Was in the US last week. Primary purpose was to attend the wedding of Jackie Zhang, ex-staff extraordinare to Dennis Kim (I was going to have a word with him if he kept her waiting any longer), Korean American in San Diego. Highlight of the wedding for me was being asked to read a passage from the “Velveteen Rabbit” a children’s story book that is obviously very popular in the US. Given the passage in the morning, rehearsed it in the taxi to the wedding and, by all recokoning, did a very memorable job!
After that hopped on over to the East Coast, where I met with a couple of work related people and from there went on to the lovely island of Nantucket on the invitation of Bill Seidman to spend Thanksgiving with his family.
Bill Seidman, of course, is the legendary former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) famous during the savings and loans years, who has over the years has become a very dear friend.
It was a memorable thanksgiving. Actually, my very first thaknsgiving with any American friend – complete with turkey, fireplace chats, super bowl and ….. custard pie!!!! Yummy. The winds and rain in Nantucket were so fierce that night that it felt like there was a huge typhoon outside. But it added to the warmth inside the house
After having known Bill for several years now (he serves as chairman of the Asian Banker Summit program), it was lovely meeting his wife Sally, two of their six (?) children and their grandchildren, one of whom he calls cheekily a “Sharon Stone” (old man!).
Stayed at the White Elephant – the best place to stay in Nantucket. Had a room with a balcony overlooking the sea. On the day after thanksgiving, Bill picked me up in his really super duper run down pick-up truck (took me 5 mins to open the rusty door) and we went to a super duper sea food lunch at a sea food wholesaler’s store where they sell fresh seafood but also help you choose and cook the lobster for you to eat right there in the grubby store!!!! Nothing like the real thing.
Getting in and out of Nantucket was just as fun on those small Cesna planes out of Boston airport. Wish I had stayed a little longer to try sailing. But boy, this is one ocean wrapped island with winds whistling and howling all around the buildings and the rains, when it was raining, beating down like you won’t believe!
Great fun. Thanks Bill and Sally for having me over!
