It happened…

Let me start by saying, I get embarrassed very quickly. I have had numerable instances where I have been embarrassed because of people around me. I think main reason for this is the high standards I set for myself, and how strongly opinionated I am about things. When you believe in something very passionately, you kind of feel violated when someone behaves totally opposite to what you believe in.

You guys do know how much I am particular about time. When I invite someone out, or when I have planned a meeting or so, and the person is late, I get furious, but still I kind of leave some margin of tolerance mainly because its me who invited them, may be they did not anticipate an unexpected event. But when somebody else invites me, and they are late, my blood pressure generally hits double century. How can one be late for an event planned by themselves. It happened on Monday night, I was invited for a dinner outside and was asked to be ready by 8:30PM, I kind of thought its too late, well I do prefer to be at home by 10PM,  anyways I got ready by 8:20 and was waiting, I did not even get a call till 8:50, and I was told they will be there in another 5 minutes, and even after that they took fifteen minutes to come home, so its was already 9:05. Now I had lost the little mood I had to go have dinner, but because of the earlier commitment I got my lazy ass into the car.

Now let me tell you with whom I was going out. I was supposed to go out with a  couple of cousins, when I say couple I mean literally “couple”, my cousin and his wife. I am close to both of them, so she has automatically turned into my cousin. Anyways I generally avoid going to hep places, places which has young and modern crowd when I am with my family. I hate to use the term “modern”, but then that’s what my family does to me, I mean any tight jean clad lady, with a drink in hand is ultra modern to my family. So I avoid going to hep places mainly because, I don’t like to listen to some comments about the crowd which I am sure would disturb me, and make me feel out of place, and embarrassed. My cousin wanted to have something Italian, and as It was already late, only place I could think off was Casa Picola which has opened recently very near to my house. Its not that hep a place, so I thought this would be safe. When I got into the car, I had a surprise, there was one more relative of ours in the car, he is almost my cousin’s age, so he had been pulled along. We had not gone out as a group much, so did not know what to expect from him.

We arrived at  the place, and it turned out be a lounge bar attached to the Italian place. I really liked the place, totally my kind of ambiance, pale colors, very few people around, very comfortable sofa’s and even bean bags around, we chose to be seated on the terrace as the interior place was very hot. As we reached the terrace, I saw that the crowd was very young, a little dimly lit [which I don’t like], and almost all of them looked like pretty cool and minding their own business types. I was happy to see that, even with many people around it was quiet and all in all I was very happy to discover the place.

We got seated, me and the other guy at one side of the table, and my cousin and his wife on the other side. From where we were sitting I could see a couple of women, [not sure may be girls 🙂 ] sitting across the table, the girl kind of looked good, and I was back into my discussion about who is going to drink what. That’s when the guy began, he had a problem with the girl smoking, he was cribbing that she hasn’t kept down the pack ever since we entered, and how can she do that. Mind you he was a smoker as well, he had the cigarette almost all the time we were there, and still he complains, and the worst part was he kept staring at the two women. I did see her a little annoyed with him staring at her, and once in a while the other two turning back and watching them. I was so embarrassed, I wanted to walk upto them and apologize, If only I had better socializing skills.

Anyways then it came to ordering stuff, now that all three of them were having fosters, and me with  my new found sober year for 2008 had ordered a mocktail. We were supposed to order some appetizers, and I picked out few and decided what we may want to order, and when the waiter came to take the order, I told him what we want, and when the waiter was just about to go, this guys screams at him “Hello!”…”do you have any egg item, something like a egg burgee or a egg omelet”, almost every one at the less crowded places turned towards us, I just wanted to get up and run away.

He continues to stare at the two girls, and couple of other pretty girls who had by now come into the restaurant. How can a married guy stare so much?, just because his wife is not around does it mean, go and visually abuse any girl around?, and that too when we have a girl in our group as well.

Anyways, its time to order main course, and by now I just wanted it to get over as soon as possible, so I ask them well in advance, since most of the Italian stuff is bland, what they want to eat, do they want the spicy one, or they want to try the authentic blander versions. And they all agree to go for the blander one, I knew they are not gonna like it, so I suggest some not so bland ones, and for myself I order a dish named “epinard al a crème”, it’s a potato and spinach baked dish. When the dish comes onto the table, they are more intrigued by what I have ordered, and want to grab a bite, which I oblige easily. Worst part was to follow, after just 2 bottles of beer, this guy begins to burp as loudly as a loud speaker, and every 5 minutes, I don’t know how much gas he had in him, he eats a spoon and burps out a big on ‘brrrrrrrroh”, and I am furious at his ill manners, how can you burp so loudly in a restaurant like this, atleast you are supposed to keep the sound down, but no, it appeared as if he wanted everyone to know the strength in his vocal chords.

I was waiting for the check to arrive, so that we can pay and leave. I can’t remember any other time I have been embarrassed this much. I wish those two girls should have walked up to our table, and given us a mouthful.