my friend amity was recently interviewed by prima magazine for an article on women bloggers. at some point they asked her if she knew anyone from the internet that she’d met in real life, and she mentioned me. see, we originally became acquainted through a online forum for american expats, but have since evolved into a curious combination of both internet support network and real-life, hanging-out, wine-and-wisdom friends.

so when they got to the part about taking a photo to accompany the article, they asked her if i would come along as well. y’know, the whole “amity and her friend exchange laughs catching up over lunch” captioned kind of photo.

which is how i came to be trudging into soho, windblown and sweaty and hungover early on a saturday morning. we spent the better part of an hour in the empty “ed’s diner” (opened specially for the shoot) practically touching noses and grinning maniacally while pretending to drink chocolate and strawberry milkshakes as a camera was shuttering furiously just a foot away from our faces. yes, it was just as horribly, painfully cheesy as it sounds. there were american flags involved, in an american-style diner, with two american girls – because it was just that subtle. we hunched over a newspaper with mugs of coffee with serious looks, pretending to discuss weighty current events. we smiled and fiddled with straws, with giant, juicy hamburgers featured prominently in the background on the red formica and chrome countertop, big neon signs flashing behind our heads. we giggled and leaned in conspiratorially as if checking out imaginary hot guys walking past the gleaming plate glass windows. it was so goofy, you had to chuckle. what started as a chuckle and a few wise-ass remarks (”i feel like we should be walking along the beach discussing that ‘not so fresh feeling’ “…) turned into real, riotous belly laughter, leaving us red-faced with tears leaking out of the corners of our eyes. the real shame is that i’m quite certain none of the photos of genuine laughter between genuine friends will get used.

still, it was a cool little experience and we got a free lunch out of the deal – chili fries, fountain coke and all. and after saying goodbye to the photog, we went around the corner to a bar, to hang out, offer support, talk about our lives, relationships, family over a few glasses of pinot grigio as the wet world passed by outside – an afternoon of wine and wisdom spent between friends. the kind of honest sharing and fun that can’t be captured by images of milkshakes and flags, no matter how many pictures you take.

joni mitchell – big yellow taxi

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