Mrguy took us to the airport. We were pampered little princesses. I learned that like me our friend likes to get places early. She brings food with her wherever she goes. Major props for taking hard boiled eggs on an airplane. Not sure why I never did this myself. And she had things she wanted to do while we were there.
We took a Lyft to Grad Central and ate delicious things.
We split a smoked sturgeon and cream cheese everything bagel. Someone was super excited to see oysters.
Then we walked back to the hotel through the old theater district. I admit to being apprehensive about walking, because it was getting late in the afternoon and unhoused folks were settling in for the night. Plus there were lots of vape stores everywhere. So much pot. None of this is in my comfort zone now that I am older and can't outrun people. Anyhoo the architecture was fantastic, there was so much to see and I would walk this path again gladly in the future. I even found a friend's band on a marquee.
We changed our outfits for the event, and went over to the venue. Look at how close our hotel was to the club!!
We made friendly conversation with the people in front of us who had fancy tickets. That allowed them (and us) to enter at 4:30 for the 5:30 event. We presented our tickets, followed the friends ahead of us, and then after those folks got to their seats they took us to our seats WHICH WERE ON THE STAGE. They said "This is Konishiki's chair. Do you want to sit next to him?". omg. Now my buddy knows that he is a big deal, but he's not from her era of sumo so she was completely chill and sat in the chair next to him. It was perfect.
Our friends from the queue mouthed up to us "How did you end up there?" and really I don't know. We paid dearly for the tickets, is all I can say. I had no idea that we'd luck out to this extent. We kept looking at each other and laughing out loud at the situation. Somehow we were on a stage in a club in LA watching a sumo exhibition together, sitting next to Konishiki, with a DJ playing great music, and we were being projected on...it was sick.
Konishiki was a doll. Could not have been nicer. I asked him if the selection of late 70s soul music they were playing was his playlist, cause he (and I) were singing along to all of it. He's younger than I am, but I believe he has ten older siblings, so I can see how this music would be in his personal memory banks. He told us that the DJ who was working with him is a guy who is famous in Japan for having introduced Japan to hip hop. So cool! Also cool was my buddy, who would lean over and ask "Was that an uwatenage?" and he'd pick up his microphone and add that detail. We had the best time.
After the show we got a photo op with the wrestlers but not Konishiki. Good thing we took selfies during the show. And then we walked over to a night market which was really interesting but the vendors seemed to specialize in goat dishes. We ended up eating a late dinner in the hotel restaurant.
The next morning we woke up early to watch World Cup soccer.
Shortly after returning home, I took to my bed and my baby cat comforted me in between my dozens of trips to the bathroom over the next few days. Was it the lukewarm and awful sushi at sumo and sushi? White lady snacks? Hotel food? I have no idea but that final coda made the experience EXTRA memorable.
This ends my catch-up posts from 2022. I'll be in real time unless I notify you otherwise.
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