Dec. 3, 2006
Today is my birthday. I'm 56.
We're going out! To a pub! Why does this deserve exclamation marks? It's been so long since we have been out at all. My husband, in all the time we have been here has not felt comfortable with it. Part of it is the alcohol-centeredness of pub life. I've tried to tell him that it is not the same as a bar in the US, that it's OK to bring the kids or granny (if we had any), that it's more like Central Perk (with alcohol), that it's a neighborhood gathering place more than anything, that hanging at the local pub, even for a cup of tea (which, surely, we could have afforded), was a good way to "join", so-to-speak, the neighborhood, to get to know our neighbors, to form relationships of all kinds.
When we first came here, we had one meal at the pub down the hill. It's a rather classy place, where young people who have money lunch, apparently, though it has a pizza place as well. It stretches along the river, as three out of the four pubs in our neighborhood do. We are older and have no money. It would take more than one visit, but I do not think it matches us.
We will go to the one pub that does not stretch along the river, although it is across from the riverside park where we feed the swans. In warm weather, folks hang out at the picnic tables out front and in the beergarden created from an old building on the side. It's an old building, next to the church with net curtains (lace curtains, I live the US word for that much better) and fairy lights.
Sweetie has put aside enough to have a celebratory meal, he thinks. He may be right, or we may need a bit more. If so, I have it. I appreciate that he will finally come out. A meal is not likely to be the socializing experience that I envisioned, but it's a start, and it is what he is presently comfortable with. I hope it will be good enough that he will want to come back. If not, there are still the other two pubs to explore.
We're going out! To a pub! Why does this deserve exclamation marks? It's been so long since we have been out at all. My husband, in all the time we have been here has not felt comfortable with it. Part of it is the alcohol-centeredness of pub life. I've tried to tell him that it is not the same as a bar in the US, that it's OK to bring the kids or granny (if we had any), that it's more like Central Perk (with alcohol), that it's a neighborhood gathering place more than anything, that hanging at the local pub, even for a cup of tea (which, surely, we could have afforded), was a good way to "join", so-to-speak, the neighborhood, to get to know our neighbors, to form relationships of all kinds.
When we first came here, we had one meal at the pub down the hill. It's a rather classy place, where young people who have money lunch, apparently, though it has a pizza place as well. It stretches along the river, as three out of the four pubs in our neighborhood do. We are older and have no money. It would take more than one visit, but I do not think it matches us.
We will go to the one pub that does not stretch along the river, although it is across from the riverside park where we feed the swans. In warm weather, folks hang out at the picnic tables out front and in the beergarden created from an old building on the side. It's an old building, next to the church with net curtains (lace curtains, I live the US word for that much better) and fairy lights.
Sweetie has put aside enough to have a celebratory meal, he thinks. He may be right, or we may need a bit more. If so, I have it. I appreciate that he will finally come out. A meal is not likely to be the socializing experience that I envisioned, but it's a start, and it is what he is presently comfortable with. I hope it will be good enough that he will want to come back. If not, there are still the other two pubs to explore.
Labels: birthday, emigration, pubs, socializing
posted by ISAY | 1:46 AM
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