Remember the Mastercard Priceless advert? $20 for a bottle of Martini. $10 for a bottle of cranberry juice. $35 for a bottle of Applejack. The look on my face when the cashier asked for my ID – Priceless!

“May I see your ID please?”

Oh, what magic words! To be asked to prove I am of age to buy  alcohol. After all this time. You cannot imagine what that did for my ego. Needless to say, this experience has become one of my favourites. It happened during my trip to visit my dear friend in America.

Wanting a good Martini that evening (I was also under Che’s instruction to bring a bottle of Applejack back with me) we went to the local liquor store (“bottle store” in South African english).  By South African standards, a liquor department store. By American standards, just the local one.

After trawling the aisles for about half an hour, booty in hand we made our way to the cash register (“till” in South African english). Much to our surprise, only mild disconcertion and huge delight, the cashier asked, “May I see your ID please?”

I’d seen this happen in movies with some hapless under-age teenager trying to buy a drink and the bartender asking for his or her ID.  Never thought I’d get asked for it myself.

Apparently any person under the age of 55 has to provide proof of ID when buying alcohol. In California.  Very very fishy if you ask me… I asked Google for an explanation and he wasn’t able to  provide an answer…

I’m not complaining though :-). R15,000 return airfare to California. 24hr travelling time to San Francisco. Spending quality time with my friend after 11 years apart, a good Martini in the hand and enough laughter to lift the rafters – Priceless!

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Originally published on March, 27 2012, and only slightly edited for today. But since this was a new blog in 2012 no one read this simply amazing Pulitzer prize winning brilliant post…there were no likes, no comments. Here’s hoping for a few of those today 😉