Monday, November 10, 2008

hip to be square

i broke one of my personal cardinal rules and ventured south of 3300 south on friday night with heather and cindy(mindypindy), to attend the opening of a non-alcoholic bar in provo, which is just as bizarre as it sounds. the drinks served at non-alcoholic bars, from what i can tell, are various mixtures of different kinds of (soda)pop with limes and sometimes sugar, which are just as delicious (or not) as they sound. if you're into club soda, it just might be your scene.

the really bizarre thing, though, was the overwhelming presence of hipsters. i was, literally, almost paralyzed by the coolness, not to mention my lack of it. there were knit caps and artistic scarves and skater shoes and discussions about indie bands everywhere, and i seriously thought i might get eaten alive by a pair of skinny jeans. i was scared. very scared. i had no idea that this provo even existed. since when do kids in p-town smoke and wear leather? it was all news to me.

after the non-bar opening, we headed over to the hip, cool, new restaurant in town, where you sit on cubes (or rather, hunch, since there is no way to have good posture on those things, and the fact that they are on wheels doesn't help anything) and eat the world's smallest portions of food on the world's hugest dishes. one of the girls at our table said it was just like being in san francisco. i beg to differ. it was more like being inside a satire, except no one was in on the joke. it was incredibly weird. and reminded me of why i have that 3300 south rule in the first place.

so, i gave it a shot, but i think it's safe to say that i won't be venturing back to provo any time soon. the good news is, heather and cindy(mindypindy) are excellent company. and the whole thing seems pretty funny now that the p(rovo)t(raumatic)s(tress)d(isorder) has worn off. (clever, eh? i love that joke.)

8 comments:

PNRBAC said...

Skinny jeans make me gag.

CL said...

personally, i think it's a travesty you came to p-town and didn't see me or at least my kids- they're the real attraction once you have um. they're SOOOO much better than skinny jeans, smoking, or leather clad anyones:-)

frances said...

cheryl-lynn! i always forget you live in provo. that is a travesty! next time i am skipping the non-alcoholic bar and coming straight to your house.

Amy Poulson said...

Friends do not let friends go to Provo. Please call me before you ever think that is rational again!

Anonymous said...

So, Paquita, we have two seemingly inconsistent blog postings regarding life in Utah (or, as I say, "Under the Bubble"). First, we have the LDS-themed greeting cards that, might I say, have an overtly religious context. Next, we have the hip culture in Provo, that appears to be opposite. Please explicate these inconsistencies in Utah culture, for those of us who are uninitiated.

Susan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Susan said...


Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilzations

steve said...

Thanks Susan - that article was fantastic.

And Frances - you can't judge P-town by its hipster per capita ratio. There is plenty of good south of 3300 South.