remote cards

We’ve gone round to a bar, wear a friend of the people I am with works. Winding through streets which are unfamiliar to me, and teeming with people. The wine festival coincides with Ars Electronica, so every bar has a stand outside, people are wandering from place to place carrying large glasses, and we wove our way through this mass. While we wait for the friend to appear we are served by a plain looking girl with long dark hair tied back, wearing the shirt with the bar’s name like the other staff. When she is done serving us she goes back to the bar, where she is tearing mint. She has bushels of the stuff, and is tearing it into manageable chunks for cocktails. She pops a bit in her mouth and chews, the air full of the smell of fresh mint. Beside her one of the other waitresses is on pineapple – she approaches it with a knife, trying to decide the best way to get it to do what she wants it to do. Whatever she does, it doesn’t work, and is soon taking a cloth to her shirt to soak up the spray of juice. Beside her there is a guy, making pink cocktails for the couple at the end of the bar. The girl has very short hair, bright and blonde, wearing a striking shoulderless dress, while he looks much plainer in his basic smart shirt and jumper. The bar man slices a strawberry just so, and perches it on the rim of the glass, smiling content with his work.. Before taking the two pink drinks and delivering them to the couple. The friend arrives, we chatter, we get more drinks, and laugh, then we leave, heading to the AEC once again.

Labels: ars electronica, bar, cocktail, drinks, linz, waiter, waiting

A boy of about 10 walks along the street. Traffic whizzing by on this busy afternoon. Its sunny, so he is wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Cheerfully he is in mid-swig from a bottle of cold juice. Sighing content, he screws the cap back on. But in mid-twist, he stops, and jumps. He does a familiar dance. Head back, startled. Shoulder turning, his body twisting. His foot raised for flight. Eyes full of how startled he is. The steps are ones so many of us have done before, most folk would recognise those motions, be able to join in. That dance called - WASP!

Labels: boy, drinks, glasgow, juice, street, summer, sun, walking, wasp

At the bar, ordering food. The waitress is a tiny girl. We are going through the stages of the order. She taps them into the till. One of the bar men comes to the taps beside her. He is much taller than she is. He pulls at one of the levers. There is a shower of liquid. He jumps back. She gets doused in spray. I don’t think its supposed to do that, she says. He laughs, wanders away. As we finish the order she asks if I got sprayed as well. I think you got the worst of it, I tell her. I pay, she gives me change, receipt. I go back to table.

Sitting at table. I realise with the distraction she didn’t give me the drinks. So I have to go back again. The guy is still laughing as he wanders about behind the bar. She is serving other people, who are lining up. I figure it makes sense to try and get served by her. Saves hassle. But its taking a while. Eventually the guy asks if he can help. So I tell him, and he double checks with her, calling - did you give this guy his drinks? Oh, sorry, she gushes. No problem, I tell her. And he sorts me out.

Labels: dinner, drinks, glasgow, splash, waitress