On saying “yes”

An apple martini a day...

At approximately 9.03pm tonight, in a cab, I knew I was ready to go home. My friend Maryline and I were sharing a cab; I was dropping her off at a jazz bar on Ann Siang Road called B28. “It’s beautiful with these leather seats and jazz music and these really good apple martinis.” I had never been to the place, but she got me at “jazz”. “Would you like to join us?” she asked.

I said, “yes” even if I knew I was supposed to say “no thanks, it’s a school night.” But yes was the right answer because B28 turned out to be a wonderful discovery. Ella Fitzgerald sang from the video screens. There were big leather chairs that were comfortable but not too heavy to pull out by myself. Maryline introduced me to her friends, one of them a gregarious lady who vowed to surf and learn how to pole dance this year. And then there was the apple martini — so rare that they only made 5 of them in one night. Maryline and I were lucky to have arrived early enough to order them. Apparently each one is made from smashing apples and, from what I witnessed, a vigorous, almost convulsion-like shaking of the concoction by two super-slight female bartenders/mixologists. The result: an utterly delicious martini that was just the right balance of tart and sweet. And fun conversation all around.

All that from choosing to make a slight detour in my plans. Saying “yes” rocks.