Movie Night

So I was sitting quietly in my room reading when I just so happened to hear an announcement blaring outside my door over the hostel's loud speaker. Apparently, it was a movie night and the movie for tonight was "The Blindside" starring Sandra Bullock. Free popcorn was to be served... Free Popcorn!... Being that I am trying to maintain a budget and (since I may have skipped dinner that night, because) I am trying not to eat myself out of a bank account, I figured I could not pass up the chance for some free snacks. Besides I had never seen "The Blindside" and I was actually interested. So I put the book aside and wandered down to the 3rd floor TV lounge to check out what was going on.

I didn't think about it at first, but it gradually dawned on me as the opening credits began to roll in the darkened TV room. "The Blindside," when you come right down to it, is a very American movie. Think about it. It has to do with racial divisions of the South, American professional and collegiate athletics, and of course football. So as I sat there and watched, I looked around at my fellow viewers. There was one very lively Aussie, who could not stop talking about how the popcorn was not buttered, two Chinese sisters, a very silent man who walked with cane and gave away no hint of his nationality, a young French couple, and two rather old British women, one of which sat next to me. It was quite a surreal experience and a good movie.

Of course, the first time I opened my mouth I was pegged as the American in the room. This led to many questions, most of which revolved around the holiday of Thanksgiving (as there is a Thanksgiving scene in the movie). Most people thought it must be some sort of religious holiday. I could only reply with, "Only if you are devoted to football, which many are..." I also found myself explaining the geography of the American South, as the movie takes place in Memphis.

All and all it was an interesting night. I mean when else can you start out just going to get some free popcorn, and end up taking part in a cultural exchange.