..breaking barriers

Okay.. I have another problem... well its perhaps not as much a problem as it is a habit... No.. not really a habit.. its more a form of social protest... Yes that's it! Social protest. I'm all about breaking barriers and making a difference. (stop laughing) My issue... Segregation...yes.. Segregation is still quite alive and real in today's world...especially in the social scene. Let me elaborate for you...

I am by no means a club hopper.. but I do every now and then like to get out, let my hair down and hit a trendy lounge for a drink or three. Now some of these places that I frequent have what seems to be more and more common.. a famed V.I.P. room...

Personally, I don't really see the point of a V.I.P. room.. I mean think about it, what is really the purpose besides creating another revenue stream for a venue to siphon extra dollars away from its patrons under the illusion of exclusivity and prestige? Moreover, who doesn't think they are a V.I.P. anyway.. didn't we all watch enough Sesame Street in our youths to get the lesson that everyone is important, or was it special? or maybe beautiful? However the song goes, I just don't see the great need for the separation.

Anyway, last Friday, we (my happy hour crew) headed over to a lounge to keep the party rolling. Of course, unbeknownst to my crew, I engaged in my protest ritual -I entered the V.I.P. without any form of stamp, wrist band or other visual seals of approval. Most times, I just walk by the bouncer getting the nod of acceptance. Other times I simply smile and briefly chat with the bouncer and am soon thereafter allowed entry. =-O Now, most of my friends, with the exception of J-Lam, do not realize that I do this whenever there is a V.I.P. room in my vicinity. Actually, I specifically do this in DC because I feel like a VIP room in any club/lounge here is particularly absurd. NYC, LA, Miami I sort of leave alone, not that I agree with the concept... but DC? c'mon... why the separation? Can't we all just party together? sheesh..

Okay... so now you are wondering. WHY.. Why on earth do you feel so compelled to engage in such antics? There is no simple answer for that. I guess its my pinko, socialist method of creating more egalitarian society.

So for those of you who have never been to a V.I.P. room here in DC this is what you've missed..

1. Sometimes the scene includes a minor celebrity or an athlete (typically a bench warmer with plenty of unfounded ego and at-ti-tude to share -leaving one to wonder which came first the bench time or the drinking habit?) surrounded by a crowd text book shameless groupies drinking top shelf liquors at the bar.

2. Most of the time the scene is a bunch of guys who are desperately trying to emulate the above, but, not surprisingly, miss the mark and end up looking like total low budget rap video goobers.

3. Generally, the V.I.P room is just a smaller, less crowded version of whatever the rest of the club or lounge.

Now I will admit, that when the rest of the venue gets too crowded for me, the comfort of breathing space VIP room is a welcomed escape. Guilty as charged.

However, I tell you this with great confidence and authority -me being a partier on either side of the velvet rope, the VIP room experience is greatly overrated... you are NOT missing anything... trust me.

Besides that, the way I see it, any room that I am in IS the VIP room -if you don't know now you know. :-)

... enough with the brits already!!!

okay.. last dedicated post about the UUU-Kay...

There is one thing that I picked up which has become my most prized treasure from my travels. After the pub incident, I forgot to mention, we ran into a local CVS like pharmacy. Vee decide to grab some orbitz to make a dirty mouth feel clean. I however ventured out on the more adverntureous side and picked up some apple flavoured aquadrops (a flavour I have yet to see in the states).

Dare I say, these tasty treats are sweet with a hint of tartness yet somehow brillantly refreshing! Not to sound like a total Aquadrops commercial but hey if they are looking for perky charismatic american to endorse their product I am most certainly their gal!!!

I digress... anyway.. I'm down to my last 5 drops... *tear*... not sure how I will get along without my fix...

... beware

<----- ye olde dodgy pub..







FYI --- disturbing comment I have recieved mulitple times this week,
"you left the pub because of a little mouse?"

(thought to self, "is it customary to dine amongst vermin?") -- well yes apparently in a dodgy pub

Perhaps I should have tossed the wanker a chip with some malt vinegar and why not a swig of my lemon fanta to wash it all down.

ME: ***boggle***

...ye olde dodgy pub

... allo... So I'm back.... from the UUU-KAY... (before reading this visit this blog entry )

.. ahem.. now where was I? .. right-o...

So there we stood at the register, unsettled and shaken from our experience requesting our check. The barkeep of course is very curious to understand why we so aburptly ended our meal. Realizing there was still about 25 feet between me and the door, I covered my ears and turned away while Vee explained to the barkeep what she saw.

We promptly paid the check and quickly ran out of the pub into the bustling london streets. After getting about a block away from ye olde dodgy pub, I finally gathered up the courage to ask Vee what she saw. Verily disgusted and still shaken she began to explain that she witnessed something move in the very corner in which we sat. At first she thought it was small bird but then she observed that we were in a closed space. She looked more closely and realized that she was staring at a mouse... That's right the vile, ruddy, little wanker sat there in plain view snacking away on morsels on the pub floor. Bugger! Dirtin' eatin' UK style.. gross! Ruddy sod!

What's really gross is that we were thoroughly enjoying the meal? I can't tell what part of my judgement is off -- my ability to decipher a well made meal or my ability to select an eating establishment that meets health codes from the 21st century.

At any rate, we ended up heading down to Knightsbridge and hanging out at Harrods (my UK happy place). To be honest, you can spend the day in there and have a mini adventure as long as don't look at the prices for anything.. the sticker shock alone can be deadly. I highly recommend a proper British Tea experience on the terrace. Very nice indeed.

Sooo to help you get the image of lit-el mickey (that's little mickey with a brit accent), here are some interesting things that we learned and gossip that we heard during our travels...

- Allegedly at Harrods, Michael Jackson was there the day before shopping for a television... let be known if I had seen the KING of pop myself I would have passed out, started crying and/or started singing and dancing to smooth criminal..hee hee hee!

- Observation: Learning the slang and foul language makes every day conversation very entertaining... ruddy, sod, bugger, wanker ...ha!

- There is a difference between the subway and the underground or tube (metro for you DC'ers). Subway literally means subterrianian walkway. So if you want to get from one corner to another without cross the street you walk underground via a subway.

That's all I can think of right now... my brain still overloaded from the time zone change.

~Cheerio

in the UUUU-KAY

So.. we land... master the tube.. checkin to our hotel and and venture off into the streets of London in search of a proper fish and chips lunch. After a short 10 minute walk we happen upon a traditional pub --what better way to take in the local culture?

(NOTE: From what we have learned thus far in our anthropological excursion, it appear that in the UUU-KAY it is a customary practice for you to seat your own bloody rump at a table. Furthermore, in a pub, you have no waitstaff to coddle you.. it is up to you to discover the menu and place you order at the bar yourself.)

ahem.. I digress...

So fast forward 10 - 15 minutes... we are pleasantly surprised to learn that the wait staff will actually bring your meal to your table. (We were actually anticipating a shot from the barkeep to collect our meals). To our surprise the meal was exceedingly well prepared and equally delish. It included...

- chicken strips with a thai chili dipping sauce
- toasted goat cheese, served on a bed of greens
and of course never to forget...
- chips (that's french fries for you yanks)

We were thoroughly entralled with our meal, savouring each delectable bite. Proud of ourselves for figuring out that a dash of malt vinegar turns an otherwise too sweet british catsup into good ole ketchup. Did mention the refreshing lemon fanta that accompanied my meal... again.. I digress.

As I took healthy bite of my 2nd chicken strip, I glanced brief at Vee who had the distinct look of frozen horror and utter disblief stamped on her face. (those of you with weak stomach, I suggest you log off now)....Immediately I began to scrap the contents of my mouth into a napkin as I questioned with my eyes and a muffled mumble, "what? what? what is it Vee? What did you see". To which she replied, "oh hell no"

Needing no further explaination I immediately grabbed my Prada bag and headed to the bar to demand the check followed closely by Vee who was making her way across the pub booths strategically not allowing her Enzo Angolini boot to touch the pub floor.

Only when we reached the security of the register did I dare ask for the full story.....

... to be continued (being chased out by management)

click here to continue
~ Butterrfly

Am I stupid?

Sometimes... don't you stop and wonder if you are? I know I just did... I seriously sat here for the past 20 minutes trying to figure out how to log into my account and post a new entry... Finally I realized I was using the wrong user name/pass word combination. So no.. I'm not stupid.. perhaps a bit daft (had to through in the UK slang in honour of my current digs).