Hot Date

Since the moment I heard of its existence, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of Coco Avant Chanel, and tonight marks the film's long-awaited arrival in a town near me. I adore period films, Audrey Tatou, fashion and France (if you hadn't heard), and this film appears to serve up such a delicious concoction of all four that I am anticipating two hours of complete rapture, with the cherry on top of a small popcorn and a medium beverage.

Before the movie, Gus and I plan to tuck in to a Vietnamese dinner, which for me is a real taste of home. Quite a few years ago, my extended family had a habit of meeting for dinner at a now-closed Vietnamese restaurant; I have fond memories of arriving at the restaurant and seeing everyone seated inside, chatting with the restaurant's owners. When I worked off Eastlake Avenue in Seattle, Gus would often pick me up from work with two Vietnamese sandwiches and two sodas and we would drive to a little known park under the freeway to eat and chat for an hour.

For years I shared an office with a delightful young woman from Vietnam who, in addition to introducing me to the prolific and annoying world of Vietnamese pop music, did me right by giving me my first taste of pho. She and her sister would take the bus to Seattle's International District and return to work laden with styrofoam containers of foreign wonderment. Unfortunately, these were the days before I was an offal lover, so I struggled with what to do with the chicken hearts and kidneys floating in my soup.  No matter, though, as they eventually sank, no one was the wiser, and I was able to go about enjoying the wonderful broth and its then more palatable ingredients.

Looking forward to a lovely evening out. Happy Friday!