Inaugural Scala Saturday All-Nighter

October 21, 2006

The final arrangement was to meet at Club Salsa between 9:30 and 10 so that we can leave at 10. I was the fourth to arrive - around 9:50. Vishal was there since 8 or so, and Cyrille and Stephanie arrived before me. Mimi and Marina arrived at 10 while Vishal was still running around smoothing things out. In fact Vishal ran into so many things to look after that some of us ended up having some dances. Cyrille and Stephanie received a big applause from an appreciative crowd while Mimi looked like a better Cuban lead than anyone else at the Club tonight. By the time Vishal picked up Danie and our caravan lined up to head down to London, my car clock read 10:57.

The drive down was fairly smooth. Vishal, Danie, Cyrille and Stephanie were in the trailing car listening to one of Stephanie's CDs, and I once again had the delightful Swedish pair in the backseat once again. The drive was quite reminiscent of one of the Rocket trips earlier this year with a lot of giggling and singing in the backseat. I really can't imagine any better set of backseat duo with me acting as a chauffer. I think the pair especially enjoyed Ran Kan Kan, Lamento Boliviano and La Palomilla. The only odd incident was on Gray's Inn Road where Vishal flashed me asking me to stop while he ran out of the car in a very mysterious fashion. Even with a lot of advice beforehand (which Vishal did not hear or taken because he was so harried), Mimi too was in a big hurry to get inside the Scala as well (thus missing out on Vishal's discount).

We arrived around 12:10. As expected, Scala tonight was not as crowded as on Bank Holidays. I think the official count was just around 1000. Thus crowding was not bad, especially on the stage. By 3 AM or so, hardly anyone was using the stage (and I didn't bother with Stage more than half dozen times or so). We missed the first showcase, and I didn't have a very good view of the last showcase (it was a couple I have seen maybe 3 times previously).

For the first time in London, I heard the DJ(s) playing a song twice in a single evening. This is more common in Cambridge of course. In Cambridge, songs like Playa No More, Me Libere, Brujeria, Lloraras are liable to be played more than once (especially when there are more than one DJs) - in case of Playa No More, I think I heard Vishal play it twice by himself. Another song that sometimes gets is that great Reggaeton classic (with the word "Otra" in the chorus which everyone sings along), which many Salsa dancers take as the exit cue. So which song did they play twice tonight in London? La Palomilla - Joe Cuba Sextet. I have heard this song played exactly once in Cambridge - by me on one Monday. I had to break one of my rules to play this song - namely that I have to have a legal copy of the song - it's the only time this rule was broken (not counting the Michael Jackson remix, for which I don't think there is a legal copy period).

I probably danced more than I ever did at any previous Scala outings. Perhaps a third of the dances were with people from Cambridge - including Nina who came independently. Dancing was pretty good - it met or exceeded my expectations. I just need to avoid going anywhere with too high expectations.

I was less tired than I expected to be by the end of the evening - my eyes were feeling quite fine for the drive back unlike in previous Scala outings. We must have left shortly after 4 AM (there was a talk about changing the clock because of end of daylight savings hour, but this shouldn't happen until next weekend). We stopped briefly to buy some food at a convenience store (Stephanie for one did not have dinner and accidentally drank an alcoholic beverage which made her world spin instantly) and examine mysterious blood on Vishal's car. Nina joined us (front passenger's seat naturally as the back seat was occupied by the Swedish pair once again) for the drive back. Good times on the way back - including a sing along to Timba Temba Tumba (Los Van Van) as well as more giggling. Still, my head was throbbing (especially between around exit 8 and exit 9) - perhaps not entirely due to tiredness.

Quote of the day - "I need to be careful with what I write."

Actually I have been more or less as careful as I want to be. I guess it was more that I had not quite realized - I don't know what exactly. It was a very nice conversation - I haven't had one like it in a very long time. Perhaps the circumstances were more ideal than I expected at the time - because I had a ready excuse for not having to make replies right away (while I tried to catch my breath, hide my embarrassment, recover, etc).