Friday, October 5, 2007

We're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.

Today I finally got on a subway where I was not the minority. I felt safe and more comfortable than I have in the past several days. Too bad it was the 'L' that goes to Williamsburg, oh yea, and I live no where near it. Now I'm not a racist (well. . every one's a little bit racist ;-) Ten points to whoever can get that reference!) but there are somethings that I do not get about other cultures. Like, who made up the rule it's ok to stare at people and be loud and obnoxious? Who made up the rule it's ok to not speak English in America? I can be annoyed about these things b/c I am a white (dare I say chalk?) girl living in Sunset Park, which isn't a bad neighborhood but I definitely don't belong.
Its goddamn karma I tell you. . . How long did I bitch about the Mexican invasion in New Orleans (with good reason! Hooting and Hollering at white girls on the Interstate is not going to get them to swoon you fucking alien!)and now look what I get. Transplanted right in the middle of it and I don't even get a right to bitch because they out number me!
We met our new neighbor today. She's a British 23 yr old here for 3 months studying at some dance school. She was a little disappointed to find out we weren't British also. Our landlady apparently cant tell the difference between white Americans and Britains but hey I can't tell the difference between Mexicans and Cubans so I guess we're even (Hello?? The accent didn't give it away?!).

Today was not a good day. I sweated a lot. And I hate the commute (Who the fuck ever said living in a borough was a good idea I would like to shot right about now). Other than that I am seriously on the verge of locking myself in my apartment. I can't even find a good bar anywhere near me (well, not that I would want to become a patron of anyway. I am not a fan of tequila.) Someone else move up here now so I can have a friend.

And can someone please tell me the point of having a non-smoking restaurant with the side of it being an entire window that is kept open? I think more of my smoke went into the restaurant than if I was sitting at my table which was on the other side of the wall!

1 comments:

Eastcoastdweller said...

Diversity hath its challenges, to be sure. Every culture seems to have some obnoxious elements -- prevalent and therefore drawing all the attention.

It's an eye opener to go to Europe, to be there long enough to immerse oneself in the local culture, and then to be confronted by Americans who live up to the European stereotype of us. Loud, profane, arrogant, clueless, etc.

About the restaurant: They do seem to design those places just to annoy both smokers and non-smokers alike and therefore make no one happy.

Seems to me the most sensible option would be to allow restaurants to be fully smoke-friendly or non-smoking if they so chose. No more banishment outside but also no more mixing of mortal enemies.

Any non-smoker who stumbled into a smoking restaurant would have zero grounds to dare make a complaint. And vice versa.