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I feel love 11.28.07
To ward off any pangs of home-sickness during the Thanksgiving hols, the folks at work concocted a full turkey dinner, complete with stuffing, sweet potato, cranberry sauce, and best of all--a pecan pie with "AWESOME" spelled out in pastry. Sweet! I've become well-accustomed to being an American in foreign lands, and most of the time it works in my favor. But with America's fabulous standing in the world, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised when I encounter racist bullies like the owner of the (damn! can't remember the name--will check on this) pub in Covent Garden. I did promise myself not to dwell on the negativity, but as this post will eventually turn up on a google search, I thought this could serve as a warning for any "foreigners" daring to enter. I ordered myself a glass a wine and a pint of ale for the British gentleman in my company. Noticing that my companion wasn't drinking the ale, I inquired and learned that the ale seemed "off." As I had bought the drinks, I thought it only right to alert the bartender to the bad ale and politely ask if I could order a different ale. Upon doing so, an old runty man sitting at the bar shouted, "What do you mean the ale's off? I know my beers and I know that this ale is not bad." It became clear he owned the pub, and I responded (very politely) that the gentleman who was drinking it said it tasted bad. He asked the bartender to smell it. She did and said it was fine. Then he asked to smell it. He did and said it was fine. "This ale is absolutely fine," he said. "And since when do you know so much about ales?" I didnt know how to answer. "And anyway, which town are you from in Britain?" he shouted. Keeping my cool, I said that the BRITISH gentleman I was with said it was off and I thought it only polite to get him another drink. "Oh really?" he said. "How the hell do you know anything about ales and tell me again which town you're from in Britain. Huh? Which town?" As I tried to respond, he cut me off, saying to the bartender--" just give her half a pint of whatever she wants. This girl doesn't know what the hell she's talking about." In hindsight, I came up with a gazillion witty comebacks, but at the time all I could muster was a mere "You are really racist!," tears, and a red face. My furious companion confronted (very politely) the pub owner, who responded with a most interesting question--"why didn't YOU come to the bar to say it was off?" In telling the story to a few of my friends, the response was pretty much, "Americans are notoriously rude so I guess people can't help but sometimes act indifferent towards 'em." Nuff said..... ...about that! A couple days ago the Starlets' "You Don't Love Me" 45 arrived in the mail. And I finally have a proper early '70s stereo to play it on (thanx B.O.B.). On Friday night we deejayed at a French pop party in the swank Met Bar, which featured a performance by the youngest-looking 60-year-old in the world, Marie France. I was spinning Lio's "Banana Split" when her entourage arrived, and wondered why I got a curious look from one of the members. Turns out it was Jacques Duvall, the famed Belgian producer who actually wrote "Banana Split" and has also written for Marie France, Jane Birkin, and the Runaways. And dancing five feet away from the decks was Chrissie Hynde. Too AWESOME! Sheila Posted by Sheila at 12:42 PM dear diary 11.20.07
Maybe it's this flu or reading Anita Loos' diary-styled Gentlemen Prefer Blondes that made me yearn for the return to my long-neglected diary. Or maybe it's that the fruits of this dream job of mine are starting to show, and thus I have a desperate need to tell you that the lack of Cha Cha Charming updates has been due to devising grand plans for girl groups + gal singers on their way to brilliance. It's hard to keep calm, which is why i find it nearly impossible to sit down + write. But five minutes ago, I realized I must make a point to keep Cha Cha Charming in motion--keep the girl-pop love burnin'!
Girls Aloud's fifth album came out yesterday, and it certainly lives up to its glowing reviews. Few Americans are aware of Britain's most successful girl group (certified by the Guiness Book of World Records for having the most top 10 singles of any British girl group), though Perez Hilton has been trying to change that. Check out second single "Call The Shots" (never mind the bad video). Sheila Posted by Sheila at 09:08 AM |
