Larry - CP5

I met with my old friend Long last Saturday night, the 23rd of July. He is from Vietnam. He called me after I had returned home from another Conversational Partner meeting I had earlier that afternoon. It was Long's roomate's birthday, and everyone was going to a local club to celebrate. I decided it would be another environment and would offer plenty of cultural opportunities for discussion. It did! When we got to the club, the club bouncer tried to "husltle" Long for entrance money, because he was not from the local area. Long held his own and solved the problem by showing the man his working ID card and insisted he was local. The "bouncer" relented and let us into the club without Long having to pay. I was too old to bother with and also got a free ride. The environment was rich for conversation. We discussed the rock band and the usual cast of characters in their make believe personalities. I reminded him I was "cynical" and moved my focus to the clientel jerking around on the floor. We noticed a few old guys about my age, and I told him I felt much better as I wasn't the only guy trying to stay young. He got a laugh out of that. He said it would be ridiculous for a man of my age to be seen, in
Viet Nam, out at a club tying to "pick up" young girls. I enlarged his vocabulary with words like "chicks", "hot babes", and "cougars". There WERE some of them (cougars) hiding in the shadows behind heavy makeup and bleached hair. The music was quite good. We compared it with the ear-drum-busting-eyeball-bleeding "noise" in typical Vietnamese nightclubs. We talked again about a hotel by the sea and an American band that would bring in massive Vietnamese crowds. Long played along with my fantasy. Finally, I tired of the noise and the people and suggested we go downstairs for some oysters and a beer. No sooner had we sat down than a middle aged blonde haired beauty slid onto a barstool beside us. We offered her some oysters. She took one or two. She offered us an opportunity to get a two day free hotel in Vegas if we only attended a time share briefing. Long was confused. I said to her, "Why not." She gave me a card and urged me to call. I lied that I would, and she slid off the bar stool to join her guitar-strumming solo-singing side-kick on a makeshift stage. I explained the "scam" to Long and he thought it was a great idea! We finished the oysters. I said I had to get up early the next morning. He could stay and ride home with the birthday boy if he wanted. He decided to get a ride home with me and we called it a night. I think he learned a lot. It was a productive CP session.