International Man of Mystery
It is ten pm and I'm in a bar, again.
Now I've been getting comments about the amount of time I spend on bars,
but when you consider that the alternative is to hide in your hotel room
watching CNN, getting out and being social is a much better option. Also,
if you look at the frequency of these posts, you'll realise that it isn't
really that often.
However, I digress. I was stuck in downtown Milwaukee and rapidly
discovering that it isn't the most happening place in the middle of
winter. Fortunately, just around the corner from the hotel was a watering
hole that purported to be the headquarters of the Press Club. Now I've
worked in newspapers for a few years and know that journalists have the
best stories, So I figured I had nothing to lose by hanging around for a
while.
I was wrong.
Instead of walking into a plush smoky den with old school wood furniture
and a Chesterfield in the corner, I found myself somewhere that was
decorated like a Mexican cantina, it was Karaoke Night, and they had
declared Open Season on classic R&B numbers.
While a pair of twenty-somethings gracelessly murdered a Wilson Pickett
number, I asked the waitress if there was 'somewhere quieter'. She told
me to head to the back and turn right.
Two turns later I was not only in a back room, but a real 'hidden back
room' that was much larger than the original pub and was one giant homage
to the world of 'spy-craft and Espionage'. Actually It was many rooms and
as I settled in I got the history from the bartender and a harsh dose of
reality. While he made me a drink he filled me on on when were the busy
times and what kind of people came here.
'We occasionally get real agent types here." He said "The secret service
were in here the other week for the President's visit, for some reason
they like the place. But mostly all we get here is tourists and guys on
business."
Unfortunately I knew what the next question would be. But I let him ask.
"So, what brings you here ?"
"Oh, I'm here on business." Damn.
So we talked some more, I checked a few emails, made a few calls and then
we got to the point when the bartender had to ask the next most
uncomfortable question of the evening. It's not that the answer is hard,
but if you aren't in my line of business the details are just too
difficult to explain in a short answer. Fortunately my phone rang at just
the right time and well, given where I was, I couldn't help myself.
"So, What do you do anyway ?"
"Um. well, I travel a lot, I guess I could say I'm a consultant. Excuse
me, that will me my agent on the phone confirming my flight to London next
week."
I resisted the temptation to order a vodka martini and made a mental map
of all the exits.
And, yes, it really was my travel Agent. Next week I'll be in the UK.
Tags travel,london,hotel,restaurant,milwaukeeairline
