I met Song 16 years ago and we were immediately friends, I did maintenance on the building and he approached me about doing some work for him. I accepted and my first mission was a pesky industrial dish washing machine which I fixed 5 times in the next decade until a real electrictian fixed it correctly( it was 3-phase, above my paygrade). So our friendship began. My first impression while working on subsequent jobs was WOW so this is what is meant by a family business ,this thought arose as I was fixing things and Song and Chong worked harmoniously the pace quickening or slowing with the flow of orders. It was beautiful. As time went by Our friendship grew and I would just stop by to see my friend Song, and his always "You want something to eat" and I was not the only one . Song would entertain visiting scholars, professors ,and businessmen in the kitchen proper feeding them as he worked. His student clientele loved him. Song deep down,I think was a very social guy and cajoling with the young crowd is always the most fun if you are over 40.
As time passed it was clear remodeling was needed, the 90's video rental area was defunct as the world moved on, the upstairs dining room was rarely used, what to do? So Song decided to make the upstairs into a minimart, a great decision, So we handmade the shelving and built a coffee bar and deck for the store, the local minimart 4 times the size of the eventual Nanomart failed leaving a void for local purchases. We ripped out the video rental booth( the tapes are actually stll around) and turned that and a back office into dining space on the same level as the bulk of the seating, this space would eventually serve as a karaoke room on weekends. Song with seeminly unlimited energy worked right along side me unless an order was up. His willingness to defer to my judgement in design matters was unequivocal unless it impeded his effiiency. We made a good team, nowhere near Song and his wife, Chong, but none the less an efficient working machine.
Time goes by and we remodel more a new dining room, foyer, and paint the kitchen. Our kids are about the same age and my son is snowboarding buddies with Andrew. Chong, forever the trooper, did me many favors bringing Noah, my son, home from the slopes. Life continued as our kids became 20 somethings and then my friend got sick. Love you Brotherman..
Song to me was a Poet Artist, a lover of nature, a nurturer of plants, a social person, a defender of truth ,a man who would save you from evil or acicdent ,but like most of us the full embodiment of our true natures is always somewhat diminished by the necessarry work of the moment. I used to berate Song for working so many hours but to no avail if he had a bad trait it was he was a stubborn man and I don't think he knew why but it did not diminish his moral and ethical stance: to treat all fairly.
He was a humble great man.
