Sorry, I'm A Stanger Here Myself

[poliphilo]

When I was a kid I used to wonder what it was like to go into a pub and order a drink. And I used to worry that, when my time came, I'd do it wrong and be found out

I've always felt like I was bluffing my way through life. Like I'd missed out on some absolutely vital briefing session.

Keep your head down, imitate the natives, don't do anything to give yourself away.

Comments

[queen-in-autumn.livejournal.com]

I am reminded of the first time I ordered an alcoholic beverage in the presence of my parents. They had always been "a-glass-of-wine-with-dinner-on-special-occasions" drinkers.

For reasons too complicated to go into, we found ourselves at a goodbye party for a Japanese diplomat in Portland, OR. We were so far out of our normal lives we might as well have been in Oz. We were at "the residence" and we didn't know anyone, except for my father's brief acquaintance with the diplomat hosting it.

We were standing there in one of the rooms, utter fish out of water, when we saw one of the tables where a uniformed man was serving drinks. We got in line (as much to be doing something as anything, and when it was my turn I said, "A screwdriver, please."

So simple. And yet it caused my father to remark, once we were standing alone again, "You handled that with aplomb."

I remember other tables of magnificent food, much of it being cooked right there in front of us. We ate, we looked at the house and the other guests, greeted the diplomat and wished him well, and then drove back home to our small town.

It was an experience unlike any other in my life. And remarkable as much for my dad's comment as anything else. And for my nervousness at ordering a cocktail in my parents' presence for the first time.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

A screwdriver- very impressive!

Did you know what you'd get?

I mean, I wouldn't know now. What goes into a screwdriver? Gin maybe? or vodka? I haven't a clue.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

vodka and orange juice

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've never got along with vodka.

I remember raiding my parent's drinks cabinet as a kid and taking a swig from the vodka bottle and being really disappointed because I was hoping for this ultimate transgressive experience and the stuff just didn't taste of anything.

I'm a whisky man myself.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

a whisky man? wow. just the smell of it is enough to scare me away. i'm rather fond of rum, myself. i know that's not very classy. oh well.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't like the burnt-sugar taste of rum. I think this stems from being given disgusting rum-flavoured toffees when I was a kid. :)

[queen-in-autumn.livejournal.com]

Yes, I knew!

A screwdriver is made from vodka and orange juice.

Now when I drink, I mix the vodka with Diet Coke -- or get a Lemon Drop, which uses lemonade as the mixer and is served in a martini glass with a suger crusted rim.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I prefer- on the whole- to keep my spirits and my soft drinks separate.

But I'll admit that I developed a fondness last winter for mixing my whisky with (non-alcoholic) ginger wine. Very warming!

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

lemon drops are quite good. or vodka and bitter lemon soda, which is basically the same thing, but carbonated.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I like bitter lemon.

It's what I used to drink at my grandparents' house(only without the vodka.)I thought it was a wonderful treat.