A bright spot between double dose of gloom

April 1, 2007

I'm not sure what led to inconvenient changes in the train schedule between Cambridge and London Kings Cross. Perhaps it would have been faster to drive, but I opted against it. I also considered making some last minute phone calls to try to entice some people to go with me to SOS, but I couldn't motivate myself.

I missed my train at the Cambridge station. While I stopped to ponder my options, I ran into someone I knew from Club Salsa (Rati?); she was waiting for a friend from London. Eventually I got on the slow train her friend was on. I'm guessing that I must have arrived at SOS around 8:30. I must have made a face when I was told that there was a show and that it will cost £1 extra.

The song on at the time was something by El Gran Combo - possibly Quince Anos. Amir was the DJ, and he played a pretty good set. Some of the highlights included dancing Salsa On2 for the first time in London - with the girl I danced with at Pasion De Primavera to Luna Negra by Rey Ruiz - this time the song was Merecumbe by Johnny Colon. I'm guessing that the song was slowed down. I didn't think I was any good, but she told me that I was pretty good for someone who had been learning On2 for only about 1 1/2 months and that she loved the feel of On2. The only other time I was On2 tonight was to Cha Cha - Chin Chon Chow by Louie Ramirez. My most exhilarating dance was to Cairo by Orquesta Cheo Diaz - so good that I skipped Hong Kong Mambo, which came on immediately afterwards - instead I found myself talking about the song with Amir. A dance with one of my oldest acquaintances at SOS (back when I was taking lessons) was interesting also - in large part because she was distress before starting (I'm guessing that this was because she was very unhappy about a few dances earlier in the evening). Other songs played included Periodico De Ayer, La Libertad Logico (Eddie Palmieri), No Critiques.

This was the last night at SOS for Quentin; he's headed off for New York. I also spotted Ophir (back from States?) from LDA. Others spotted (and in some cases danced with) included Simon, Imi, Anna, Tracy, Sean, Martina. From Cambridge, I only noticed Mark and … his girlfriend? (I'm totally unsure about this because he talked about her but I never identified her for sure) - and Liam showed up later too.

The performers turned out to be Neeraj Maskara and his partner Ania. Liam asked me what I thought of the show afterwards. I replied, "It was alright." He laughed and said that I sound like Sergio. Well - the performance was indeed - alright. I didn't think that a couple of applauses at the middle was necessary (after a noticeable and perhaps tasteful but not exactly breathtaking breaks), but Neeraj and Ania were - alright.

The gloom bit refers to two books I took with me for reading during the rail journey - seemingly the only time when I can spare for reading novels. I had somehow found myself with two books by Joseph Conrad not quite finished - Heart of Darkness and The Secret Agent. As I neared the end of The Secret Agent on my inbound journey, I thought to myself that I need to switch to a less depressing set of books next. Heart of Darkness was felt more like drudgery rather than something resonant during the return journey. At least I am done with both of them now.