Sunday, February 16, 2003

I just reread my last entry -- about the hassle that is now the DC experience and contrasted my reaction with my last trip to Mexico... bohica'd below on Monday, January 27.

Humor me and take a second to review.

Now that you're back -- I'm sure you will agree that it does seem a bit irrational in a schizoid way, hmmm?

Here is my best explanation:

In Mexico -- the locals were not visibly affected by the presence of armed soldiers. They were still friendly and shystering -- need a pharmacist? Want the best price on _____ (you fill in the blank)? And so on. All very normal and relaxed. Very much the land of manana I know.

In DC this was not the case. The people were not happy. Not that American East coast city dwellers are ever particularly joyous... but the specimens walking the streets of the Capitol on that day seemed more down than usual.

As an example... the guy who rang me up at the GULC bookstore asked me how I was doing. I said, "Fabulous." He looked at me in a way I can only describe as suspicious, and asked why -- like it was a crime or something.

The short answer was I hadn't been there since 1998 and it put me in a good mood to see the place. He still seemed a bit disgruntled about my cheeriness and commented that as it was Tuesday there was no reason to be fabulous yet.

Whatever.

But I was pretty up. Seeing all the students sweating the experience of law school -- that sort of hunted harried look as they lugged 30 pounds of texts in earnest fashion...

Hee...

It made me happy to not be one of them. Not that I ever was... no big surprise, but even law school wasn't something I took too seriously.

But still.

To not have years of school in front of me or a bar exam.

(Another good reason not to be a student there anymore was the demise of the bar in the basement. When I was there, you could get beer and drink in class. Evidently that is no longer the case. How tragic.)

All that aside... in my experience, DC has always been such a kewl place. I have so many positive memories of my time there.

So the city's new aura was off putting. I guess it made me resent the presence of all that "security." It was the most readily identifiable scapegoat. Plus it seemed so futile.

Since then I have been sticking to Maryland.

Charm City is still charming and Annapolis is still snooty. Pool tables still cost fifty cents in my favorite Anne Arundel county dives. The snow kept me here this weekend -- a prisoner of bad weather. Va Beach has been postponed...

Despite the impending storm, I wore red and black vinyl as an anti-Valentine's statement and enjoyed the carefree karma of Fell's Point on Friday night. Vinyl is almost as much fun as being blonde. Try it -- you might like it.

Hanging here -- its hard to believe the stress ball that is DC is only thirty or so miles south.

Sad how it has changed. I hope it isn't permanent.

posted by Bohica at 1:01 AM