As a master of sushi... and apparently of life as well, said, "The true art of conversation isn't being able to fill the silence, it's actually listening." Thank you Philip, I will take that to heart.
For those of you who follow the Sabi Sushi blog, you'd know that Shaan Puri is currently in Los Angeles working under Philip Yi at Sushi Central so that he can take the standard of excellence that Philip sets for his own restaurant, and apply it to SABI. What you don't know, is that I am here too, behind the scenes. Watching and learning.
I arrived in Los Angeles after a long 6 hour drive, one spent multitasking between making my poor carsick dog less terrified of being in the car and trying not to fall asleep at the wheel. Despite being exhausted and cranky, I decided to make my way to Sushi Central to pick Shaan up and reconnect after almost a month of communicating through only computers and phones. As I pulled into a parking spot - actually diagonally into two parking spots - I saw Shaan conversing with a very serious looking man. I honked to get their attention. Shaan looks up confused, and the man glares at me. Slowly I realize that I recognize him - it's Phil, and I've already made a bad impression. Crap.
When Shaan finally gets into the car, I try to hightail it out of there, and got pulled over the first time ever. I put my head in my hands (after I pull over. Safely, of course.) when I saw the flashing red and blue, and hear the angry shriek of the siren. I realized that Philip must've seen my crazy asian woman driving. Confound it. Strike two. This guy will never like me. And I'm about to get a ticket. And it dawns on me, that I had left my driver's license at home. Ever been at rock bottom? That's where I was my first night in L.A.
But by some stroke of crazy luck, the police officer doesn't nail me to the wall for the billion traffic violations I committed by simply pulling out of the Sushi Central lot. And just rolls his eyes at the fact that I zero documentation on me whatsoever.
If I didn't know it before, I know it now. I am one lucky MFer.
But more importantly, I learned a few things.
1. Driving really is both physically and mentally exhausting. And after a long drive, when you reach your destination, don't try to venture out again.
2. No matter how fastidiously you try to take precautions and avoid mishaps, sometimes the bad will find you. Life is about turning the bad into lessons, and moving on. And you can always move on. Even from rock bottom.
3. Impressions are just that, impressions. It's important to give second chances, to look deeper. I am not just a crazy asian woman driver.
4. But at the end of the day, Phil's opinion of me is, as he says, none of my business. I'll live even if he hates me. (Which he doesnt... I don't think. Hopefully, I've redeemed myself after that first night's mishap.)
And the same can be applied to SABI. No matter how many people we encounter on the way that scoff at our idea, or who express skepticism at our abilities, we will simply shrug it off, because their opinions are none of our business, unless they want to be part of our business.
More on Phil, and Steve Ells part 2, to come.
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