[sumo] Dinner with Barbara and Asashoryu

[smk1 at columbia.edu]

I wanted to share with the mailing list a wonderful experience that
I had last Thursday evening.  During the past year, I met Barbara
Ann Klein through this mailing list, and she has become a great
friend.  In fact, last year, Barbara brought a picture of Daughter
of Sukubidubidu to Japan and presented the picture to none other
than Daughter of Sukubidubidu's adopted rikishi, Gagamaru.

http://sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_9/galleries/bak/bak_12.htm

Barbara and I occasionally get together every so often to share sumo
and other experiences, and on Thursday, we were in the midst of a
long planned dinner, when Barbara's cell rang with none other than
Asashoryu asking to meet for dinner.  I accompanied Barbara to a
sushi restaurant in Midtown, up a flight of stairs to a private
room, where the Yokozuna himself, along with his brother, and a few
other individuals were waiting.  The Yokozuna greeted Barbara with
the warmth of a very close friend, and was most welcoming to me. 
He was so much fun, making sure that Barbara and I were well taken
care of, kind, and humorous, especially when he and Barbara were
joking around together.  He did enter into one wrestling match
during dinner, an thumb wrestling bout that he won.  Asashoryu was
in every way a gentleman, a sweetheart, full of youthful
enthusiasm, and just a pleasant person to have met.  I'm thankful
to Barbara for letting me share in this experience, and meeting
Asashoryu in this kind of setting, I guess as opposed to meeting
him as an opponent on the dohyo...  Impressions left on the dohyo,
and print articles are not necessarily the stuff from which
individuals are made.  Oh, and at the end, Asashoryu addressed me
as "Sensei" and saw me off with a warm handshake as though I were a
close friend like Barbara.  I have to thank the list and all of you
who have kept it alive over the years for allowing me to meet
Barbara, and of course to publicly thank Barbara for this cherished
opportunity to meet the Yokozuna.

Sukubidubidu

PS. No, this isn't an 'April 1' posting...