Saturday, May 28, 2005
What the hell is going on?
Last night went pretty well. As I was watching the Simpson's and making a tasty dinner of mac n cheese, some buddies from Colorado called and I got to talk to them for the first time in months which was very cool (and I didn't call you guys back in the early AM. See how nice I am?). Once the pasta disappeared into my gullet, I grabbed the truck keys and cruised thru the rain to the theater. For the record, as yesterday was my first time driving since leaving home, driving a borrowed car, having no vehicle insurance for myself, and having to navigate a windy mountainish road, I was a tad nervous. So it goes.
Getting a ticket for the movie was no problem, and I found myself with about an hour until the commercials/previews began. So I wandered the strip mall, checking things out. Got me a mountain dew and shampoo from the drugstore, then realized that in this strip mall they have a Hawaiian show every Friday night. Around the bend at the far end of the mall I heard music and considered walking over.
As I pondered this move, I realized that there was hesitation and a desire to vanish in the back of my mind. What? Making this worse, I recalled my last days/weeks in Asia. Despite the cultural differences and language barriers, I couldn't have felt more comfortable wandering around, and my last couple days in Bangkok I felt as though I owned the place. Now here I am, back in the US, in a culture I grew up in and a language I profess to speak with fluency. Perhaps it's the isolation (I still am sometimes surprised at the ability to communicate easily with the people here. I really need to get out more) and the lack of any contact these days. Whatever the reason, it pissed me off. Which prompted me to go over to the show and check it out. And prompted me to head to Lu-Lu's (a bar in Kailua-Kona) after the movie and be around people even though I would have been content going home and hitting the sack.
More on the movie later.
Yes, I did go to a bar after the movie. It wasn't too crowded when I got there, but a dj was spinning tunes (loudly of course). I managed to get a seat at the bar where I watched the Red Sox blow a lead to the damn Yankees. Eventually some Hawaiian dudes (older) showed up and one of them sat next to me. I swear they knew everyone in the place, but they were great. Lester began chatting me up and we talked for quite a while. He and his brother bought me a beer and introduced me to everyone that filtered thru. Quite a riot. However, there was almost an issue. Two girls standing behind me made my acquaintance; one girl said something to her friend about going to dance with me. I laughingly deferred proclaiming myself not a dancer. Hehe, giggle giggle. I turned back around, talking to Lester, and Girl #1 (G1) kinda tickled my belly from behind (she was rather drunk). Ha ha, fun and games, good times. Well, she pushed in next to me at the bar and ordered a drink. Meanwhile, I became amused at the songs the dj was putting out and looked at him, laughing a little. G1 started getting angry, asking what I was laughing at, she knew, yadda yadda. Over the next little while she made a few other comments to me (even one into Lester's ear), acting all mad. Ah, some of us are good at getting into trouble even without doing anything! My only concern was her size-not fat, just taller and broader than me. And drunk. It's ok though, I escaped without injury.
Around 12 I made my leave (the place was now really filling up); I'd somehow made a girl angry, I understood only half of what Lester said to me, and several times I stumbled and mumbled when addressed unexpectedly. Ah well. It wasn't a bad reintroduction to society. And I made a couple new friends, if they remember me in the morning.
Getting a ticket for the movie was no problem, and I found myself with about an hour until the commercials/previews began. So I wandered the strip mall, checking things out. Got me a mountain dew and shampoo from the drugstore, then realized that in this strip mall they have a Hawaiian show every Friday night. Around the bend at the far end of the mall I heard music and considered walking over.
As I pondered this move, I realized that there was hesitation and a desire to vanish in the back of my mind. What? Making this worse, I recalled my last days/weeks in Asia. Despite the cultural differences and language barriers, I couldn't have felt more comfortable wandering around, and my last couple days in Bangkok I felt as though I owned the place. Now here I am, back in the US, in a culture I grew up in and a language I profess to speak with fluency. Perhaps it's the isolation (I still am sometimes surprised at the ability to communicate easily with the people here. I really need to get out more) and the lack of any contact these days. Whatever the reason, it pissed me off. Which prompted me to go over to the show and check it out. And prompted me to head to Lu-Lu's (a bar in Kailua-Kona) after the movie and be around people even though I would have been content going home and hitting the sack.
More on the movie later.
Yes, I did go to a bar after the movie. It wasn't too crowded when I got there, but a dj was spinning tunes (loudly of course). I managed to get a seat at the bar where I watched the Red Sox blow a lead to the damn Yankees. Eventually some Hawaiian dudes (older) showed up and one of them sat next to me. I swear they knew everyone in the place, but they were great. Lester began chatting me up and we talked for quite a while. He and his brother bought me a beer and introduced me to everyone that filtered thru. Quite a riot. However, there was almost an issue. Two girls standing behind me made my acquaintance; one girl said something to her friend about going to dance with me. I laughingly deferred proclaiming myself not a dancer. Hehe, giggle giggle. I turned back around, talking to Lester, and Girl #1 (G1) kinda tickled my belly from behind (she was rather drunk). Ha ha, fun and games, good times. Well, she pushed in next to me at the bar and ordered a drink. Meanwhile, I became amused at the songs the dj was putting out and looked at him, laughing a little. G1 started getting angry, asking what I was laughing at, she knew, yadda yadda. Over the next little while she made a few other comments to me (even one into Lester's ear), acting all mad. Ah, some of us are good at getting into trouble even without doing anything! My only concern was her size-not fat, just taller and broader than me. And drunk. It's ok though, I escaped without injury.
Around 12 I made my leave (the place was now really filling up); I'd somehow made a girl angry, I understood only half of what Lester said to me, and several times I stumbled and mumbled when addressed unexpectedly. Ah well. It wasn't a bad reintroduction to society. And I made a couple new friends, if they remember me in the morning.
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