Day “Off” - Love Takes Time And Care
We must have set a world record for the fastest surprise party organization time. It’s all about efficiency,
right!?!
1- Set the menu while driving to the grocery store.
2- Once at the grocery store:
⁃ Deploy ourselves to get all the ingredients everyone has been asked to get specifically.
⁃ Regroup in front of the checkout counters – 10 minutes top.
3- Hit the second grocery store:
⁃ Jeff & Alex “run” to get what’s missing while the others stay in the car – 5 minutes top.
4- Set the cocktail drinks while driving to the liquor store.
5- Get to the liquor store:
⁃ Deploy to pick the right bottles everyone has been asked to get specifically.
⁃ Regroup in front of the checkout counters – 10 minutes top.
Happy accident:
A woman’s voice coming from the other end of the liquor store: “OH MY GOD, YOUR FAVORITE ENEMIES ARE HERE!”
It’s usually not a good thing for anyone who doesn’t know that this passionate loud voice refers to a rock band. It’s like screaming “BOOM” in an airport because your team scored a goal. You have an idea of the scene?!?
It was a very sweet encounter. The woman reminded us of some of the epic concerts she came to, the official music films we released, and just how much of a fan she was of everything we are giving life to. She kept going by telling us that even if we changed our career course, for her, it was still YFE in her heart, and wouldn’t stop hoping for the band to get back in the limelight. She gave me a long and sincere hug while whispering to me: “You should do YFE secret shows once in a while, it would be incredible! Please, please, please”.
Oh, and just like that, we were 20 minutes off course.
6- Get home and deploy
Cooking team:
⁃ Jeff – Alex – Miss Isabel & 4 helping hands
Cocktail team:
⁃ Mikko
Set up team:
⁃ Ben – Moose
Action Plan:
⁃ Go
⁃ Go fast
⁃ Go faster
⁃ Run
⁃ Run fast
⁃ Run faster
⁃ Rush
⁃ Rush fast
⁃ Rush faster
⁃ NO PANIC: When we’re 10 minutes to the party time & there’s 30-45 minutes of work left
⁃ Breath in – breath out – breath in – breath out.
⁃ GO-RUN-RUSH NOW NOW NOW!
⁃ Hold breath – hoping everything will look amazing.
It was “magical” (and pretty handy) to welcome Momoka to the living room for a relaxing and peaceful pre-party moment (while the members of the cooking team were assembling the last items on the menu and the elite set-up squad, directed by Miss Isabel, was still managing the end of the preparation). We had a glass of red wine alongside Mikko, Jeff, and Ben. We sloooooooooowly enjoyed having a profound conversation about the Sakura season being moved around due to climate changes, and sloooooooowly asked Momoka a few questions about her family traditions around that significant blooming season. All this until I received a text saying: “We are ready to go!” and that I gently interrupted Momoka with a: “Ah wow, very touching. Let’s get to the dining room.” Momoka looked a bit confused by the “sloooooooooow” to “cool, let’s move now” immediate shift in our relaxing time. 🙂
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMOKA”!!! (For whatever miracle, she was genuinely surprised!)
1- Set the menu while driving to the grocery store.
2- Once at the grocery store:
⁃ Deploy ourselves to get all the ingredients everyone has been asked to get specifically.
⁃ Regroup in front of the checkout counters – 10 minutes top.
3- Hit the second grocery store:
⁃ Jeff & Alex “run” to get what’s missing while the others stay in the car – 5 minutes top.
4- Set the cocktail drinks while driving to the liquor store.
5- Get to the liquor store:
⁃ Deploy to pick the right bottles everyone has been asked to get specifically.
⁃ Regroup in front of the checkout counters – 10 minutes top.
Happy accident:
A woman’s voice coming from the other end of the liquor store: “OH MY GOD, YOUR FAVORITE ENEMIES ARE HERE!”
It’s usually not a good thing for anyone who doesn’t know that this passionate loud voice refers to a rock band. It’s like screaming “BOOM” in an airport because your team scored a goal. You have an idea of the scene?!?
It was a very sweet encounter. The woman reminded us of some of the epic concerts she came to, the official music films we released, and just how much of a fan she was of everything we are giving life to. She kept going by telling us that even if we changed our career course, for her, it was still YFE in her heart, and wouldn’t stop hoping for the band to get back in the limelight. She gave me a long and sincere hug while whispering to me: “You should do YFE secret shows once in a while, it would be incredible! Please, please, please”.
Oh, and just like that, we were 20 minutes off course.
6- Get home and deploy
Cooking team:
⁃ Jeff – Alex – Miss Isabel & 4 helping hands
Cocktail team:
⁃ Mikko
Set up team:
⁃ Ben – Moose
Action Plan:
⁃ Go
⁃ Go fast
⁃ Go faster
⁃ Run
⁃ Run fast
⁃ Run faster
⁃ Rush
⁃ Rush fast
⁃ Rush faster
⁃ NO PANIC: When we’re 10 minutes to the party time & there’s 30-45 minutes of work left
⁃ Breath in – breath out – breath in – breath out.
⁃ GO-RUN-RUSH NOW NOW NOW!
⁃ Hold breath – hoping everything will look amazing.
It was “magical” (and pretty handy) to welcome Momoka to the living room for a relaxing and peaceful pre-party moment (while the members of the cooking team were assembling the last items on the menu and the elite set-up squad, directed by Miss Isabel, was still managing the end of the preparation). We had a glass of red wine alongside Mikko, Jeff, and Ben. We sloooooooooowly enjoyed having a profound conversation about the Sakura season being moved around due to climate changes, and sloooooooowly asked Momoka a few questions about her family traditions around that significant blooming season. All this until I received a text saying: “We are ready to go!” and that I gently interrupted Momoka with a: “Ah wow, very touching. Let’s get to the dining room.” Momoka looked a bit confused by the “sloooooooooow” to “cool, let’s move now” immediate shift in our relaxing time. 🙂
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMOKA”!!! (For whatever miracle, she was genuinely surprised!)
The menu for the evening, all home-cooked:
We were very happy with how amazing of a success it’s all been considering the particular set of “circumstances” it took place in. It was particularly moving to hear everyone laughing so genuinely loud. I realized that we hadn’t been together like that for quite a long time. If I had ambivalent sensations about it – a mix of wonderful and painful memories – the fun part’s always been quite spectacular, but it’s the constant sabotage of the work of the few and the perpetual dissatisfaction of the non-contributors/overfed consumers that dragged everyone else’s dedication down. I made peace with it all, even though amongst all the things they ended up stealing from those who truly contributed to the collective fold, I think, is the purity of our former communal joy that they annihilated. That hurts the most. I don’t miss that abusive and toxic version of their self-designed religion, that’s for sure… That being said, that loud clamor had quite a beautiful resonance in my heart. It was the noise of “healthy” lives assembled in one cheerful sound. Maybe we kept more of that pure joyful spirit than I felt we’d lost. That sole potentiality is immensely comforting, to be honest…
Maybe it’s hearing Momoka sharing her personal story with so much loving gratefulness that ultimately moved me towards having a better understanding of what I’ve been through over the years here. It was particularly inspiring to hear her talk about finding her purpose and her worth while being here, especially following a period she described as being a profound turmoil of self-disturbance and inner confusion. We didn’t just witness her becoming the fabulous person she is now, but we walked every step of the way as she grew and evolved along each other’s side. And to see her glow with those bright colors and vivid lights of hers makes the extensive season of collective tribulations and personal struggles I went through an unbelievable blessing…not only for me but for everyone around that table.
Nobody would have thought that Momoka, Ben, and I would do an album and movie together either… Life creates life, always.
It’s been a wonderful day “off”, but I might need a week to recover from its physical and emotional implications. Oh, well.
Note: Funnily enough, when I asked everyone if they liked the dinner, the general souvenir was: “Very good Chinese fondue, very good starters, nice red and white wine, cool alcoholic juice, and AMAZING dessert with Oreo, cream cheese, black chocolate, baked crunched cookies…”
WHAT?!? That’s it!?!” Well, I’ll remember it for next time: buy packs of meat and pre-made fondue cans BUT focus on the dessert.
Maybe it’s hearing Momoka sharing her personal story with so much loving gratefulness that ultimately moved me towards having a better understanding of what I’ve been through over the years here. It was particularly inspiring to hear her talk about finding her purpose and her worth while being here, especially following a period she described as being a profound turmoil of self-disturbance and inner confusion. We didn’t just witness her becoming the fabulous person she is now, but we walked every step of the way as she grew and evolved along each other’s side. And to see her glow with those bright colors and vivid lights of hers makes the extensive season of collective tribulations and personal struggles I went through an unbelievable blessing…not only for me but for everyone around that table.
Nobody would have thought that Momoka, Ben, and I would do an album and movie together either… Life creates life, always.
It’s been a wonderful day “off”, but I might need a week to recover from its physical and emotional implications. Oh, well.
Note: Funnily enough, when I asked everyone if they liked the dinner, the general souvenir was: “Very good Chinese fondue, very good starters, nice red and white wine, cool alcoholic juice, and AMAZING dessert with Oreo, cream cheese, black chocolate, baked crunched cookies…”
WHAT?!? That’s it!?!” Well, I’ll remember it for next time: buy packs of meat and pre-made fondue cans BUT focus on the dessert.
