Traditions! It is 6 pm on March 24th in the United States, and all my children, family and all Andy’s friends are eating at Red Lobster in memory of him on his 31st birthday. I had my dinner out 13 hours ago, at 6 pm here in China at a German pub called “Golden Hans.”

The dinner tradition started when Andy was 12. It was his wish to always go to Red Lobster and order shrimp, crabs and a lobster. He would order the most expensive dish and proceed to eat it all! Ever year since then I would take him out on his birthday. Randy reminded me of the last time we shared Andy’s birthday was in Plano at the Red Lobster on Central Expressway. Grand-maw had a diabetic attack and Kyle had a hypoglycemic attack. It was hilarious, a day all of us remember and still laugh about. Andy just wanted his lobster!

I spent last evening with my colleagues Jonathan, his wife Liwei, Alice, her husband Sawyer and Peter. The six of us enjoyed a wonderful long evening chatting about antics I remembered about Andy. Peter and Jonathan ordered a tower of dark beer in memory! Skewers of meat arrived at the table, from pork, chicken, wings, tongue, beef, shrimp, sausage, and assorted other things I did not know. I laughed thinking how Andy would have a fork in one hand and a knife in the other saying “Bring it on!” and complaining the beer glasses were too small, the size of a shot glass! He has a big smile on his face.

It was a lovely evening, first time in a long time, I felt at home in a far away place. I love my family and I love my friends here and there. I am now waiting to see photos on Facebook of all the dinners in America.

Cheers to Andy, the crazy glue that holds us together!