I met my friends Astra and Jolena on Hyperion Avenue for a little catch up and some pizza at this great little place the Tomato Pie where we sat and watched them make the pizzas.
We then stopped by Trader Joe’s where I had to pick up some staples; coffee, sugar, Supreme Brie.
I got really quite excited when the cashier commented on my black Mildura Brewery Pub t-shirt and said “Is that anywhere near here?” Finally, the first comment on one of my three t-shirts from home! The blue Arts Mildura and red Virgin Blue shirts need to pick up their game because the Brewery t-shirt is totally winning the cool stakes.
My excited, yet taken aback response was “No, actually it’s from my home town in Australia. (Beat) They make really good beer.”
And then my excitement stalled as I had a deer-in-the-headlights moment when he asked if I’d been anywhere good in the area. Initially I thought he was asking what beers I like in America and I panicked that I’d gotten myself into a situation where I had intimated that was passionate about microbrews when the truth is that I don’t drink beer and know very little about it. Then when I realised he was asking about places, I panicked again because I couldn’t think of where I’d been out and suddenly I felt really boring and nanna-ish.
He wasn’t even hot.
I don’t know why I panicked. I don’t know why I couldn’t just keep the banter going with “Yeah, I went to the Beer Bar on Sunset a couple of times, but I hear that’s closed now”. Or “Yeah, I’ve just moved to the area, do you have anywhere you’d recommend?” That is what an American would say. That is the chatty conversation they would keep up. That is what a funner version of me should have said.
I’m either taking on a distinctly American neurosis or my social skills are sliding into disrepair. Must do something about this.
a little cameo 