Movie Review: Vicky Christina Barcelona

Hotel on Square in Puebla, Mexico, Photo taken by vkc (Flickr)

I saw the new Woody Allen film yesterday, Vicky Christina Barcelona. I just loved it. It is funny as hell. And man does that Javier Bardem look mighty fine. Much better than he did with that horrible haircut in No Country for Old Men.

This film made me think of the summer of 1990 I spent in Mexico when I had a wild fling with a sexy lawyer. The college friend I was traveling with met a poet and left with him for a weekend in San Miguel de Allende.

Long story short, after she took off, I met a sexy lawyer in an Armani suit in Mexico City. He helped me with directions for a bus ride to Puebla. We ended up traveling to Puebla together in his fancy black car, spent a most romantic afternoon in a cafe on the square, drinking wine, watching the afternoon rain shower, listening to the church bells echoing through the square, and ended up in a swanky hotel for the night and better part of the morning. A very good memory.

I thought that was the end of the story. A sort of a "what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico." But this man insisted on coming up to see me. While picking him up at the airport, we had a moment of uncomfortable silence in the terminal.

I took him to my apartment in downtown Long Beach, across the street from the ocean. I opened up a bottle of champagne on my balcony, we clinked our glasses saying "salud" simultaneously. We looked out at the ocean silently. Before I had a chance to take a second sip of champagne, this man turned to face me and said, "marry me."

I told him a night in Puebla wasn't really enough to marry someone. He disagreed vehemently. He said our passion was principal. His exact words, "la cama es principal, Maria, es principal."

I said no of course to this proposal. I had to finish college. We did enjoy a week of unbridled passion together. If any of you watch the program Weeds on Showtime, this man is very much like the mayor of Tijuana Mary Louise Parker's character is sleeping with on the show.

During the next four years, this man wrote me the most romantic love letters (which I have saved), sent expensive gifts on my birthday, and called from time to time to invite me to meet him in some exotic location.

Anyway, go see this film. And if you think it strange that Javier Bardem's character approaches the two beautiful American tourists in a restaurant after an art opening and asks them both to take a small plane to a different town for the weekend, think again. Stranger things have been known to happen.

Even if you never had some wild fling (which I bet most of you have), this film takes you to the heart of Barcelona, love, lust, and passion. Made me want to get on a plane.

One last thing, when I left the movie theater, I took my car to a self serve car wash. I was so caught up in thinking about that night in Puebla, I drove off without rinsing the soap off my car. I was halfway home before I even noticed.

Addendum: I wrote an addendum to this post after many asked why I did not take Saul up on his marriage proposal. It explains in more detail why I said no, no, no. The addendum can be found on my Sept. 11th post, Addendum to Vicky and Sexy Lawyer.

Book Review: Chasing the Flame

Sergio Vieiro De Mello (Posted by Prora, Flickr)

I am reading a most excellent book right now by Samantha Power. This Harvard educated radical was in the news recently when she called Hillary Clinton a monster. Power was on Obama's foreign policy staff, but was forced to resign over this. She would be great as a foreign policy adviser.

Photo of United Nations Assembly taken by Robert wkfrd (Flickr)

The book is called Chasing the Flame. It is the life story of Sergio Vieira de Mello. What an extraordinary life this man led in his career with the UN. He was killed in august of 2003 when the UN offices were bombed in Iraq. I remember the news reports showing a pretty blonde woman frantically standing outside the rubble with her cell phone in hand crying. She was talking to him I am sure. Turns out she was his lover. Vieira De Mello was trapped under the rubble and died some four hours later when rescue teams were unable to reach him.

Viera De Mello man was being groomed to be the new secretary general when Kofi Anan stepped down. And a most excellent SG he would have been. A great loss to our world. Anyway, a fascinating read. It reads like a thriller.

Photo of United Nations flag taken by Linda Jia (Flickr)

Seduction

Photo of Desserts taken by Rita Crane (Flickr)










Photo of Latte taken by Yoshiko 314 (Flickr)




Thanks for the responses. Yes my days at The Rex were something. The maitre'd was a hard core Trotskyist and surfer dude. If you weren't a commie or at least surfed, you got lousy dinner shifts. I told him he was a sell out for working in such a bourgeois establishment waiting on the bourgeoisie. I did have the best shifts...Tuesday through Friday. Probably because of that first wine tasting. I won the owner's respect.

The conversations in the back house with the maitre'd were always enlightening and passionate.

One last thing about those wine tastings, it was usually between 6-8 wines we tasted each week from various wine sales people. However, one Thursday we had a very expensive wine seller from Europe come in with his wines. We tasted 21 wines that Thursday. I did not spit out my wine and was sent home due to my drunken state. Whoops.

Another great thing about our tastings, once the bottles were open, we often times got to take the wine home. Those were the days.

Anyway, my friend, Ian Ashton-Reader, in London, from "old money" sent me this link from the Waiter Rant blog. It is called Seduction and funny as hell. By the way, Ian is one classy dude who never has to prove himself to wait staff by acting demeaning or demanding.

One last thing, if you want to impress folks with your wine knowledge, check out 21 Oceanfront's wine list. This is a good way to learn about wine. Check out the menu at White House dinners to see what wine they are drinking is another good way. I amnot sure of the website for 21 Oceanfront, but am sure you can type in 21 Oceanfront, Newport Beach in google and find it. Also wine magazines will help.

Here is the link to Seduction. Enjoy.
http://WaiterRant.net/?p=212

Waiter Rant

Photo of 21 Oceanfront, Newport Beach, CA taken by Eating Orange (Flickr)

I read a review about a new book called Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica. It just cracked me up. He hits the nail on the head. Dublanica has a blog and it became so popular that he got a book deal. I'll paste the links below.

As most of you know, I worked as a waitress for many years, but my time at the five star dining establishment The Rex in Newport Beach came to mind while reading his blogs. We all new when our customers were from new money (recently acquired wealth), old money (royalty or born with silver spoons in mouth), or were wannabes.

The new money customers fifty percent of the time had chips on their shoulders and had to prove how "important" they were to us. For example, if they did not have a jacket, and we offered a jacket, they'd make a scene as if our dress policy didn't apply to them anymore now that they had money.

Old money knew to wear a jacket. And if old money had just disembarked from their yachts, they would not question our policy and just put the damn jacket on that we had in our coat closet for customers... and very nice Armani jackets they were.

Anyway, at The Rex, we did not spit in the food. However, if a customer spent too long at a table on a busy Saturday night, our matre'd would pass gas (fart) at their table while asking if they needed anything else.

One thing about wait staff at fine dining establishments, they take their work seriously and know their stuff. So when dining out, listen to their recommendation on specials and the wine.

Speaking of wine, at The Rex, where I worked for three years while living a life of glamorous debauchery, had a very professional wine tasting every Thursday. When I first came on board I was considered the peasant of the wait staff because my previous job had been at the Rusty Pelican whose wine list had a white zinfandel on it. A major faux paus.

During our first pretentious blind wine tasting, I filled out my wine rating sheet. The owner called on me to report what I had written. I read my ratings outloud to a room so silent you could hear a cork drop on the carpet. When he took the brown paper bag off the wine bottles, I had rated all the most expensive wines with the highest marks. The English girl, our wine steward, and our maitre'd made many errors on what was what. Moreover, they rated inferior wines with high marks. The staff quit calling me the peasant after that.

This was over twenty years ago, but man do I remember those days. Most of the customers were nice, but the owner a nut job. Why are all owners nut jobs?

We had the rich and famous in all the time. My favorite famous person I waited on was Neil Diamond. I just love that guy. He was so humble and kind. We all fell in love with him.

The Rex is no more and now called 21 Oceanfront. It was only 21 tables when I worked there, but they bought the space next door and it is huge now. The staff was the same for the 3 years I was there. No one left because the money was good and hours short. We became like family. We were right below the Doryman's Inn by the pier. We had the best wine list in Orange County and won several restaurant awards. Good times.

Here is the link for anyone, but especially for those who have ever waited tables in
their lives.

wwww.waiterrant.net
www.waiterrant.blogspot.com