a group of australian guys came into my section yesterday. why they chose our lovely eatery and not the Outback Steakhouse two blocks down escapes me. they were very charming, drunk, and stereotypically used the word 'mate' in excess.
it turns out their presence confused many of the black girls i work with.
me: "can you run this sprite to section nine for me?"
her: "which table?"
me: "twenty-six."
her: "which table is that again?"
me: "the one...with the white guys"
ten seconds later she finds me, sprite still in her hand, confused.
her: "there weren't any white guys at table 26."
me: "what are you talking about?"
her: "well they had a weird accent."
me: "that's because they're australian."
her: "australians aren't white!"
at this point my brain stopped functioning for several moments while i processed what she had just said. before i could respond, another black co-worker chimed in.
other girl: "yeah! i heard them talking and thought they were from spain or something. definitely not white."
now you know: if you see a 'white person' with a 'funny accent', odds are they're from madrid.
speaking of cultural differences, i've made an interesting discovery while living in LA. that ambiance music that plays in the background of your local mexican restaurant? i always thought it's sole purpose was to set the mood for Americans while they chow down on their 'authentic' burritos and enchiladas. as it turns out, 'authentic' mexicans actually listen to that music...and enjoy it! i always considered it cheesy background music to placate the americans, never realizing that they actually own the CD.
i'll pull up to a red light, look over and see a hispanic thug with tats running up his neck, and he has mariachi music blasting on his 18 inch subwoofers. not hardcore gangsta rap. not techno. mariachi.
i fully understand that it's a cultural thing and i understand they're proud of their heritage. it's just that i don't envision german-americans having their friends over and listening to polka music. and i don't picture french-americans having cocktail parties and listening to...well, mimes don't play music.
maybe it's just that i'm territorial and patriotic when it comes to american music. why are they listening to that garbage when they could be listening to our beloved britney spears? maybe if mariah had a trumpet?
as i write this, my mexican neighbors are having a little jam session. a relentless barrage of tuba, accordion, tiny guitar, and trumpet - pulsating through my neighborhood at 11pm. and of course this cacophony is accompanied by some dude singing passionately about a corazon. and in an odd Pavlovian twist, i suddenly have a craving for some chile rellano.
