belated
Remember when I promised
cataplum I would make a table using LJ's new table editing function within the week? Well, I guess I've been measuring that week under the "long day" interpretation favored by some creationists.
Also, remember (some of you) the idea for an "aristocratic rock star" website that never took off? The idea of which was to find ways to live like an aristocratic rock star on the budget of a middle-class cover-band frontman with student loans? Well...
What to doHow and why to do itWhat it costsDrink lots of champagneThe best way is to go to Trader Joe's,
where many cheap and tasty bubblies
can be found. Try the Asti! If you're not
near a TJ's, just buy Andre. Don't be
ashamed to drink out of the bottle---Elvis
would have.
Drinking champagne has long been a
mainstay of the aristocratic lifestyle.$5-8 per bottleEnjoy exorbitantly
lavish sushi feastsIf you get, say, six or more people
together, you can make a cheap sushi
feast that will leave you rolling on the floor,
begging for someone to pump your
stomach. Go to a Japanese grocery and
buy sushi rice (and rice vinegar if you
don't have it), a cucumber, a daikon
radish, a block of cream cheese, a
container of tobiko, a broiled eel,
two packets of seaweed to make rolls,
a packet of powdered wasabi,
and several cuts of sushi-grade fish. Go
home and have everyone make the most
delicious rolls they can imagine, using
the above ingredients plus whatever's
already around the house.
Tip: that hot sauce in spicy tuna rolls is
just mayonnaise and chili or tabasco sauce.
Sushi feels like a luxury food, and it is!
If you're going for a "Japanese royalty"
kind of aristocracy, sushi feasts are a
must.$~10 per personDine in style by the
waterWrap a sharp knife in paper towel and put it
in your pocket/purse/whatever. Go to the
grocery store. Buy a box of fruits (plums,
strawberries, etc.), a salami, a loaf of bread,
and a spreadable cheese. Walk or take public
transportation as close to the beach as
possible, and proceed to the beach. Eat.
Everyone loves the beach, and aristocrats
do what everyone loves all the time. Let the
sun and the waves unleash your inner
marquess or contessa.~$8 per personImbibe quality
cocktailsThese brands of hard liquor are
completely unobjectionable and cost
less than their competitors of
equal quality: Old Granddad (bourbon),
Svedka (vodka), Gibley's (gin),
Bowmore (scotch---so it's still a bit pricey),
E&J V.S.O.P. (brandy). For rum and
tequila, just get the usual Bacardi and
Jose Cuervo or Sauza.
Aristocrats spend a lot of their time
intoxicated. If you want to emulate
their lifestyle, it's important to
drink something that won't make you
go blind.Not as much
as you'd
think!Become a discriminating
wine conno-swar or
conno-swooseGet 8 or more people together and have wine
tastings. Have each participant chip in a small
amount of money, then send one or more
organizers to the wine store. The organizers
buy some wine, then go online and print out
reviews of each. At the tasting, participants
try all of the wines and try to describe them,
then compare their opinions with those of the
pros.
Aristocrats must make impeccable wine
pairings and be able to converse with
sommeliers. Chicks and dudes dig it.$8 per person
is fine; more is
also fineBecome an experienced
traveler who has panache
and savoir-faireTravel as much as your time and money
permit. Make a point of trying to eventually
visit every neighborhood in your city, or at
least all of the ones in which you feel safe.
Also make a point of getting out of town. If you
have access to a car, take four people for a
road trip and split the cost of accommodations.
In the summer, you can always camp
(aristocratically, of course!). If not, at least take
the commuter rail as far as it goes.
Knowing the lay of the land and the ways of the
world is one sign of the true aristocrat. Cultivate
the ability to make comparisons between
what you're doing now and what people do
elsewhere, and a discriminating taste will follow.Variable
OK, there's a start. I noticed that almost all of these involve food and drink, but what else makes a lifestyle aristocratic?
Leave some comments with your own ideas and perhaps we'll find out!
cataplum I would make a table using LJ's new table editing function within the week? Well, I guess I've been measuring that week under the "long day" interpretation favored by some creationists.
Also, remember (some of you) the idea for an "aristocratic rock star" website that never took off? The idea of which was to find ways to live like an aristocratic rock star on the budget of a middle-class cover-band frontman with student loans? Well...
What to doHow and why to do itWhat it costsDrink lots of champagneThe best way is to go to Trader Joe's,
where many cheap and tasty bubblies
can be found. Try the Asti! If you're not
near a TJ's, just buy Andre. Don't be
ashamed to drink out of the bottle---Elvis
would have.
Drinking champagne has long been a
mainstay of the aristocratic lifestyle.$5-8 per bottleEnjoy exorbitantly
lavish sushi feastsIf you get, say, six or more people
together, you can make a cheap sushi
feast that will leave you rolling on the floor,
begging for someone to pump your
stomach. Go to a Japanese grocery and
buy sushi rice (and rice vinegar if you
don't have it), a cucumber, a daikon
radish, a block of cream cheese, a
container of tobiko, a broiled eel,
two packets of seaweed to make rolls,
a packet of powdered wasabi,
and several cuts of sushi-grade fish. Go
home and have everyone make the most
delicious rolls they can imagine, using
the above ingredients plus whatever's
already around the house.
Tip: that hot sauce in spicy tuna rolls is
just mayonnaise and chili or tabasco sauce.
Sushi feels like a luxury food, and it is!
If you're going for a "Japanese royalty"
kind of aristocracy, sushi feasts are a
must.$~10 per personDine in style by the
waterWrap a sharp knife in paper towel and put it
in your pocket/purse/whatever. Go to the
grocery store. Buy a box of fruits (plums,
strawberries, etc.), a salami, a loaf of bread,
and a spreadable cheese. Walk or take public
transportation as close to the beach as
possible, and proceed to the beach. Eat.
Everyone loves the beach, and aristocrats
do what everyone loves all the time. Let the
sun and the waves unleash your inner
marquess or contessa.~$8 per personImbibe quality
cocktailsThese brands of hard liquor are
completely unobjectionable and cost
less than their competitors of
equal quality: Old Granddad (bourbon),
Svedka (vodka), Gibley's (gin),
Bowmore (scotch---so it's still a bit pricey),
E&J V.S.O.P. (brandy). For rum and
tequila, just get the usual Bacardi and
Jose Cuervo or Sauza.
Aristocrats spend a lot of their time
intoxicated. If you want to emulate
their lifestyle, it's important to
drink something that won't make you
go blind.Not as much
as you'd
think!Become a discriminating
wine conno-swar or
conno-swooseGet 8 or more people together and have wine
tastings. Have each participant chip in a small
amount of money, then send one or more
organizers to the wine store. The organizers
buy some wine, then go online and print out
reviews of each. At the tasting, participants
try all of the wines and try to describe them,
then compare their opinions with those of the
pros.
Aristocrats must make impeccable wine
pairings and be able to converse with
sommeliers. Chicks and dudes dig it.$8 per person
is fine; more is
also fineBecome an experienced
traveler who has panache
and savoir-faireTravel as much as your time and money
permit. Make a point of trying to eventually
visit every neighborhood in your city, or at
least all of the ones in which you feel safe.
Also make a point of getting out of town. If you
have access to a car, take four people for a
road trip and split the cost of accommodations.
In the summer, you can always camp
(aristocratically, of course!). If not, at least take
the commuter rail as far as it goes.
Knowing the lay of the land and the ways of the
world is one sign of the true aristocrat. Cultivate
the ability to make comparisons between
what you're doing now and what people do
elsewhere, and a discriminating taste will follow.Variable
OK, there's a start. I noticed that almost all of these involve food and drink, but what else makes a lifestyle aristocratic?
Leave some comments with your own ideas and perhaps we'll find out!