Weekend Report Featuring Poetry And a Roasted Suckling Pig, Although Not Poetry About a Roasted Suckling Pig

It was a filled-to-the-brim-overflowing-onto-the-tablecloth weekend here at Nesting Ground HQ: grandparents, softball games, dance classes, birthday parties, school functions, poetry readings and all other manner of fun stuff. To ensure that you remain awake and alert at all times (my fondest wish for every post) whilst reading, I will highlight but two of these myriad events.

Let us begin, shall we, with International Day at R & V's school. This is the day each year when families set up tables representing their countries of origin, the highlight of each table being, of course, food. Do you have pictures, Ver? Silly, reader. Of course I have pictures. Here, for example, are the fine folks who banded together to represent England:


Guatemala in the house!:


Peru, in terms of sheer numbers and traditional dress, did themselves frenetically proud. They even brought in their folk dancers:


All of that looks terrific, V.! But tell us, didn't you prepare a table representing the Philippines? Yes, you nuts! I lit my Filipino beacon and another Pinay mom promptly answered my call. Together, we did this:


We were feeling pretty good about this table. And why not? There's The Noli! Pansit Bihon! Pan de Sal! Mamon Tostado! And then...and then...and then...

...the Tongans sauntered in.

with

a

freaking roasted suckling pig.


And all I have to say about that is: Wait 'til next year, my Tongan friends. Wait 'til next year.

The next day, I showered off my shame and headed over to North Beach to enjoy an afternoon of poetry at the Achiote Press reading, which featured Ms. BJ, Oscar, and Bec. What a pleasure it was—unicorns and sunshine, I tell you!—to meet Rebecca in person and to hear her read. It was also the first time I'd heard Oscar do his thing, and make no mistake, it's his thing. Very at home up there, sending his words out into the space, all relaxed in his pinstripes. And what of his lovely poeta? She was, of course, her usual stellar self. Here's Oscar and Bec:


And here's BJ who is not—I repeat not—reading Spam porn in this picture:


And this is Jennifer whose last name I don't know, Craig Perez, BJ (holding Achiote Seeds/Spring 2007), Oscar (holding his new chapbook, Anywhere Avenue), me (holding BJ's "Ave Maria" letterpress broadside), Bec, and Todd Melicker (holding his chapbook, The Immaculate Autopsy):


The Tongan Incident notwithstanding, it was a most excellent weekend.