Saturday, May 22, 2004

The Search For Lindsey Lohan and Discrimination in Korea Town Booking Joints
Last night began oddly - I planned on writing because I had gotten a good start during the day and was interrupted by my obligations to my part time job. I was reminded by Chuck, however, about a "party" at our old TA's apartment that was going to double as a scene in the movie he was shooting. I gave up on the writing to head over to the "party," I mean it's summer, right?

The party turned out to be the cast and crew of the film. I felt a bit awkward having arrived basically as they were wrapping. I took down a few streamers. Our TA handed out some nice bourbon to celebrate and the evening got started.

Our stated goal: Hang out with Lindsey Lohan. I called my friend Alana who seems to know everything regarding all teenage stars and she, in utter seriousness, prophesized she would be at the Von Dutch party in the hills. Alana, however, did not express much interest in going, and to me it sounded complicated, involving a shuttle, doormen, and lists.

So we compromised and went walking around, 7 guys and 2 girls, Koreatown, bar to bar. The first bar hated us because I brought a PBR inside. They had pornography on the walls. I apologized to the bar matron as we left, who I think unfairly, snubbed my apology.

The second bar we went to was a Korean Booking joint, who made us wait outside to contemplate whether we were worthy, or more accurately, wealthy to enter. Finally, they let us in to the 3/4 filled place and herded us to a strange back room with the sign "employees only" on the door. Bringing us a Hite and small glasses, they insisted the door remain shut - for the karokee, of course.

We played with the machine and the remote, which was all in Korean, confused how to make it work. We finally got happy birthday to play and it made the drunk crowd happy.

At some point I went out into the regular bar, which was 100% populated by people of Korean ancestry. The maitre'd looked at me as though I had gotten lost and insisted I remain in the special booth for people of European decent. I wonder if being half Chinese meant anything to him.

The groups growing frustration from being treated as objects to be hidden grew, and we were wary when the host came offering us women. I was interested, but the group seemed to think it was going to end up costing us a lot of money, so we declined.

In the end, all we could do to save a little dignity was pay the bill and steal the karokee microphone (credit my TA).

We went to two other bars that night, but the Korean place had driven the steam out of the party. Or perhaps it was the time. I hopped into my car to drive home, too drunk, and pondered what to do. A cop drove by and I took it as a sign. I kicked down the seat and took a nap.

I awoke at 5am, cold, and drove home. Alana called me at 11am and woke me up. She said, "You want to hear something funny? Lindsey Lohan was at the Von Dutch party."

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