My First Time

Wo-Hops

Many years ago when I was

17 and a college freshman, I

met a guy named Kevin.

One day after we had known

each other about a month he

showed up at my Friday

Ancient Art of the Near East

class.  How he knew I had this

class or where it met is still

a mystery to me but that's the kind

of guy Kevin was, he probably

had a contact in the Registrar's

office.  So, Kevin said he just checked

out a State van and had to return

costumes to Ruby's in Queens and

I should join him.  It was a Friday

afternoon and I had no plans so I said yes.

We made our way to Queens in

a rattling old State van, I don't

think it even had a passenger

seat, I think I sat on a chair and

had to hold on so I wouldn't go

flying into the back of the van.

As we were heading back to school

we were on 42nd Street near

Times Square in Friday afternoon

rush hour traffic when Kevin

asked me a question about

Wo Hops.  I said I had never been

there, he looked at me in horror

and made a U-turn - on 42nd

Street - in Friday rush hour

traffic - and we headed downtown

to Chinatown.

Kevin took me to Wo-Hops and

introduced me to Lemon Chicken.

We ate and talked and laughed

for hours, and that was the moment

we really became friends,

partners in crime...

Wo Hops was open 24 hours

and there could be a line at

4am.  It became an institution

among our circle of friends.

Late at night we would be

leaving the theatre and one of

us would get an idea to "kidnap"

some friends from the dorm

and take them to Chinatown.

They would have to go in their

jammies.  When friends went to

Wo Hops they would always bring

the leftovers over to my apartment

at Clove Road since there would

always be a crowd there.

I think Chris H. taught us to drive

33 miles an hour down 7th Ave.

and we wouldn't hit any red lights.

We often followed Wo-Hops

with a chaser of exotic ice cream.

Wo Hops is still part of my life,

and so is Kevin though we rarely get

to see each other these days. 

But plans are in the works

to meet up the next time I'm

in NYC.  I'll be flying into JFK

from Hong Kong on July 5, so

Montclair friends, keep your

calendars open...