January 30, 2008
Like last time the Wolfson College outing was initiated by Zhenzhi. I decided to go along mainly because I hadn’t seen her in a while. There is no real reason to go otherwise – it’s not like there is anything great to be expected from a Wolfson trip.
It was rather quiet evening too. It did make me remember that even when there’s crowding, the amount of space probably would not be a problem at Wolfson – ever. Their lighting is pretty good too. The layout isn’t bad, and the bar serves cheap drinks.
From the Zhenzhi’s group, I was the third to arrive – around 10:15 and after Rajiv and Steph. Other people trickling in included Zhenzhi, Cyrille, Liam, William, Jane and Richard. Was Sharon also part of the group? Nina was there too but by coincidence – or not much of one given what I knew and which she confirmed (let’s just say that I knew something from the past and internet is a scary place).
It did give an opportunity to catch up with Spyros as well as getting around Liam never checking his e-mail.
Being on time – it seems to be a big issue – I am unsure if it is something outside general consciousness. Is it contagious or do I ignore others blithely most of the time?
Music was about 4 parts Salsa, 1 part Bachata, 1 part Merengue and 1 part Mish-Mesh. Shila was the DJ – or at least picked most of the songs. Probably the best Salsa played was Me Libere.
I was most amused by Liam not recognizing Salsa Con Coco for what it is (and complaining afterwards – so predictable). Hearing Liam repeat my sentiment about Ealing (it’s far away – practically Heathrow) was amusing too.
I ended up dancing with Zhenzhi – was it twice or thrice? Scrounged one with Steph near the end – not enough choice to be picky. Once with Sharon. Three other pseudo-random partners. Despite being there for over an hour and half, it was a challenge to find opportunity and inspiration both at once. Not sure if inspiration is the right word anyway - more like picking your medicine.
Health. Almost back to normal. Slight earache. Only a hint or dizziness – it might be an imagination or hypochondria. Hard to believe that it’s not completely gone. Another day or two – and definitely by next week – I think I was telling myself this last week too. Ugh. Hair is getting long too.
Goodbye Mary Ward
January 27, 2008
Leon called it the sixth anniversary party. He and Tamambo invited a couple from Spain for a showcase and made the party last til midnight. It meant that there were more people – ergo less space than usual but without any increase in overall quality except for increase of cover to £8. Leon or Tamambo also requested that everyone change the address for SOS on the web - meaning they have made the hotel (Royal National Hotel) their permanent venue.
Julian the Duke was the DJ. His selections were up and down, but I thought it got better after a so-so start. Songs played included Mambo Is Here To Stay and Trip to Mamboland (both by Latin Giants of Jazz - amusing to see that I got to play these before hearing anyone else play them), Trompeta Y Flauta (Orquesta Broadway), Que Bueno Baila Usted (Oscar D’Leon), La Ley Del Guaguanco, Donde Estabas Tu and Avisale A Mi Contrario (all 3 by Tito Rodriguez), El Cantante (version unknown – probably Marc Anthony), Chango Ta Beni (version unknown), Perdoname (Gilberto Santa Rosa – version?). Two Bachata and two Cha Cha were played.
Traffic wasn't much of a problem (I made a last minute decision to drive when I realized that I was likely to miss the train) - aside from higher than usual number of nutty drivers on the road. One of the old fish and chip guy was back at Valencia, which seemed busier than usual - although I suppose I was always there earlier in the evening. I did not get in the dance hall until a little after 8:30 - around same time as Amir and Helen.
Rico and Natalie were the only Cambridge folks represented - no, that's not right. Laura was there early and ditto for that guy - short curly haired one who I see in Cambridge now and then but never spoke to. I guess there were fairly large contingent of instructor types - Mauro, Eva, Adam, Moe, Inaki, Ania as well as Leon, Tamambo, Miriam (with straight hair and smile) plus some whose names I don't know/recall.
There were two shows by one couple from Madrid - Antonio and Vanessa I think. I didn't see either of the performances except for a glimpse here and there. I think there were a lot of lifts and juggling and stuff - mostly to super fast music stitched together (e.g. Indestructible and La Pelota). I wondered if I recognized the guy from my Madrid trip - not sure. There also was an impromptu dance competition to win tickets to Poland for a festival in March and a congress in November. Antonio and Vanessa were supposed to pick the winners, but they couldn't decide for the longest time so Ania ended up doing it.
The party presumably lasted til midnight if not beyond. I left with a little over 10 minutes to spare.
Leon called it the sixth anniversary party. He and Tamambo invited a couple from Spain for a showcase and made the party last til midnight. It meant that there were more people – ergo less space than usual but without any increase in overall quality except for increase of cover to £8. Leon or Tamambo also requested that everyone change the address for SOS on the web - meaning they have made the hotel (Royal National Hotel) their permanent venue.
Julian the Duke was the DJ. His selections were up and down, but I thought it got better after a so-so start. Songs played included Mambo Is Here To Stay and Trip to Mamboland (both by Latin Giants of Jazz - amusing to see that I got to play these before hearing anyone else play them), Trompeta Y Flauta (Orquesta Broadway), Que Bueno Baila Usted (Oscar D’Leon), La Ley Del Guaguanco, Donde Estabas Tu and Avisale A Mi Contrario (all 3 by Tito Rodriguez), El Cantante (version unknown – probably Marc Anthony), Chango Ta Beni (version unknown), Perdoname (Gilberto Santa Rosa – version?). Two Bachata and two Cha Cha were played.
Traffic wasn't much of a problem (I made a last minute decision to drive when I realized that I was likely to miss the train) - aside from higher than usual number of nutty drivers on the road. One of the old fish and chip guy was back at Valencia, which seemed busier than usual - although I suppose I was always there earlier in the evening. I did not get in the dance hall until a little after 8:30 - around same time as Amir and Helen.
Rico and Natalie were the only Cambridge folks represented - no, that's not right. Laura was there early and ditto for that guy - short curly haired one who I see in Cambridge now and then but never spoke to. I guess there were fairly large contingent of instructor types - Mauro, Eva, Adam, Moe, Inaki, Ania as well as Leon, Tamambo, Miriam (with straight hair and smile) plus some whose names I don't know/recall.
There were two shows by one couple from Madrid - Antonio and Vanessa I think. I didn't see either of the performances except for a glimpse here and there. I think there were a lot of lifts and juggling and stuff - mostly to super fast music stitched together (e.g. Indestructible and La Pelota). I wondered if I recognized the guy from my Madrid trip - not sure. There also was an impromptu dance competition to win tickets to Poland for a festival in March and a congress in November. Antonio and Vanessa were supposed to pick the winners, but they couldn't decide for the longest time so Ania ended up doing it.
The party presumably lasted til midnight if not beyond. I left with a little over 10 minutes to spare.
Pop Friday
January 25, 2008
Because of delays at work, I was sure that I was going to be arriving later than intended. Indeed it was almost ten past ten when I entered, but I was surprised to see that the lessons were still going. Final track and the warm-down started after a minute or two after I arrived. The instructor line-up was Joe, Danie and Vish. Joe stayed for a little under an hour for the social afterwards. He also used Que Buena Baila Usted (at about –4%) as the first track.
Playlist
Del Agua Brava – Kako Y Totico
La Muy Muy – Roberto Torres
Asi Se Compone Un Son – Ismael Miranda*
Momposina – Santiago Ceron
Caramelo – Johnny Pacheco
Sientate Ahi – Oscar D’Leon
Prestame Tu Mujer – Ray Barretto
Tu Musica Popular – Don Perignon*
Isla Del Encanto – Orquesta Broadway*
Fuego En El 23 – La Sonora Poncena*
Cuando Te Vea – Tito Puente
La Murga – Willie Colon*
La Esencia Del Guaguanco – Johnny Pacheco*
Baila Que Baila – Jose Alberto “El Canario” (1)
Pobre Mendingo – Toque De Keda
Ven Tu – Domenic Marte
Gracias – El Gran Combo
Me Voy Pa’ Cali – Oscar D’Leon
Los Salseros Se Van – Willie Rosario
El Entierro Del Feo – Ray Barretto*
Cielo Del Tambores – Grupo Niche*
Anacaona – Cheo Feliciano
La Cura – Frankie Ruiz
Lagrimas Negras – Direct Latin Influence*
La Libertad – Rey Reyes*
Llego El Sabor – Oscar D’Leon & Jose Alberto “El Canario” (-3%)
No Aguanto Mas – Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco
Playa Fa Sho – Toby Love*
Lamento Boliviano – Toque De Keda
La Muerte – El Gran Combo (2)
Llore – Hector Lavoe
Ran Kan Kan – German Villarreal*
Guaguanco Del Pueblo Nuevo – Latin Giants Of Jazz (-4%)*
Mama Guela – Gilberto Santa Rosa (-6%)
Vitamina – Sonora Carruseles (-4%)
Sonido Bestial – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz (-6%)
(1) This was a mistake. I meant to play another song in the same CD. I had to change the line-up for the next few songs drastically because of this.
(2) A slight change in plans. I had been keeping things relatively slow but there was a request for me to play some faster songs. This was a slight upgrade in pace, and I decided to keep it up for next several songs.
Total – 36 songs. 31 Salsa (12 new). 4 Bachata (1 new). 1 Merengue.
This program was atypical because most people who dance LA/NY style opted to go watch Manhattan Mambo instead. I was expecting this to happen (and consequent result of having a smaller crowd) and tried to gear the songs for Cubans – except doing it my way anyway.
I see that I ended up playing a lot of new songs anyway (new for me as DJ that is). I have played La Murga by accident from Vish's collection once long ago. I have played Cielo De Tambores (shortened version) many times before - this was the first time I played the full version.
In any case, I thought I did a really good job of keeping people dancing (with Baila Que Baila being the only major mistake). When I finished as DJ at 1 AM, the dance atmosphere was still quite good. Vishal was expecting to close early – it didn’t happen.
Vishal, who also danced quite a bit tonight, seemed a bit preoccupied when he finally decided to take over as DJ – he started with 2 Merengue followed by 3 Bachata before playing the usual suspects (Me Libere, Caballo Viejo, Otra Oportunidad, La Vida Es Un Carnaval) before moving onto Reggaeton and oddities like Maria Maria (Santana). He did get the party going until 2.
The dynamics of the club without the CBers was amusing to watch. I think some people were more emboldened or less intimidated. Some might have had more fun - I don't know. It was quite amusing to see likes of Ashrafi back in full force. There definitely was an air of party atmosphere - more so than usual - which I observed (and arguably orchestrated given I was DJing most of the night) but did not really partake in. Although seemingly no one from St. Paul's came to Club Salsa afterwards (with possibly exception of Sharon), I did end up dancing 3 times when Vish finally decided to play some Salsa - with Sharon, Lorraine and someone new named Vanessa.
Because of delays at work, I was sure that I was going to be arriving later than intended. Indeed it was almost ten past ten when I entered, but I was surprised to see that the lessons were still going. Final track and the warm-down started after a minute or two after I arrived. The instructor line-up was Joe, Danie and Vish. Joe stayed for a little under an hour for the social afterwards. He also used Que Buena Baila Usted (at about –4%) as the first track.
Playlist
Del Agua Brava – Kako Y Totico
La Muy Muy – Roberto Torres
Asi Se Compone Un Son – Ismael Miranda*
Momposina – Santiago Ceron
Caramelo – Johnny Pacheco
Sientate Ahi – Oscar D’Leon
Prestame Tu Mujer – Ray Barretto
Tu Musica Popular – Don Perignon*
Isla Del Encanto – Orquesta Broadway*
Fuego En El 23 – La Sonora Poncena*
Cuando Te Vea – Tito Puente
La Murga – Willie Colon*
La Esencia Del Guaguanco – Johnny Pacheco*
Baila Que Baila – Jose Alberto “El Canario” (1)
Pobre Mendingo – Toque De Keda
Ven Tu – Domenic Marte
Gracias – El Gran Combo
Me Voy Pa’ Cali – Oscar D’Leon
Los Salseros Se Van – Willie Rosario
El Entierro Del Feo – Ray Barretto*
Cielo Del Tambores – Grupo Niche*
Anacaona – Cheo Feliciano
La Cura – Frankie Ruiz
Lagrimas Negras – Direct Latin Influence*
La Libertad – Rey Reyes*
Llego El Sabor – Oscar D’Leon & Jose Alberto “El Canario” (-3%)
No Aguanto Mas – Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco
Playa Fa Sho – Toby Love*
Lamento Boliviano – Toque De Keda
La Muerte – El Gran Combo (2)
Llore – Hector Lavoe
Ran Kan Kan – German Villarreal*
Guaguanco Del Pueblo Nuevo – Latin Giants Of Jazz (-4%)*
Mama Guela – Gilberto Santa Rosa (-6%)
Vitamina – Sonora Carruseles (-4%)
Sonido Bestial – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz (-6%)
(1) This was a mistake. I meant to play another song in the same CD. I had to change the line-up for the next few songs drastically because of this.
(2) A slight change in plans. I had been keeping things relatively slow but there was a request for me to play some faster songs. This was a slight upgrade in pace, and I decided to keep it up for next several songs.
Total – 36 songs. 31 Salsa (12 new). 4 Bachata (1 new). 1 Merengue.
This program was atypical because most people who dance LA/NY style opted to go watch Manhattan Mambo instead. I was expecting this to happen (and consequent result of having a smaller crowd) and tried to gear the songs for Cubans – except doing it my way anyway.
I see that I ended up playing a lot of new songs anyway (new for me as DJ that is). I have played La Murga by accident from Vish's collection once long ago. I have played Cielo De Tambores (shortened version) many times before - this was the first time I played the full version.
In any case, I thought I did a really good job of keeping people dancing (with Baila Que Baila being the only major mistake). When I finished as DJ at 1 AM, the dance atmosphere was still quite good. Vishal was expecting to close early – it didn’t happen.
Vishal, who also danced quite a bit tonight, seemed a bit preoccupied when he finally decided to take over as DJ – he started with 2 Merengue followed by 3 Bachata before playing the usual suspects (Me Libere, Caballo Viejo, Otra Oportunidad, La Vida Es Un Carnaval) before moving onto Reggaeton and oddities like Maria Maria (Santana). He did get the party going until 2.
The dynamics of the club without the CBers was amusing to watch. I think some people were more emboldened or less intimidated. Some might have had more fun - I don't know. It was quite amusing to see likes of Ashrafi back in full force. There definitely was an air of party atmosphere - more so than usual - which I observed (and arguably orchestrated given I was DJing most of the night) but did not really partake in. Although seemingly no one from St. Paul's came to Club Salsa afterwards (with possibly exception of Sharon), I did end up dancing 3 times when Vish finally decided to play some Salsa - with Sharon, Lorraine and someone new named Vanessa.
Irregular thermal regulation
January 24, 2008
Considerably less dizzy than the day before but internal heat regulation seemed off. Hopeful prognosis is feeling of disorientation will be gone by early next week if not before. Who knows for sure? It certainly screwed up a few things - both short and long term. I can't wait to get back to - I don't know what.
I arrived at Club Salsa fairly early - shortly after 9 - thanks to Sigma. The instructor team tonight was Sally, Mark and Charlotte. The wait was quite boring - at least until Ivan arrived - somewhat early - before the social started. It led to gossiping with Ivan about CDC - all kinds of funny business there right now. He also complained about lack of time for self-improvement.
It was another interesting Thursday social. Pretty good attendance despite absence of some reliable people like Jane, Haihan and Agnes - not sure if more than one of them is affected by the ADC dance show this week. I finally got to say "happy new year" to Lindsey. The biggest surprise was Emma and Chris although Aurelei was surprising also. Zern was there too but left fairly early.
Music drew quite a few comments. I was surprised by the second song selection - La Agonia by Lebron Brothers. Ivan was surprised by Bailando by Frankie Ruiz (made him think of his beginner days). Perhaps Mi Ritmo Es Bueno by Bobby Valentin was played to make up for it. Liam told Sally that Salsa Romantica (not sure who the artist was in this case) was the most boring song ever - then again Liam says the same about every other song. He did like the Cheo Feliciano song (don’t know which one) immediately afterwards. Other songs I recall include Hacha Y Machete (Alfredo De La Fe), Don Anastacio (Javier Vazquez), Mujer Erotica (Tito Rodriguez Jr), Delta Mambo (Cache), Campanero (version unknown to me).
I somehow managed to crack up two different people tonight. I didn't have to say anything in one case. Both were puzzling.
There were two competing entries for comments of the day. Should I go for "Your ears are wet" or "Would you like to dance with me or someone else for the next song"?
Despite not dancing for the first 4 songs (or over 20 minutes), I ended up dancing quite a lot tonight. It seemed like I danced with pretty much everyone too - more or less. Despite not taking classes etc for a while, I feel like I'm still learning about Salsa dancing - and I'm not talking only about music. In some ways, the illness probably helped.
The fact that I almost left my bag (with shoes) behind might be another proof of me still in daze. Or maybe it means nothing.
Considerably less dizzy than the day before but internal heat regulation seemed off. Hopeful prognosis is feeling of disorientation will be gone by early next week if not before. Who knows for sure? It certainly screwed up a few things - both short and long term. I can't wait to get back to - I don't know what.
I arrived at Club Salsa fairly early - shortly after 9 - thanks to Sigma. The instructor team tonight was Sally, Mark and Charlotte. The wait was quite boring - at least until Ivan arrived - somewhat early - before the social started. It led to gossiping with Ivan about CDC - all kinds of funny business there right now. He also complained about lack of time for self-improvement.
It was another interesting Thursday social. Pretty good attendance despite absence of some reliable people like Jane, Haihan and Agnes - not sure if more than one of them is affected by the ADC dance show this week. I finally got to say "happy new year" to Lindsey. The biggest surprise was Emma and Chris although Aurelei was surprising also. Zern was there too but left fairly early.
Music drew quite a few comments. I was surprised by the second song selection - La Agonia by Lebron Brothers. Ivan was surprised by Bailando by Frankie Ruiz (made him think of his beginner days). Perhaps Mi Ritmo Es Bueno by Bobby Valentin was played to make up for it. Liam told Sally that Salsa Romantica (not sure who the artist was in this case) was the most boring song ever - then again Liam says the same about every other song. He did like the Cheo Feliciano song (don’t know which one) immediately afterwards. Other songs I recall include Hacha Y Machete (Alfredo De La Fe), Don Anastacio (Javier Vazquez), Mujer Erotica (Tito Rodriguez Jr), Delta Mambo (Cache), Campanero (version unknown to me).
I somehow managed to crack up two different people tonight. I didn't have to say anything in one case. Both were puzzling.
There were two competing entries for comments of the day. Should I go for "Your ears are wet" or "Would you like to dance with me or someone else for the next song"?
Despite not dancing for the first 4 songs (or over 20 minutes), I ended up dancing quite a lot tonight. It seemed like I danced with pretty much everyone too - more or less. Despite not taking classes etc for a while, I feel like I'm still learning about Salsa dancing - and I'm not talking only about music. In some ways, the illness probably helped.
The fact that I almost left my bag (with shoes) behind might be another proof of me still in daze. Or maybe it means nothing.
I surprise myself in retrospect
January 18, 2008
The teacher line-up was Cristian, Jay and Vishal - somewhat of a surprise. Both Cristian and Jay stayed late into the social part of the night.
Playlist
La Llave – Grupo Latin Vibe
Si Me Fuera De Tu Lado – Kako Y Totico*
Espiritu Burlon – Santiago Ceron
Borinquen – La Sonora Poncena
Quince Anos – El Gran Combo*
Volver Volver – Grupo Gale*
Mentirosa – Louie Ramirez & Ray De La Paz
Hong Kong Mambo – Tito Puente
Preparen Candela – Willie Rosario*
Oye La Banda – Jose Alberto “El Canario”*
Mary – Joe Arroyo*
Mambo Is Here To Stay – Latin Giants Of Jazz
Cubanoson – Cubanoson
break
Y No Hago Mas Na – El Gran Combo
Son Malas – Rey Reyes*
Avisale A Mi Contrario – Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound
Bamboleate – Louie Ramirez*
Ven A Medellin – Grupo Gale*
Tiene Sabor – Henry Fiol
Alma Llanera – Tito Rodriguez*
La Quiero – Domenic Marte
A La Yumbae – Tommy Olivencia
Cualquiera – Oscar D’Leon*
Linda Teresa – Bobby Valentin*
Dime Que Quieres – El Gran Combo
Chango Ta Beni – Willie Rosario
Trip To Mamboland – Latin Giants Of Jazz*
Paz – Orquesta Flamboyan con Frankie Dante*
Gotas De Lluvia – Grupo Niche* (1)
Meneame La Cuna – Roberto Torres
Rubias De Nueva York – Willie Rosario
Trompeta Y Trombon – Ray Barretto*
Te Extrano - Extreme
Merengue (Suavemente – Elvis Crespo) (2)
Guaguanco Del Gran Combo – El Gran Combo
Mambo Gallego – Tito Puente (Concord Picante version)*
Bailando – Frankie Ruiz
Buenas Noches Che Che – Tito Rodriguz
Salchicha Con Huevos – Jimmy Sabater con Son Boricua
Perdoname – Gilberto Santa Rosa
(1) I’m calling this new on the account that I hadn’t played this uncut version before
(2) This was due to a few requests. The original request was for Wyando, but I couldn’t find it.
Total = 40 songs. 35 Salsa including 17 new. 2 Bachata. 2 Merengue. 1 Cha Cha.
I hadn’t realized I played so many new songs. I think that’s a little too much even though quite a few people seemed to like it. I can’t keep it up.
The social was rather poorly attended. Apparently some people decided to take an out-of-town trip to Birmingham. Some like Cyrille, Liam and Steph opted not to go. Cyrille was here from early in the evening but did not dance much until Steph and Liam arrived near the end of my break. I myself only danced once during the break.
The interaction between Cyrille, Liam and Steph were highly amusing – especially between Liam and Steph. Somehow dancing normally seemed to be a challenge for them.
Vish talked about DJing in Lithuania. I didn't get quite all the details.
The teacher line-up was Cristian, Jay and Vishal - somewhat of a surprise. Both Cristian and Jay stayed late into the social part of the night.
Playlist
La Llave – Grupo Latin Vibe
Si Me Fuera De Tu Lado – Kako Y Totico*
Espiritu Burlon – Santiago Ceron
Borinquen – La Sonora Poncena
Quince Anos – El Gran Combo*
Volver Volver – Grupo Gale*
Mentirosa – Louie Ramirez & Ray De La Paz
Hong Kong Mambo – Tito Puente
Preparen Candela – Willie Rosario*
Oye La Banda – Jose Alberto “El Canario”*
Mary – Joe Arroyo*
Mambo Is Here To Stay – Latin Giants Of Jazz
Cubanoson – Cubanoson
break
Y No Hago Mas Na – El Gran Combo
Son Malas – Rey Reyes*
Avisale A Mi Contrario – Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound
Bamboleate – Louie Ramirez*
Ven A Medellin – Grupo Gale*
Tiene Sabor – Henry Fiol
Alma Llanera – Tito Rodriguez*
La Quiero – Domenic Marte
A La Yumbae – Tommy Olivencia
Cualquiera – Oscar D’Leon*
Linda Teresa – Bobby Valentin*
Dime Que Quieres – El Gran Combo
Chango Ta Beni – Willie Rosario
Trip To Mamboland – Latin Giants Of Jazz*
Paz – Orquesta Flamboyan con Frankie Dante*
Gotas De Lluvia – Grupo Niche* (1)
Meneame La Cuna – Roberto Torres
Rubias De Nueva York – Willie Rosario
Trompeta Y Trombon – Ray Barretto*
Te Extrano - Extreme
Merengue (Suavemente – Elvis Crespo) (2)
Guaguanco Del Gran Combo – El Gran Combo
Mambo Gallego – Tito Puente (Concord Picante version)*
Bailando – Frankie Ruiz
Buenas Noches Che Che – Tito Rodriguz
Salchicha Con Huevos – Jimmy Sabater con Son Boricua
Perdoname – Gilberto Santa Rosa
(1) I’m calling this new on the account that I hadn’t played this uncut version before
(2) This was due to a few requests. The original request was for Wyando, but I couldn’t find it.
Total = 40 songs. 35 Salsa including 17 new. 2 Bachata. 2 Merengue. 1 Cha Cha.
I hadn’t realized I played so many new songs. I think that’s a little too much even though quite a few people seemed to like it. I can’t keep it up.
The social was rather poorly attended. Apparently some people decided to take an out-of-town trip to Birmingham. Some like Cyrille, Liam and Steph opted not to go. Cyrille was here from early in the evening but did not dance much until Steph and Liam arrived near the end of my break. I myself only danced once during the break.
The interaction between Cyrille, Liam and Steph were highly amusing – especially between Liam and Steph. Somehow dancing normally seemed to be a challenge for them.
Vish talked about DJing in Lithuania. I didn't get quite all the details.
Another nondescript post
January 17, 2008
Hard to believe, but the recovery process continues. Head's more or less clear, but feeling of disorientation is still there. In fact, I almost fell down during my first and last dance of the evening.
My lead is still pushy- maybe a little less unabashedly guttural. Probably as energetic as last week, but not getting as winded, exhausted or heated as a consequence of having danced hard.
There was a fairly large influx of returnees. Absent last week but present tonight included Haihan (still jetlagged), Agnes, Steph, Cyrille (well - not present last Thursday), Liam, Nicola, Alison, Clara, Kirsty, Mark. Pretty strong night in terms of turnout.
The DJs were Haihan and Sally. There were fairly large number of new material. A Cal Tjader tune I no longer can identify for sure (Mamblues maybe?). Presidente Dante (Frankie Dante), Tu Loco Loco Y Yo Tranquilo (Roberto Roena), Don Astacio (Javier Vazquez), Fuego En El 23 (La Sonora Poncena) were some of the other new ones. More DJs with their own material means more variety.
What else? Steph is in the process of getting used to dancing in high heels. Liam complained about too many instruments. Nina liked the ending.
Hard to believe, but the recovery process continues. Head's more or less clear, but feeling of disorientation is still there. In fact, I almost fell down during my first and last dance of the evening.
My lead is still pushy- maybe a little less unabashedly guttural. Probably as energetic as last week, but not getting as winded, exhausted or heated as a consequence of having danced hard.
There was a fairly large influx of returnees. Absent last week but present tonight included Haihan (still jetlagged), Agnes, Steph, Cyrille (well - not present last Thursday), Liam, Nicola, Alison, Clara, Kirsty, Mark. Pretty strong night in terms of turnout.
The DJs were Haihan and Sally. There were fairly large number of new material. A Cal Tjader tune I no longer can identify for sure (Mamblues maybe?). Presidente Dante (Frankie Dante), Tu Loco Loco Y Yo Tranquilo (Roberto Roena), Don Astacio (Javier Vazquez), Fuego En El 23 (La Sonora Poncena) were some of the other new ones. More DJs with their own material means more variety.
What else? Steph is in the process of getting used to dancing in high heels. Liam complained about too many instruments. Nina liked the ending.
Still in a daze, still at SOS
January 13, 2008
So his name is Leroy. I had wondered about that. I always referred to him as the tall guy. Same as everyone else I know. Anyhow it's not like I'll be using his name since he supposedly is moving to Germany. SOS will be a little different without him - considering he and Leon's mom were the only constants through past 3 years.
Another name I learned was Ashley. I've known her for about 2 1/2 years. I didn't think about it but I guess she must have been pregnant when I first danced with her. She didn't start showing until several months later. Anyhow after all those time, she decided to ask my name. And I asked for hers in return. No idea about the motivation. There are many others whose names are mystery to me.
Still in a daze. Not bad enough to skip a trip to SOS - especially with light workload. I am not really able to work properly anyway. The ability to concentration has gone kaput. Liable to skip and skim paragraphs while reading anything. Brain dull. Hands are not steady. I hope this is not permanent. I have been sleeping a lot - 15, 12, and 12 hours in last 3 nights.
I wasn't going to risk long drives. Too many factors against it. The road layout - in particular parking - of the Station Road seems to have changed quite a bit. The station itself is in the middle of renovations. It all added to make everything seem more surreal. The train ride itself was smooth - almost too smooth to make it seem weird.
Decided on fish and chips in London for dinner. Even with leisurely pace, I ended up having to sit through quite a lot of the classes - apparently they started very late and they were not done until a little after 8:30. Still I didn't get to my first dance until the middle of second song or the third song.
I don't recall seeing anyone from Cambridge in the class. I glimpsed Isabelle briefly afterwards, but I don't think she stayed long. Ah... Luxuries of living in London. I did see one other familiar Cambridge-related face - another friend of Mimi's - in this case Marina. She came with her recurring friend - from the Rocket, et cetera.
The DJ was Sylvester. The music seemed okay, but I really haven't been paying a great deal of attention for past couple of weeks. I thought he played a lot of cover versions (not bad ones I thought) of well-known songs. As I said I really can't concentrate these days.
Dancing was once again … more primal than cerebral. I think quite a few of my partners liked it that way but who knows for sure. I might have been making a spectacle of myself - not necessarily in a bad way. I think I was asked for a dance by four different women all night. The number itself is on the high side, but even more unusual was that all these women seemed quite good. Well - either that of I really didn't care.
I tired easily, but I might have been dancing more energetically than usual too. At one point when Tamambo and Leon stopped the social for Leroy, I decided that I really needed to sit down. It would be interesting if I will keep this up especially when I get back to normal state - if it ever happens (this has been going so long!).
I had to run to catch the train back to Cambridge. I think I was the last one aboard.
So his name is Leroy. I had wondered about that. I always referred to him as the tall guy. Same as everyone else I know. Anyhow it's not like I'll be using his name since he supposedly is moving to Germany. SOS will be a little different without him - considering he and Leon's mom were the only constants through past 3 years.
Another name I learned was Ashley. I've known her for about 2 1/2 years. I didn't think about it but I guess she must have been pregnant when I first danced with her. She didn't start showing until several months later. Anyhow after all those time, she decided to ask my name. And I asked for hers in return. No idea about the motivation. There are many others whose names are mystery to me.
Still in a daze. Not bad enough to skip a trip to SOS - especially with light workload. I am not really able to work properly anyway. The ability to concentration has gone kaput. Liable to skip and skim paragraphs while reading anything. Brain dull. Hands are not steady. I hope this is not permanent. I have been sleeping a lot - 15, 12, and 12 hours in last 3 nights.
I wasn't going to risk long drives. Too many factors against it. The road layout - in particular parking - of the Station Road seems to have changed quite a bit. The station itself is in the middle of renovations. It all added to make everything seem more surreal. The train ride itself was smooth - almost too smooth to make it seem weird.
Decided on fish and chips in London for dinner. Even with leisurely pace, I ended up having to sit through quite a lot of the classes - apparently they started very late and they were not done until a little after 8:30. Still I didn't get to my first dance until the middle of second song or the third song.
I don't recall seeing anyone from Cambridge in the class. I glimpsed Isabelle briefly afterwards, but I don't think she stayed long. Ah... Luxuries of living in London. I did see one other familiar Cambridge-related face - another friend of Mimi's - in this case Marina. She came with her recurring friend - from the Rocket, et cetera.
The DJ was Sylvester. The music seemed okay, but I really haven't been paying a great deal of attention for past couple of weeks. I thought he played a lot of cover versions (not bad ones I thought) of well-known songs. As I said I really can't concentrate these days.
Dancing was once again … more primal than cerebral. I think quite a few of my partners liked it that way but who knows for sure. I might have been making a spectacle of myself - not necessarily in a bad way. I think I was asked for a dance by four different women all night. The number itself is on the high side, but even more unusual was that all these women seemed quite good. Well - either that of I really didn't care.
I tired easily, but I might have been dancing more energetically than usual too. At one point when Tamambo and Leon stopped the social for Leroy, I decided that I really needed to sit down. It would be interesting if I will keep this up especially when I get back to normal state - if it ever happens (this has been going so long!).
I had to run to catch the train back to Cambridge. I think I was the last one aboard.
DJing again on Fridays
January 11, 2008
Still not back to normal after 14 hours of sleep. I think it will be a slow process. At Club Salsa, the instructor line-up was Joe, Danie and Vish. The first familiar face I saw was Polly – Andrea was taking part in the class.
Joe was the DJ for the first ten songs or so. He stayed for several songs afterwards to social dance. Meanwhile, I got to say hello to Cyrille, who wondered why I hadn’t called him when I got back (which is just yesterday). Overall it was a decent crowd.
Playlist
Con Eso – El Gran Combo
Cancion – La Sonora Poncena (live) (1)
Lo Bonito Y Lo Feo – Grupo Niche*
Mambo Is Here To Stay – Latin Giants of Jazz*
El Titere – Louie Ramirez & Ray De La Paz
Prestame Tu Mujer – Grupo Gale*
El Verdadero Son – Estrellas Caiman
Vampira – Rey Reyes*
Son Diez Lagrimas – Lebron Brothers
Que Bonito Es Sonar – Jimmy Bosch
Perico Macona – Angel Canales
Ya Lo Veras – Oscar D’Leon* (2)
Lindo Yambu – Cheo Feliciano
Ahora Si – Ismael Miranda*
Apretoncito – Toke D Keda
Despacio – Andy Aguilera*
Total = 16 songs. 14 Salsa including 6 new. 2 Bachata including 1 new.
(1) Cyrille later said he had difficulty with this song.
(2) Mohammed seemed excited to hear this one.
Sally was there briefly. I thought I spotted Nicola too but did not get to say hello. Sebastian is visiting Cambridge for the weekend apparently. Euvian claimed to be out of practice not having danced for about a month.
A comment I received about my dancing tonight was that it was energetic. Maybe it was because I wasn't feeling completely well. I thought one way of describing it might be that it was dominated by id more than ego or superego.
Still not back to normal after 14 hours of sleep. I think it will be a slow process. At Club Salsa, the instructor line-up was Joe, Danie and Vish. The first familiar face I saw was Polly – Andrea was taking part in the class.
Joe was the DJ for the first ten songs or so. He stayed for several songs afterwards to social dance. Meanwhile, I got to say hello to Cyrille, who wondered why I hadn’t called him when I got back (which is just yesterday). Overall it was a decent crowd.
Playlist
Con Eso – El Gran Combo
Cancion – La Sonora Poncena (live) (1)
Lo Bonito Y Lo Feo – Grupo Niche*
Mambo Is Here To Stay – Latin Giants of Jazz*
El Titere – Louie Ramirez & Ray De La Paz
Prestame Tu Mujer – Grupo Gale*
El Verdadero Son – Estrellas Caiman
Vampira – Rey Reyes*
Son Diez Lagrimas – Lebron Brothers
Que Bonito Es Sonar – Jimmy Bosch
Perico Macona – Angel Canales
Ya Lo Veras – Oscar D’Leon* (2)
Lindo Yambu – Cheo Feliciano
Ahora Si – Ismael Miranda*
Apretoncito – Toke D Keda
Despacio – Andy Aguilera*
Total = 16 songs. 14 Salsa including 6 new. 2 Bachata including 1 new.
(1) Cyrille later said he had difficulty with this song.
(2) Mohammed seemed excited to hear this one.
Sally was there briefly. I thought I spotted Nicola too but did not get to say hello. Sebastian is visiting Cambridge for the weekend apparently. Euvian claimed to be out of practice not having danced for about a month.
A comment I received about my dancing tonight was that it was energetic. Maybe it was because I wasn't feeling completely well. I thought one way of describing it might be that it was dominated by id more than ego or superego.
Back in Cambridge - but not yet to normalcy
January 10, 2008
I returned to Cambridge around noon. Less than 10 hours later and still struggling with weariness brought upon by the long trip as well as illness while in the States, I was back at Club Salsa. I was still feeling disoriented so I wasn't going to stay long. Vishal thought I looked tired - not sure if this is the best description, but I sure did not feel completely normal.
It wasn't a super-busy evening. Still there were some hard-core people, some of whom were part of the teaching team, there for the social part of the evening. These included Charlotte, Jane and Kate. Caroline and Laura were there for the early part of the social also. The biggest surprise was Nina, who is apparently back for more than a weekend - it was a surprise for Ivan too.
I tired easily and did not feel top-shape physically, but the dances were plenty interesting. I think those two evenings out in DC helped. Same goes for there being plenty of space. Possibly not having danced with anyone in Cambridge for 3 weeks made things more interesting or at least bring novelty. Even though I was there for barely over an hour, it was pretty good.
I returned to Cambridge around noon. Less than 10 hours later and still struggling with weariness brought upon by the long trip as well as illness while in the States, I was back at Club Salsa. I was still feeling disoriented so I wasn't going to stay long. Vishal thought I looked tired - not sure if this is the best description, but I sure did not feel completely normal.
It wasn't a super-busy evening. Still there were some hard-core people, some of whom were part of the teaching team, there for the social part of the evening. These included Charlotte, Jane and Kate. Caroline and Laura were there for the early part of the social also. The biggest surprise was Nina, who is apparently back for more than a weekend - it was a surprise for Ivan too.
I tired easily and did not feel top-shape physically, but the dances were plenty interesting. I think those two evenings out in DC helped. Same goes for there being plenty of space. Possibly not having danced with anyone in Cambridge for 3 weeks made things more interesting or at least bring novelty. Even though I was there for barely over an hour, it was pretty good.
Salsa in Washington DC - Clavekazi Social / Stuck on Salsa / DC Salsa Meetup
January 5, 2008
No Salsa for 2 weeks! Blame it on illness. I was hospitalized for more than three days and was bedridden for considerably longer. The hospital was never able to tell me why I was sick. Among other things, I had to cancel a planned trip to New York.
It could have been more interesting. Had I stayed at the hospital for another three days, I would have been in a middle of a shooting – some convict overpowered five police officers, took two guns, fired several shots before escaping from my floor. He died seven hours later in a shootout in a cemetery.
In some ways it has been the dullest vacation ever. During the first 16 days, I have been outside only three times – unless I count 4 days at the hospital. Because I was so unused to the outside world, it felt very strange going out the door and driving to the Clavekazi dance studio.
I arrived shortly after 10 and walked in with several other people who arrived at around the same time and parked their car next to mine - everyone had somewhat unusual names (Margarita, Vishal, etc). The cover was $8 with discount for making RSVP via DC Salsa Meetup group – well over 200 people made reservation through the Meetup group, and total number of people must have been 300-500.
There were two rooms, both larger than wood floor space at LeL. One room played a mix of music – I glanced at the room a few times but never stayed. The other room was pretty much all Salsa except two Bachata over the course of nearly 5 hours.
One of the biggest surprises was running into Kristina – Mimi’s friend. She came to visit Shaka with another Swedish friend. They were planning on catching Jimmy’s social tomorrow. It was a nice photo opportunity – for evidence’s sake.
On the whole the calibre of dancers were considerably higher than at the Cecilia’s two weeks ago. However, I failed to spot very many really good dancers – I don’t think I saw Shaka dance, and I had difficult time spotting anyone as being an obvious local star. I’d rate the event as being similar to SOS with possibly slightly higher proportion of mid-upper level people but without very many who would be considered a cut above. I think it must have been better than SOS because I was still dancing with mostly new people after 4 hours.
My dancing form was okay but not great. For the first hour, I really didn’t feel like myself – I felt like I was having an out-of-body dancing kind of experience. I’m guessing I hadn’t completely recovered. The feeling of disorientation remained for quite a long time.
It was difficult to figure out how I was rated by people there. Some people must have thought was I was alright and acted impressed. There were some who seemed a little bored although everyone was at the very least polite. I was asked for dance by about half dozen people who seemed to have looked before.
I didn’t feel I had a great pure lead-follow connection with anyone – in any case no one knocked me out in that regards. There were some I really enjoyed dancing with and had a great all-around connection, but those involved very little turn patterns. Generally the dances I enjoyed had more focus on flirting rather than flashiness. The best were with two dances with a stunner named Kim from Virginia Beach.
This could be just my imagination, but I got a feeling that not a few people were considering the event as fairly minor event – big for DC but considering everything outside of New York as second rate. It really would have been nice to check out the New York scene. Oh well. Another time.
The end of the party was a little odd – more of a fizzle than a bang. A clearer indication of when the party will end would have been nice. I finally spotted Michelle Reyes (a friend of Sergio's) near the end - well after 2 AM. However, I did not get around to talking or dancing with her.
It was raining when the party was over. One of the girls I danced with earlier were limping and was being helped by one of her friends to the car. I recognized the limping girl as someone I recall meeting at the SOS party couple of years ago (I think her name is Christina), and her friend apparently was Karen Aguilar - an instructor type although I don't think I danced with her and she made little impression on me during the party.
No Salsa for 2 weeks! Blame it on illness. I was hospitalized for more than three days and was bedridden for considerably longer. The hospital was never able to tell me why I was sick. Among other things, I had to cancel a planned trip to New York.
It could have been more interesting. Had I stayed at the hospital for another three days, I would have been in a middle of a shooting – some convict overpowered five police officers, took two guns, fired several shots before escaping from my floor. He died seven hours later in a shootout in a cemetery.
In some ways it has been the dullest vacation ever. During the first 16 days, I have been outside only three times – unless I count 4 days at the hospital. Because I was so unused to the outside world, it felt very strange going out the door and driving to the Clavekazi dance studio.
I arrived shortly after 10 and walked in with several other people who arrived at around the same time and parked their car next to mine - everyone had somewhat unusual names (Margarita, Vishal, etc). The cover was $8 with discount for making RSVP via DC Salsa Meetup group – well over 200 people made reservation through the Meetup group, and total number of people must have been 300-500.
There were two rooms, both larger than wood floor space at LeL. One room played a mix of music – I glanced at the room a few times but never stayed. The other room was pretty much all Salsa except two Bachata over the course of nearly 5 hours.
One of the biggest surprises was running into Kristina – Mimi’s friend. She came to visit Shaka with another Swedish friend. They were planning on catching Jimmy’s social tomorrow. It was a nice photo opportunity – for evidence’s sake.
On the whole the calibre of dancers were considerably higher than at the Cecilia’s two weeks ago. However, I failed to spot very many really good dancers – I don’t think I saw Shaka dance, and I had difficult time spotting anyone as being an obvious local star. I’d rate the event as being similar to SOS with possibly slightly higher proportion of mid-upper level people but without very many who would be considered a cut above. I think it must have been better than SOS because I was still dancing with mostly new people after 4 hours.
My dancing form was okay but not great. For the first hour, I really didn’t feel like myself – I felt like I was having an out-of-body dancing kind of experience. I’m guessing I hadn’t completely recovered. The feeling of disorientation remained for quite a long time.
It was difficult to figure out how I was rated by people there. Some people must have thought was I was alright and acted impressed. There were some who seemed a little bored although everyone was at the very least polite. I was asked for dance by about half dozen people who seemed to have looked before.
I didn’t feel I had a great pure lead-follow connection with anyone – in any case no one knocked me out in that regards. There were some I really enjoyed dancing with and had a great all-around connection, but those involved very little turn patterns. Generally the dances I enjoyed had more focus on flirting rather than flashiness. The best were with two dances with a stunner named Kim from Virginia Beach.
This could be just my imagination, but I got a feeling that not a few people were considering the event as fairly minor event – big for DC but considering everything outside of New York as second rate. It really would have been nice to check out the New York scene. Oh well. Another time.
The end of the party was a little odd – more of a fizzle than a bang. A clearer indication of when the party will end would have been nice. I finally spotted Michelle Reyes (a friend of Sergio's) near the end - well after 2 AM. However, I did not get around to talking or dancing with her.
It was raining when the party was over. One of the girls I danced with earlier were limping and was being helped by one of her friends to the car. I recognized the limping girl as someone I recall meeting at the SOS party couple of years ago (I think her name is Christina), and her friend apparently was Karen Aguilar - an instructor type although I don't think I danced with her and she made little impression on me during the party.
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