I was extremely nervous.
Could the host please call my name quickly? The food in front of me is almost tasteless, even though it's been a while since I've had a full course meal.
Yes, I was asked to give a speech at the wedding reception.
I was a senior in the groom's university club and also worked at a restaurant where the bride and groom had been on dates. We had a fairly strong relationship. Also, I guess people had an image of me as someone who chats a lot at the counter or at events. I guess I was an easy person to ask for help.
I myself have given speeches at wedding receptions three times before, so when I was asked if I could do it, I readily accepted, saying, "Leave it to me!" Since it was my fourth time, I figured I wouldn't be too nervous.
However, that was a mistake. Three days before the event, I started to feel extremely nervous.
There is only one reason.
Recently, Bokumo has been streaming live performances by 20-year-old singer-songwriter Kazumina. Her music is so good, I hope you'll check it out.
There is an archive of the live performance on my Instagram. ▶ bokumo_tencho｜Instagram
The audio is here. ▶ Nana Kazumi｜soundcloud
One day, after a live performance, Nana casually said,
"I practiced a lot today so I thought I'd be okay, but I made a mistake with the lyrics."
At that moment, I reflexively said:
"Well, that happens sometimes."
However, when I got home and was revising the speech draft, Nana's words echoed in my head.
"I thought it would be okay, but I was wrong."
This is bad. I thought it would be okay because it was my fourth speech, but I was worried it would be a complete failure. That's right, thinking it would be okay is the beginning of complacency. Thank you, Nana-chan. I was getting too cocky. If I had gone into the actual performance with that kind of complacency, I'm sure it would have been a disaster.
It would be better if I made a mistake. There was also the possibility that I would go blank and it would become a broadcast accident. There was also the possibility that I would blurt out something stupid and ruin their special day. Just thinking about that made me break out in a sweat. I looked at the script and practiced over and over. No, maybe I shouldn't even look at the script. What should I do? Ah, I'm so nervous.
And then, the day arrived.
To be honest, I wanted to have more fun with the chefs and regulars at my table, but I couldn't stop fidgeting, so I ended up not saying much, and my alcohol didn't go down well.
Before my performance, the host came over to me and whispered in my ear, "I heard you're doing radio programming? I'm looking forward to your speech."
Hey!! What's with that pressure!!
From there on, I don't remember much.
What he remembers is the feeling he had after his performance: "Great tension followed by great relief."
My stiff body suddenly relaxes and the blood that had stopped flowing begins to flow again. It feels so good.
It felt like I was enduring the cold and then soaking in a hot spring. The food, which started halfway through the full course meal while floating in the bath, felt incredibly delicious.
What followed was a performance in which participants were asked to choose their favourite colour from four colour masks, which actually served as a guide to the colour of the dress they would be wearing when they changed into a new colour; the highly polished profile video that the groom made himself; the groom's father suddenly burst into a passionate performance of a Yuzo Kayama song, and after singing the first verse he continued talking about his own memories; and the bride's tearful letter, written entirely from her father's perspective.
Everything happened in the hot spring, and it was incredibly comfortable. I felt a warm feeling the whole time. I think this was an experience that was only made possible by the tense moments.
So, in the end, I'm glad I was able to give the speech.
I guess the pressure from the MC to make the final decision was just for the sake of the fun relaxation time that followed, so it was fine.
Thank you for giving me such a good experience. Iga-chan, Yui-chan. I wish you both a long and happy life. When I saw you two come to the store afterwards, the memories of that time came back to me and I felt warm inside. In fact, I still feel warm and fuzzy when I think about it.
And this. I think it was the best gift I've ever received.
Riedel Oh.
A pair of wine glasses. The Riesling Zinfandel model is a cute, small-sized glass. It has no stems and is very stable, making it perfect for drinking wine at the table.
Every time I use this, I'll be reminded of the two of them drinking wine together at Bokumo.
(By the way, here is an article I wrote about stemless wine glasses.)
This week's wine and snacks
INSIEME ROSSO 2019 NELSON
This is what is called "Vin Naturel." Natural wine. It is still rare in NZ, but there are naturel wine producers scattered here and there.
This is a wine from the port city of Nelson. The producers are Grape Republic & Alex Craighead. It's a pretty crazy blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Riesling.
Being a Pinot + Riesling, it is not very bitter. It is easy to drink. However, to be honest, I felt that the unique aroma, which seems to be due to Brettanomyces (a type of yeast), was a little too strong. Of course, this is undoubtedly what creates the individuality of this wine. It may be for those who are accustomed to nature wines.
I drank it over four days, but the aroma and flavor didn't change much. Once you get used to the aroma, it's a wine you can drink easily.
I tried pairing it with a salad of seared bonito and mozzarella cheese. The acidic red wine and bonito go really well together!
