ballard's Norwegian glory days, a racing green BMW rolled up with the bride in back. Feeling innocently voyeuristic, we just sat and watched a brief, bilingual, secular ceremony: the officiate read vows in English, the translator read them back in Russian.
The whole ceremony was all of ten minutes long. We didn't hang around too long afterwards. Canada, Russia, Norway, and the US of A - four countries were enough for one night.
You must be logged in to write a comment. if you're not a registered member, please 
P.S.
Fried Chicken is my favorite!
By Nerak, # 21. June 2008, 19:36:39
And, yes, fried chicken totally pwns!
By unlisted, # 21. June 2008, 23:11:55
By Nerak, # 21. June 2008, 23:37:55
By hungryghost, # 24. June 2008, 01:14:01