The big one in LA

Kind of big trip to LA last week. My brother's wedding! A long weekend - Thursday through Monday for me - that involved a lot of family events, a lot of Chinese food, and a LOT of driving. It was definitely a weekend I won't forget, and in the end my big brother got hitched, so it was definitely mission accomplished.

I don't suppose I'm your typical best man. I didn't organize a crazy bachelor party, and I couldn't even fulfill the supposed main function of the best man in a Chinese wedding - drinking when the groom can't drink anymore. But I had fun trying in vain to keep my brother loose and doing my best to represent the family well at all times. As part of the tea ceremony on Saturday, that meant fake bartering for my brother's wife, doing push-ups, allowing my brother to draw a handlebar mustache on my face while blindfolded, and more.

Being part of a Chinese wedding was quite a world to enter - and one my brother knows very well by now. He even speaks very passable Mandarin! Hearing him yell his love for his bride in both English and Mandarin on the steps of her house was one of the weekend's highlights for me.

I'm not going to do play-by-play on the weekend, because there's too much to tell. I had a great time seeing my family and meeting hers at the rehearsal dinner Friday and throughout the LONG day's festivities on Saturday.

There were also one or two hairy moments. For example, I left the notes for my speech, wonderfully transcribed by RBG, up in the suite and couldn't get back in to get them. The rings got dropped when they were transferred from my pocket to my brother's hands. The stupid flower on my jacket wouldn't stay put. A car alarm went off during the walk down the aisle.

But in the end, it was awesome. The readings during the ceremony - L'Engle and Hemingway - spoke to me, my brother and his wife looked great and looked in love, and we had a lot of fun.

The reception was a little bizarre at times. The 10+ Chinese banquet courses were crazy, and I'll admit I didn't finish them all - I already had two vegeterian Chinese meals under my belt by that point. There was many a speech and some interesting emcee hijinks. My speech came up far earlier in the program than I was prepared for, but at least I know I was going after my sister and the maid of honor, so I had a bit of time to gather myself.

I don't love public speaking, but I really wanted to do a good job on this speech. I literally had been building the framework in my mind for two years or so, and of course it was my chance to express some feeling for (and tease!) my brother. There were some changes during the week and even some changes during the proceedings - the previous speakers stole some of my thunder! But in the end, I was able to make eye contact with multiple parts of the room, pause dramatically here and there, and even elicit a few laughs. Hugging my brother afterward was a special moment I don't think either of us will forget.

So I think my brother's life will go back to normal now, and I'm glad we were all there for the occasion. It definitely served to reinforce that LA is not my type of city. The driving and the traffic are awful! Which is a bit ironic, of course, since I'm sure some of those same criticisms are leveled at Houston. I mean the main airport, downtown, the Med Center, the Galleria, NASA, even the Blue Bell factory if you really want to extend the area ... spread out all over the place! But somehow, and of course this could be because I know Houston by now, it all seems much more manageable than LA. I really struggle to keep my bearings in that place.

At any rate, I'm so, so glad I got to go and be there for my brother and my family. I'm feeling a major letdown this week - no big family meals, no ceremonies to attend, no amusing assertions or questions from my niece. But that's what makes these things so special, and that's why I'm glad I was there to experience it with people that are close to me.