5:20 p.m. - 2006-04-15
Coming to America
Well today we went to look at some different wedding related venues. Our experience in looking at a possible ceremony site was most interesting, although getting to be chauffeured around in a golf cart at the zoo was pretty experiential as well...
We went into this place called the Union Project, which a non-profit organization operates. It is an old church that is being renovated and some of the space is being used for art studios and such. the large room that used to be a anctuary is called "The Great Hall". I think the folks over at the Union Station are being more than a little um, hopeful, in their description of this room. In the room, in addition to some very old hardwood floors and stained glass windows which definitely do have serious potential, there were 1. a very very old couch, the sort one might see on a front porch of a fraternity house in Athens, Oh. 2. a lot of dangerous looking scaffolding 3. those yellow lights that hang from extention cords and have that little cage thing around the bulb...the kind of lights that your dad uses out in the garage to see under the car when it's dark...well, these were strung up, above the two aisles between the rows of seats, creating a very odd "outside" and almost industrial feeling, that was impossbly juxtoposed with old stained glass and high slanting ceilings. The couch was probably the most bothersome because when I inquired about it's removal during our ceremony, I was given a stony look by the otherwise dear and friendly woman who showed us around, and was told something along the lines of "The couch stays." Ooohhh-kaaay.
Not to be ommitted from this account is the fact that we were told there was an "activity" taking place in this room and that we would have to be unobtrusive during our look around the place. After being told this, we were led through a door, and entered the room I just told you about, right next to a 14 year old tap dancing with a roomful of people staring at her. At least 60 people. I felt like we should have joined in her routine, we were that close. We felt horrible. We felt horrible that we had just interrupted contestant number who-knows-how-many of the Miss Black Teen Pittsburgh competition. We followed Miss Ugly Couch Advocate (who I SWEAR was otherwise just LOVELY) to the side of the room and we applauded as Shenquia Jones finished her routine with a tip of her silver top hat. We whispered between that and the next act about the room details, all of which led both Kevin and I to a silent but quick and certain "nay". We remained, out of politeness, because the next contestant had begun her routine.
Yes, the next routine. A girl of about 15 or so came out dressed in some vaguely traditional African garb. Now, mind you, the sound system for this event was apparently last year's Miss Black Teen Pittsburgh sitting up on the little stage behind the performers, looking painfully bored. She would press play and stop on a CD player, lean back, cross her arms in that "I am sooo totally toooo old for this nonsense...I was soooo much better last year, and that's why I WON." way and examine her long fingernails. As I heard the opening part of the song, I caught something familiar but couldn't place it. I listened longer, and finally remembered....it was that song in the movie Coming To America, yes, with Eddie Murphey, circa 1984 or so, at the very beginning....think back, I know you haven't seen this movie for 15 years at least...the very beginning where he's in Africa and he's meeting his bride for his arranged marriage, and that dude sings acapella in this really really high pitched voice, "Sheee's your Queeeeeen to-oo beeeee. Per-er-fect in every way..." and then this tribal dance music starts and this girl, dressed in traditional African gard comes out with these other dancers, and she's the bride. Well, I was very intrigued at this girl's song choice. A. She was born about 5 years after that movie came out. B. That part of the movie is sort of like, a joke, because the bride-to-be is basically an idiot and he goes to American to find a smart person to marry (real positive glabal message there.)
So, I'd be really surprised if she's seen a movie that's 20 years old and enjoyed it so much that it stuck with her enough to bring it to mind when it was time to decide what song/theme to use for her pageant performance, and THEN be confident enough to sort of make fun of herself. 14 years olds do everything in their power to NOT be the butt of a joke. So I really, really don't get that. But it was funny, in a strange and confusing sort of way.
Needless to say, we will not be having our reception there. Which is a shame, because we like the idea of the organization and the building definitley has potential. In a few years, it will almost certainly be a "Great Hall" but for now, it's more of a "dilapidated hall heading for definite progress" but while accurate and descriptive, that doesn't have a very nice ring to it.
