Post #480552 by Formikahini on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 9:22 PM

I got the following note forwarded to me ages ago from an Asian-American woman I met at a party, but completely forgot to post it:

"I was talking to my mom today and remembered to ask her about that place in NYC I was telling your friend [me] about. As it turns out, I remembered the story all wrong. The place was called Luau 500 (or Luau 400). She thinks it was on E. 28th or so. My Uncle Tommy (Nishimura) was a bit of a local celebrity who sang on occasion when he was there. (Uncle Tommy was the one who had also had a bit of an acting career - an episode of Sanford & Sons, a couple of episodes of Hawaii 5-0, and the big movie he was in was called "Wake Me When It's Over" (1960).)

"Anyhow, I said that my mom won a beauty contest at the Luau 500. That's the part that was wrong. She did win a beauty pageant - Miss Niisei Sino - but it was not at the Luau 500. It was a local Asian/Hawaiian organization's beauty pageant."

I wish her mom or uncle had saved me a mug or 12....
F