Letter from Boston Rooftop Barbecue By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
屋根の上のバーベキュー 花火といえば、日本の夏の風物詩ですが、アメリカでも7月4日の独立記念日には欠かせないものです。街の公園は、日本の花火大会と同様に見物客でにぎわいます。今年は人混みを避け、友人宅の屋上でのバーベキューに参加し、優雅に花火を楽しんだ雅子さん。招待してくれた友人の魅力にも気づかされ、大満足だったようです。

The Fourth of July is a national holiday that many Americans look forward to. It is eagerly anticipated in Boston, especially because there is a free music and fireworks show held at a park near the Charles River. Hundreds of thousands of people crowd the narrow strip of land between the street and the river.

I went there last year, and it was so crowded that I was not able to see the performers or hear the music from the stage. Instead, I watched the show from one of the large-screen televisions placed around the park and I listened to the music through giant speakers. It was fun, but I didn't want to repeat the experience this year.

Fortunately, a couple of weeks before the Fourth of July, I got an e-mail message from a classmate in my salsa dancing class inviting me to a barbecue at his place.

Tim lives in a townhouse in the coveted Back Bay area of Boston, and his apartment has a rooftop deck. The apartment is near the Charles River, and from the deck there is a clear view of the fireworks. This rooftop party sounded much more interesting than trying to find an empty spot of grass in a crowded park. I didn't know Tim too well, but without hesitating I said yes.

There were about 25 people at the party, and our view from the deck was amazing. It seemed like the fireworks were exploding right in front of us, but we could still see all of the bursts at once. The rumble of the fireworks was so intense that we could hear car alarms going off nearby. We couldn't hear the recorded music to which the fireworks were choreographed, but we listened to the live broadcast on the radio, so it was almost as if we were at the park.

I recognized some of the shapes of the fireworks from last year, but there were some completely new ones too, including a burst that looked like a five-pointed star with a circle around it. This design burst while a song with the words "shooting star" played. Delicate fireworks accompanied John Lennon's "Imagine." Wispy, willowlike fireworks exploded when a very sentimental piece was played.

Tim told me beforehand that I didn't need to bring anything, and he meant it: He prepared more than enough food for dozens of people. A lot the food was prepared on the grill. He made some delicious smoked chicken using mesquite chips, a whole pork tenderloin and a slew of roasted vegetables. He also made both meat and vegetari an lasagna. He even made chocolate chip cookies for dessert to accompany dishes of fresh fruit. People ate while watching the fireworks and danced to Latin music after the show.

One of our salsa teachers was at the party too, and she good-naturedly partnered with many of the people present, including the women.

While I was peeking inside Tim's den, I heard someone say, "It's amazing how much you can learn about a person by looking at his bookshelf." I agreed. He had a lot of serious political science and history books on those shelves, and it made a good impression on me. He also had a lot of beautiful tapestries and trinkets from around the world, which made me want to know more about him and his travels.

Tim jokingly mentioned that although it would have taken a woman only a couple of months to completely decorate his apartment, it had taken 12 years for him to get that far. He laughed and confessed that he hadn't gotten around to putting curtains in his living room windows yet. Indeed, the windows were still bare.

Not only did I enjoy the party, I now feel that I know Tim a tiny bit better from going to this party. Of course, I got to witness his skills as a party host, but I was more impressed by the range of people who were present. Since I usually hang out with only graduate students, this was a refreshing change for me. I got to talk with an immigration lawyer, a doctor, a national-level skier (who is also a booking agent for international politicians) and other people with job titles I had never heard of.

I was amazed at the range of activities in which Tim is involved, and the range of people he has met as a result. Although fireworks are always fun to watch, this was the best part of going to the rooftop party.

Shukan ST: July 16, 1999

(C) All rights reserved