Alas, no green beer for me tonight
A quickie story only vaguely related to S. Patty's.
I spent summer '04 in Boston just outside Southy about two blocks from where all the Irish bars are. I do like a good pub, but I never went because I wasn't sure what kind of reception I'd get. Having grown up in California and given my views on such things I'm the last to play the race card, but I did live in Boston a few years before. That place is different. So my old roommate comes for a visit and first thing he wants to do is go to a real-to-goodness Irish pub. I figure, all right, let's try it. I thought it might help that my roommate looks like a hardcore skinhead (but far, far from being one!). My buddy thought I was overdoing it and I got to feeling a little silly too. So we go into this little working-class place. First thing that happens after we sit down and order a pint: this drunken Irish guy comes to my side, puts his arm around my shoulder and slurs at me "You know, I think you people are all right!" The guy was obviously trying to be friendly in his own way and meant no harm. The roommate and I exchange knowing looks and then chatted with the guy a while. I mostly just thought it was funny. A lot of funny things happen in pubs and even if they arent't you learn to think they are.
On another unrelated note, barkeep was a woman with an Irish lilt that melted both our hearts before the bubbles in our Guinness had a chance to stop pouring down the sides of our glasses. My first and, to date, only experience speaking to a genuine Irish lass was wasted on such a mean (as in humble) little thing like ordering a beer. That was the more memorable event of the evening, but made for the more uninteresting story methinks.
I spent summer '04 in Boston just outside Southy about two blocks from where all the Irish bars are. I do like a good pub, but I never went because I wasn't sure what kind of reception I'd get. Having grown up in California and given my views on such things I'm the last to play the race card, but I did live in Boston a few years before. That place is different. So my old roommate comes for a visit and first thing he wants to do is go to a real-to-goodness Irish pub. I figure, all right, let's try it. I thought it might help that my roommate looks like a hardcore skinhead (but far, far from being one!). My buddy thought I was overdoing it and I got to feeling a little silly too. So we go into this little working-class place. First thing that happens after we sit down and order a pint: this drunken Irish guy comes to my side, puts his arm around my shoulder and slurs at me "You know, I think you people are all right!" The guy was obviously trying to be friendly in his own way and meant no harm. The roommate and I exchange knowing looks and then chatted with the guy a while. I mostly just thought it was funny. A lot of funny things happen in pubs and even if they arent't you learn to think they are.
On another unrelated note, barkeep was a woman with an Irish lilt that melted both our hearts before the bubbles in our Guinness had a chance to stop pouring down the sides of our glasses. My first and, to date, only experience speaking to a genuine Irish lass was wasted on such a mean (as in humble) little thing like ordering a beer. That was the more memorable event of the evening, but made for the more uninteresting story methinks.
posted by anchovy @ 9:41 PM
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