Beachside Summary, 4/15/05

April 15, 2005
Florianopolis, Brazil

Konnichiwa people

I meant to send this about 2 weeks ago, for reasons that will be clear in a few paragraphs. I’ll keep it short since I am paying by the hour on an unfamiliar keyboard.

If you read my last big email, you know about the January wedding and my Dad’s heart attack four days later. Michiyo and I postponed our honeymoon a few months to help out in his recovery, which went really well. At first the three of us spent lots of time together, because even though Dad had been in pretty good shape, a heart attack really takes it out of you. Gradually, with a progressive rehab schedule and a positive outlook, Dad was telling people as of late March that he was back to about 80%, which is fantastic. Michiyo and I filled our time with various activities; we found a free ESL (English as a second language) class that was exactly what Michiyo was looking for; we spent time tutoring a local high school student failing Japanese and provided her with some fun motivation to get her situation better; and I worked a lot with my cousin David, first helping him finish his basement, then doing some office work at his firm.

One of the best things to come from this unexpected time at home was a new job. While I was planning our American ceremony, the DJ company I booked encouraged me to consider applying for work there. I took them up on it, and for the month of March, I was a wedding DJ for Complete Music. It’s only part-time, no one really gets rich from it, and essentially work is available on Friday or Saturday nights only. That being said, I love it, and I feel like my streak of cool jobs is still alive! As my friend Jim Kelly told me, "Joe, you were made to be a wedding DJ." I feel extremely comfortable in a fun yet very important role on important occasions for people, and after five wedding/receptions and a 40th birthday party, I am really looking forward to more shows. (And of course, if you know someone getting married or needing a DJ for something, please do not hesitate to recommend Complete Music for their entertainment).

Lastly, by spending so much time in Japan, I missed out on numerous important events, not least of which were several friends' weddings. Because of that, one of my goals for 2005 was to keep April 2 open for the union of not one, but TWO of my friends since high school, Molly Nahm and the aforementioned Jim Kelly. Even though they picked the night of the Final Four in St. Louis, no one really cared, and the three or four hundred people there enjoyed the night immensely. After planning a wedding, I appreciate the variety of little things that people add to their event, and I got a kick out of their table assignments at the reception, which were all St. Louis areas. Michiyo and I sat at the "Dogtown" table, and caught up with countless longtime friends, some from as long as 15 years ago. Congratulations again, you two!

About 48 hours after the toasts to Molly and Jim, Mom and Dad dropped us off at Lambert airport in St. Louis, and we touched down the next morning in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with our backpacks. We don’t speak Portuguese, we had not planned a place to stay, and we did not know anyone in the city. It was just like Europe in 1999 with a backpack--only now, I am married! Just like that trip over five years ago, the only thing I really know is that I need to be in the departure city (this time it’s Lima, Peru) in two months for my flight home. Let the honeymoon begin, in English, Japanese, and whatever languages we pick up along the way.

So far everything is phenomenal, and more details will follow when I find cheap internet somewhere in Argentina.

Hope all is well for you wherever you are,
Mr. Joe Fingerhut