First course: Red wine. Shark's fin soup. Slurping and silence...
Well, someone's got to break the ice, and it might as well be me -- I'm used to being a hostess, it's part of my husband's work and it's always difficult when a group of new friends meet together for the first time, to get acquainted so I'm perfectly prepared to start the ball rolling. I mean, I-I have absolutely no idea what we're doing here, or what I'm doing here, or what this place is about, but I am determined to enjoy myself and I'm very intrigued, and, oh my, this soup's delicious, isn't it?
...
Well, someone had to break the ice! It might as well have been her.