Greetings from Boston!

[Johnny Canuck3]

Cool - I'll investigate some tea rooms

D - I went to Washington DC for a week or so a decade ago. I was staying with a white friend and her mother in the suburbs and just remember both of them being very frightened everytime we went out in the evening, especially if we were near somewhere 'urban'. Her mother actually assesed my handbag for size and was slightly reassured that it looked big enough to contain a gun!

When my friend and I missed the last metro home one night after a concert at the Wonderland Ballroom, she was so terrified that some blokes were hanging around about 75 metres away that she opened the door of a cab that had stopped at the lights but had its light off and a passenger inside, and asked if we could jump in and share! We did. It was a bit bizarre.

.

I think one of those unspoken things about urban whites in a lot of US cities is that blacks tend to scare them shitless.

I recall walking down a street in Chicago one evening. Everything ok, me minding my own business, no one paying any attention. Then some ragamuffin type street kids/dealers started walking beside me, trying to sell me a rock or something. There was nothing menacing about it, but they were walking beside me for maybe half a block.

While they were there, the oncoming white pedestrians regarded me and them with looks of horror, like they were witnessing a knifing or something. I don't know what it was, whether my acknowledgement of the street people somehow made the dealers visible to the whites, or if my speaking to the dealers took me down to their level in the eyes of the whites.

After the dealers took off, it went back to normal, and the whites stopped noticing me. Very weird.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Ah.

Good thing to know in advance of my solo camping holiday adventure then.

Just cross the border into BC, and you'll be fine.

Except for the bears, of course.

 

[Mation]

Just cross the border into BC, and you'll be fine.

Except for the bears, of course.

Don't worry! I have no trips planned that way at all.

 

[Mation]

I think one of those unspoken things about urban whites in a lot of US cities is that blacks tend to scare them shitless.

I recall walking down a street in Chicago one evening. Everything ok, me minding my own business, no one paying any attention. Then some ragamuffin type street kids/dealers started walking beside me, trying to sell me a rock or something. There was nothing menacing about it, but they were walking beside me for maybe half a block.

While they were there, the oncoming white pedestrians regarded me and them with looks of horror, like they were witnessing a knifing or something. I don't know what it was, whether my acknowledgement of the street people somehow made the dealers visible to the whites, or if my speaking to the dealers took me down to their level in the eyes of the whites.

After the dealers took off, it went back to normal, and the whites stopped noticing me. Very weird.

Yes very odd.

I had another 'is or isn't it?' experience today... At lunch in a very crowded cafe/bar I sat alone at a large table for four as it was the only place left.

Two young white women stood near the table, glancing at it frequently in visible distress, but not sitting down (while they were waiting to pick up their meal). Eventually someone else got up and they could take that table instead. Hmmmmmm.

 

[Stobart Stopper]

Don't hang any washing out!

I have never understood this, it's the one thing my sister misses, even after almost 30 years of living in the US. Why is it frowned upon to hang washing outside?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Yes very odd.

I had another 'is or isn't it?' experience today... At lunch in a very crowded cafe/bar I sat alone at a large table for four as it was the only place left.

Two young white women stood near the table, glancing at it frequently in visible distress, but not sitting down (while they were waiting to pick up their meal). Eventually someone else got up and they could take that table instead. Hmmmmmm.

That's not 'is or isn't', that 'is'.

The US is great for generating racial paranoia in us minority types. What I do now when I'm there, is just ignore it as best I can. No point in letting ignorance make me upset: fuck 'em.

 

[Mation]

That's not 'is or isn't', that 'is'.

The US is great for generating racial paranoia in us minority types. What I do now when I'm there, is just ignore it as best I can. No point in letting ignorance make me upset: fuck 'em.

I can ignore it easily when I'm with other people, but when I'm on my own, instead of upsetting me as such, it makes me feel the need to justify myself.

Just got back from Symphony Hall where I got an $8 'rush' ticket to see a Sibelius concerto (very good) and Shostakovich's symphony #8 (I *love* Shostakovich!).

In the first half I sat in the second to last row of the stalls and had a pretty awful view, but there were lots of unsold seats so I moved upstairs to the lower balcony after the intermission. Lots of people did it, moving to better seats. But the looks I was getting from the people around me made me start blathering on to the the chap I was next to about my PhD as if to say, no honestly, I *am* civilised enough to be here.

Fantastic concert though.

 

[D]

Just got back from Symphony Hall where I got an $8 'rush' ticket to see a Sibelius concerto (very good) and Shostakovich's symphony #8 (I *love* Shostakovich!).

In the first half I sat in the second to last row of the stalls and had a pretty awful view, but there were lots of unsold seats so I moved upstairs to the lower balcony after the intermission. Lots of people did it, moving to better seats. But the looks I was getting from the people around me made me start blathering on to the the chap I was next to about my PhD as if to say, no honestly, I *am* civilised enough to be here.

Fantastic concert though.

Boston is great for classical music. Sorry to hear that people were unfriendly.

Re DC - I lived in the District (which was bad enough...I wouldn't have survived a day in suburbia!) in an area called Adams Morgan, which has been massively gentrified. At the time, though, it was still the heart of the largest Ethiopian community outside Ethiopa (Washington DC is - or was - that place overall).

I also looked at some flats in Columbia Heights and considered NE and SE - all of which are predominantly black areas.

If it's anything like it was, go to the U Street corridor when you visit. And I'll be curious to hear how SE has changed - it was really beginning to transform when I was there (2001).

***

Oakland is a great town. I prefer living in SF, but I spend loads of time in Oakland. It's too bad it's one of those places where downtown is deserted after the workday (save for one really cool bar...the name escapes me right now).

 

[Mation]

Boston is great for classical music. Sorry to hear that people were unfriendly.

Ah they weren't so bad... Some very hostile looks from some people, but others were friendly and chatted to me.

In any case, I wasn't really there for the audience. Although! I was greatly cheered by a young group who sounded as though they were perhaps from Berkelee College or one of the music schools. One guy had the most humungous afro I think I've ever seen and I felt very sorry for the person sitting behind him!

 

[laptop]

Two young white women stood near the table, glancing at it frequently in visible distress, but not sitting down (while they were waiting to pick up their meal). Eventually someone else got up and they could take that table instead. Hmmmmmm.

This is where you mess with their heads, if they look as though these have contents worth messing with, by inviting them to sit down, in your very best and Most English accent.

You could also try out different English accents - see whether you can hold an entire conversation in West Yorkshire, or Mockney, or Princess Di, or whatever.

(When I was first in Philly my mother - born within hearing of Bow Bells - made her first ever international phone call, so she spoke politely to the huge and incomprehensible machine she'd just connected to - with the inevitable result that the cry went up "Laptop, the Queen's on the phone!" Only actual trained dialecticians can tell.)

If there doesn't appear to be anything worth messing with, just spread out a large newspaper and enjoy the elbow-room

 

[Mation]

This is where you mess with their heads, if they look as though these have contents worth messing with, by inviting them to sit down, in your very best and Most English accent.

Yes, you see I can and often do do that... but it's a thin line between that and the justification thing. Depends on how much I've had of it recently and how dented my confidence is, really.

Love the idea that Bow Bells = RP

 

[Mation]

Oh bloody hell, my head!

Went to Avaland (America's #1 club night!) at Avalon to see Carl Cox last night... A lab mate and his partner were going and invited me along, which was nice.

I'd forgotten what clubs are like really... This one was a complete meat market and there seemed to be very few people there for the music. Lots watching the barely-clad go-go dancers though (pots, kettles etc ).

I followed LilJen's instructions and got down the front to jig about... The music was so-so - I've got no idea on genres but it wasn't techno - so to amuse myself I borrowed a pen and a bit of paper, and then leapt up on stage before the bouncers could get me, and handed Cox an instruction to play One Night in Hackney and then jumped down again.

He pissed himself laughing.

Then I went off to the side of the stage to chat to his 'people' as they seemed to want to know what I'd done. This got me entry backstage and lots of free vodka and champagne!

And after the show I had a nice chat (iirc, but I was steaming) with Carl... Made him say 'I'm Carl Cox and this is urban75 radio' into my phone and then made the poor man listen to a voice record I have of my boyfriend snoring, as I was missing him!

But I did manage to keep my clothes on and go home without propositioning anyone!

 

[D]

Well done!

That's impressive.

 

[MarkMark]

wahey! fuck american express! From now on I'm gonna use the all new "one night in hackney" blag!

<makes notes>

 

[Mation]

If only I'd tried it at Symphony Hall!

 

[mango5]

Good on you gal... you're getting those stories to bore us all with forever... keep going

 

[fat hamster]

so to amuse myself I borrowed a pen and a bit of paper, and then leapt up on stage before the bouncers could get me, and handed Cox an instruction to play One Night in Hackney and then jumped down again.

(read this to BH, who says, "Wow, she's cool!" )

 

[Mation]

BH thinks I'm cool?

Had a lovely (if wet) day today at the regatta with G & R... Attepted to cheer on pseudonarcissus, but probably arrived too late as we waited forever for a bus.

After a quick return to Filene's basement where I got me some bras, I went off to Vinny T's (where they serve the largest plates of pasta in the entire world, I'm sure) to meet pseudo.

He's lovely. Here we are, a couple of hours ago:

Pseudo! You have to come to London and bring your lovely friend with you. She's a natural urb if ever I saw one.

(And I'm not sure why but dinner and drinks seemed to be gratis )

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I But the looks I was getting from the people around me made me start blathering on to the the chap I was next to about my PhD as if to say, no honestly, I *am* civilised enough to be here.

)

Don't do that. Something to remember: if they're giving you dirty looks, they're probably too scared to actually say anything to you...

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Bravo on the Carl Cox thing: good old English pluck.

 

[Jenerys]

Told you you could get backstage didnt I

Tits, smile and an English accent got me *everywhere* in the US

 

[Mation]

Told you you could get backstage didnt I

You did indeed!

 

[laptop]

Told you you could get backstage didnt I

So now you're set up for a few months of intense ligging, Mation

Tits, smile and an English accent got me *everywhere* in the US

I was about to say "it worked for me even without the tits" but then I remembered how much weight I put on when I got there...

 

[girasol]

Great to see a photo of you Mation!

Nice one!

 

[Jenerys]

I was about to say "it worked for me even without the tits" but then I remembered how much weight I put on when I got there...

Pizza and beer diets will do it every time




(Where is that Mation....and how the fook do I use skype??!!)

 

[Jenerys]

Great to see a photo of you Mation!

Had you forgotten what she looks like?

 

[girasol]

Had you forgotten what she looks like?

Nearly, it's been so long!

Nah, it was just nice to see Mation's smiley face from the other side of the pond...

 

[Mation]

Nearly, it's been so long!

Waaaaahhh! Homesick! Miss you!

Just got off the phone with LilJen and am planning to come straight to the u75 christmas party after I land on the 16th and have a little kip.

 

[Mation]

So now you're set up for a few months of intense ligging, Mation

Ah yes, and I always have better ligging adventures if I'm on my own... So I shall see what's coming up and launch a full fluttery, bosomy onslaught! Off to Noo Yawk soon. Hmmmmm.

 

[mango5]

...launch a full fluttery, bosomy onslaught!

Glad to see you're keeping up with Urban trends.