My Night With The "Haves"

So I had an interesting cultural experience last night... which was actually the opposite of the kind of cultural experiences I expected to be reporting on as "interesting."

I was hanging out at my local "pé sujo" (literally "dirty foot" - used to refer to the little bars located on pretty much every block where every type of person can be found) and, after having a 20-or-so minute "conversation" with some very drunk and confused Brazilian man who decided we were best friends, I determined that I needed some different society. I made friends with a group of 4 (closer to my age, and sober enough to speak Portuguese that I could understand) Brazilians sitting at a nearby table.
I was enjoying just sitting and chatting - for the practice, if nothing else - but they decided that we should all go to some club in Ipanema. Since I had decided my theme for the evening was to "go where the night takes me" (it had seemed like a safe theme at the moment seeing how I had no plans and no ideas of what to do for the night), I accepted their invitation to come along. It quickly became evident that I was keeping company with some of Rio's high society when, upon arriving at the chic club, I was informed that we would not be waiting in the gigantic line outside (pshaw, how plebian), because my new friends knew pretty much everyone there.
After waiting in the line-to-not-wait-in-line (this aspect of clubs always amuses me), which was more of just a mass of people standing around by the entrance waiting for their "friends" to get them in, we were brought inside and given our wristbands which would grant us access "upstairs." I had forgotten to grab my ID when I had gone out, and technically you need some form of ID to get in anywhere, so (at my companions' direction) I got to act the ignorant American tourist for a little bit and pretend I didn't know anything about anything. Surprisingly, it was actually difficult to not slip into Portuguese for my few minutes of playing dumb!
Anyway, we got in and immediately went upstairs (of course we wouldn't want to be mixing with downstairs people, now would we?), which was pretty much the same as downstairs except smaller and with a couple couches. My companions had some friends who had gotten table service, so we wound up hanging out around their table for the night. Apparently the gentlemen who had gotten the table service had decided that the best use for the couches around their table were as platforms to stand on while drinking.... what better way to ensure everyone can see you and your bottles of champagne and expensive liquor and foreign-bought Abercrombie & Fitch shirts?
High society is funny.
I danced, hung out, tried not to gag at the American-level drink prices and ate some sushi (because naturally there was a sushi bar upstairs); but mostly enjoyed just watching Rio's young, fabulous and sickeningly wealthy playing their game.

I think I prefer the pé sujo.