I'll have some football with a dash of Anti-Americanism on the side please

I just got back from central London after hunting down only one of two places in the entire southern portion of this country that broadcasts American football. A little place called "Bodeans BBQ" nestled in a little side street off of the bustling version of London's fifth avenue. Let me tell you, this place was teaming with Americans which was an oddity because I kept forgetting that I was still very far from home. I met a man from Hungary who offered me the only seat left in the house; he graduated from Northwestern and just so happened to be a Pats fan. My kinda dude.

There were only a few English blokes in the place and I had to laugh when they periodically flashed the rules of American football across the screen. Also being the only woman in the place made me feel right at home too... right down to my suffering through all of the stories that college age American boys were telling of their drunken female conquests over the weekend. Pigs...haha. Luckily those guys in particular were all Baltimore fans so when the Pats had sealed the deal on the game in the last 30 seconds I howled without restraint and with victory!

Anyhow, this guy from Hungary told me that the Patriots are actually playing in London on October 25th against Tampa. Apparently they play one game per season here! I almost fell of my chair, mouth hanging open in disbelief... I am so there! Well if I get the job tomorrow that is. On my way home, in the quiet moments on The Tube, I mulled that over in my head. I love The Tube at night...void of all the entangled, sweaty limbs of workday travelers. It offers an unexpected tranquility and a quiet time to drift wherever the mind may wander. Mine wandered right into a prophecy of Monday afternoon when I receive the phone call about this damn job.

Anyway, I digress. So yes, this Hungary person, whose name escapes me unfortunately, was exceptionally congenial, which I have found to be the norm of most people I have met here. Please note that I very intentionally used the word "most". This blog would not be complete if I did not share the story of our first run-in with some Anti-Americanism from a man who will undoubtedly receive the Douche-Bag-Of-The-Year-Award. A couple of nights ago, Shari and I were sitting outside of a cafe in a mall having a coffee and just talking about flat related things and what not. Quite frankly the subject matter was rather mundane and nothing that would cause either of us to be boisterous or loud in any way. Keep in mind...we are in a mall...in a high traffic intersection of a mall...basically a food court in a mall. Ok, so this couple sits down next to us and a few moments later the man stands up and walks over to our table. The corners of his mouth are somewhat turned up, mildly resembling what the rest of the world recognizes as a smile, and he seems nice enough. He begins to speak in a conformed tone "So listen, you guys are neighbors yeah? Well I just want you to know that no one else around here can hear their own conversation because you are so loud... you are being ridiculously loud so you need to stop and be quiet so the rest of us can talk".

Now let me address that Shari and I can get on a laughing fit or on a certain topic of discussion...and hell yes we can be loud. But let me assure you, this was NOT in NO WAY one of those times. And we were in A MALL not a library. There was nothing inappropriate about our volume. The man's initial nice tone turned into a chastising...no no, better yet, a demanding, threatening command to obey his wish. Well anyone who knows Shari or I, knows that something like that just wasn't gonna fly. Who the hell did he think he was talkin to?? Obviously he had no clue. So I immediately curl my face up in disgust and spit back an "EXCUSE ME???" and Shari says to the man "Um, I would have had absolutely no problem being quieter if you could have asked me appropriately and were not so rude. What you just said was so incredibly rude...that was not Ok..."

And then...this man stands from his chair again, comes over to our table, bends down to about five inches away from Shari's face, his putrid breath invading our table atmosphere, clenches his fists, grits his teeth, bulges his eyes, pumps blood into his neck veins and with the utmost severity and conviction says "If you want to fucking see rude, I will fucking show you fucking rude!!!" *Picks jaw up off of floor*

Shari immediately shoots back a series of "you are the most ...arrogant, ignorant, grotesque human being, your behavior is disgusting, and I am getting a police officer". I stand up and look at the woman that he is with and she has no expression...just a blank stare looking down at her own folded arms resting on the tabletop. Ding ding ding! We have a woman beater ladies and gentlemen!

So as we stand from the table, I say, keeping my eyes on the woman, not the douche bag, "Wow, you must be an absolute JOY to live with at home". And while we were walking away he goes "Go to McDonald's" LOL!!! What??? And BAM there was our clue that it had a bit to do with our being American...and Shari says "NO! I'de rather get security instead". Haha, and she did...two officers who took care of the man after we left.

But please, this man did not know who he was messin with, I diagnosed his ass the first time that vein started pulsating in his neck, and I saw his wifey with that apathetic gaze. Wow, even writing about it makes me start reeling again. Never in my life have I ever been treated like that before. But I know the difference between a normal Londoner and a person with severe and enduring mental health problems... and this dude was totally off his rocker and a total narcissistic predator. So yes, you could call it the first bout of some ethnocentric attitudes but I call it just another mental illness untreated. We processed it for a good two hours and then took a walk and went to sleep with no skin off our backs. Its all good. And now I am going to sleep happy with a very pleasant New England Patriots win still fresh in my heart and positive thoughts about the phone call that I'm getting tomorrow informing me that I DO have a job :) Goodnight all, until next time...