April 21, 2009
There should be no more recommendation given to me to talk about the weather rather than talk of people unless it is done behind their back. I imagine such thought came to mind in order to counterbalance admiration I felt for the countryside landscape outside the coach windows.
Beautiful weather, chronic transportation issues. It took over 20 minutes for the coach to move more than 50 meters from its parked space. At Stansted, the driver announced that M25 was closed in the direction we needed to go so we would have to weave through the countryside.
Roads and rails are so unreliable here. It is a big surprise when no problem is encountered in a long trip. I would estimate that M25 to Heathrow is problematic more than 75% of the time in my experience. In past 3 weeks, we suffered through an incident at Finsbury park resulting in 1+ hour delay, a long escalator out of action for 6 months at Pimlico tube station affecting us for 5 days, a train station closure for Liam a couple of days ago and a painfully slow drive through Bow street for Sergio and me. And then there are three out of three problematic trips to Heathrow. Maybe I should start a new blog entitled “On The Road” to detail trials and tribulations of travelling. One thing the UK has over the USA - widespread use of traffic light systems with vehicle detectors.
In the end the coach returned to a sparse M25 (J21) for the final leg of the journey. There was no problem arriving at terminal 5 before appointed time (1:30 PM). One excess weight baggage charge (25 pounds) after rearranging the bags, another Wagamama lunch, several e-mail correspondences, then boarding what appeared to be no more than half-full flight. I switched my seat as soon as possible for more space.
Once again I used westbound transatlantic flight to catch up on some film: Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, The Reader and Bolt – chosen in part for their length. Also about 80 pages of 2666 were devoured during the entire trip. The flight was a little slow not helped by not being able to fly through the NYC airspace. The descent was rather turbulent. The trip was generally a trouble-free.
Ross had suggested writing a book with the blog as base material on the drive back to Cambridge last night. I said immediacy is a problem – although perhaps immediacy is the current trend. I imagine the bigger issue would be interest – there simply are not that many people so interested in dance (or Salsa dance). It would have to be a backdrop rather than a main focus for enough people to be interest. And the writing would have to be pretty darn good too. All of it would take a lot of effort and time – who knows though?
In any case, no more daily Salsa blog. No more entry? - quite possibly since it agrees with my aesthetics. New blog? - to be determined. Certainly no Learning Salsa In DC.
Swan Song
April 19, 2009
The plan crystallized when I received a text from Liam saying that Gaucho’s is fine late in the night. I forwarded the message to Sergio hoping that it would not disrupt his sleep. Past noon, I conferred with both over the phone then made the reservation for three at 7 PM. More time than I had hoped was spent studying the route to St James Square.
I picked up Sergio around 5 PM – slightly behind schedule. The traffic on Bow Street was unusually slow. However we did make it to Gaucho’s Grill Picadilly before appointed time – unlike Liam who apparently had to resort to taxi/bus combo due to a train station closure. In any case no major problems.
Gaucho’s Grill was dark. Aside from actual dark rooms, I don’t think I ever saw any place have less lighting than this place. Of restaurants, it reminded me a little of Hakasan, but this place was much darker. Food was okay but pricey. I may had less complaints than Sergio or Liam, but then again I wasn’t paying.
Liam directed me back to Russell Square area. As we approached the door I was able to hear a version of Camina Prende Y El Fogon unknown to me on the other side. I whispered to Sergio that Sylvester must be the DJ tonight. I was right. It was around 9 when we made our entrance.
Sergio’s assessment was that there were more On2 dancers at SOS compared to last time he was here. He thought the overall level (though not the top level) of people seemed better. This agreed with my opinion more or less although I have been here regularly so the change would not have looked stark.
The most amusing Liam quip of the day was, "You're so lucky," given to a girl he was chatting with when I got around to ask her for a dance. I would say he was considerably less outrageous than usual by past standard.
Like the last time, I think I danced at higher frequency than I had been for past year or so. The dances were up and down in quality early on. I was asked by two different women - one twice with second time seemingly half-expecting me to say no. I admit that I was eyeing who to ask for the next song during this dance.
Next for the last three songs, I picked on some of my favorites - the ones I find attractive and have had some very nice dances with in the past. Second to last song was Blue Mambo. The final song was for the second time tonight with my longest frequent partner at SOS. Thus ended my final SOS outing during my 5.5 years of residence in the United Kingdom.
The plan crystallized when I received a text from Liam saying that Gaucho’s is fine late in the night. I forwarded the message to Sergio hoping that it would not disrupt his sleep. Past noon, I conferred with both over the phone then made the reservation for three at 7 PM. More time than I had hoped was spent studying the route to St James Square.
I picked up Sergio around 5 PM – slightly behind schedule. The traffic on Bow Street was unusually slow. However we did make it to Gaucho’s Grill Picadilly before appointed time – unlike Liam who apparently had to resort to taxi/bus combo due to a train station closure. In any case no major problems.
Gaucho’s Grill was dark. Aside from actual dark rooms, I don’t think I ever saw any place have less lighting than this place. Of restaurants, it reminded me a little of Hakasan, but this place was much darker. Food was okay but pricey. I may had less complaints than Sergio or Liam, but then again I wasn’t paying.
Liam directed me back to Russell Square area. As we approached the door I was able to hear a version of Camina Prende Y El Fogon unknown to me on the other side. I whispered to Sergio that Sylvester must be the DJ tonight. I was right. It was around 9 when we made our entrance.
Sergio’s assessment was that there were more On2 dancers at SOS compared to last time he was here. He thought the overall level (though not the top level) of people seemed better. This agreed with my opinion more or less although I have been here regularly so the change would not have looked stark.
The most amusing Liam quip of the day was, "You're so lucky," given to a girl he was chatting with when I got around to ask her for a dance. I would say he was considerably less outrageous than usual by past standard.
Like the last time, I think I danced at higher frequency than I had been for past year or so. The dances were up and down in quality early on. I was asked by two different women - one twice with second time seemingly half-expecting me to say no. I admit that I was eyeing who to ask for the next song during this dance.
Next for the last three songs, I picked on some of my favorites - the ones I find attractive and have had some very nice dances with in the past. Second to last song was Blue Mambo. The final song was for the second time tonight with my longest frequent partner at SOS. Thus ended my final SOS outing during my 5.5 years of residence in the United Kingdom.
Todo Tiene Su Final
April 17, 2009
With a clearer head and fewer responsibilities, I made it to Sauce shortly after 9:30. I took a quick peek to see if 1 Station Road was open. It wasn’t yet, but there were activities downstairs. The lessons at Sauce was packed and ended shortly after 10. It was too crowded for me to see but the instructors presumably were Dan, Kafe, Jane and Vish. Robin and Raj were there early too.
After sitting out the first song, I decided to pick my partners by personal history. Thus I danced first with Marian, who I think was in my very first Salsa class. Next was Lorraine, who once assisted with Mauricio’s classes. Third was Jane – although by that point Serap had arrived so the theme had become unworkable. As for others, aside from Polly, who arrived much later, I would be hard pressed to decide the order of the dances. So many people have come and gone from the scene (and I don’t think I can be blamed for more than a handful if at all).
I also tried to dance with all of the regular girls there but didn’t quite succeed; I think I managed to ask all but one before they departed though. It took nearly two hours to make the first round.
I thought Vish knew about me not wanting a farewell dance. He didn’t – but this was neither surprising nor upsetting. I would not have picked the song Vish chose – Todo Tiene Su Final (Everything has an end, nothing lasts forever), but in retrospect it was quite apt. In fact, for me I preferred it over every other song Vish played for other people for birthdays and departures.
In the circle for the farewell dance were Abbe, Serap, Jane, Laura, Lorraine, Ania, Shorty, Georgie among others. No one was sure about when to jump in, and I wasn’t particularly sure about when to make the switch. The simplest method was to grab the most convenient person whenever Vish shouted switch. In general I didn’t try to do too much (or at least not overwhelm anyone) while keeping the dance to match the music (probably deluding myself into thinking I’m giving people a lesson in musicality if not fundamentals and philosophies rather than merely countless turn patterns).
Zern showed up near the end – pure coincidence that this was my last Friday in Cambridge and his first in more than 6 months. He stayed long enough for a group photo of last of the stragglers, which included Mark, Polly, Raj, Laura and Vish. Zern went on a chat-fest with big-hand Misty outside the door before the night ended with Mark’s foursome drifting out and in looking into the old venue.
Nothing lasts forever. Soon I’ll be joining likes of Mimis and Cyrilles in the dustbin of Cambridge Salsa history. The vacuum left by my absence will be filled quickly, and new pecking order will be established. New admirations, envies, idiocies, outrages and understandings will replace the old. I thought I saw what was happening and what was going to happen to the scene with some clarity through a thick fog and a laser light show. Does anyone else see with same kaleidoscope eyes?
With a clearer head and fewer responsibilities, I made it to Sauce shortly after 9:30. I took a quick peek to see if 1 Station Road was open. It wasn’t yet, but there were activities downstairs. The lessons at Sauce was packed and ended shortly after 10. It was too crowded for me to see but the instructors presumably were Dan, Kafe, Jane and Vish. Robin and Raj were there early too.
After sitting out the first song, I decided to pick my partners by personal history. Thus I danced first with Marian, who I think was in my very first Salsa class. Next was Lorraine, who once assisted with Mauricio’s classes. Third was Jane – although by that point Serap had arrived so the theme had become unworkable. As for others, aside from Polly, who arrived much later, I would be hard pressed to decide the order of the dances. So many people have come and gone from the scene (and I don’t think I can be blamed for more than a handful if at all).
I also tried to dance with all of the regular girls there but didn’t quite succeed; I think I managed to ask all but one before they departed though. It took nearly two hours to make the first round.
I thought Vish knew about me not wanting a farewell dance. He didn’t – but this was neither surprising nor upsetting. I would not have picked the song Vish chose – Todo Tiene Su Final (Everything has an end, nothing lasts forever), but in retrospect it was quite apt. In fact, for me I preferred it over every other song Vish played for other people for birthdays and departures.
In the circle for the farewell dance were Abbe, Serap, Jane, Laura, Lorraine, Ania, Shorty, Georgie among others. No one was sure about when to jump in, and I wasn’t particularly sure about when to make the switch. The simplest method was to grab the most convenient person whenever Vish shouted switch. In general I didn’t try to do too much (or at least not overwhelm anyone) while keeping the dance to match the music (probably deluding myself into thinking I’m giving people a lesson in musicality if not fundamentals and philosophies rather than merely countless turn patterns).
Zern showed up near the end – pure coincidence that this was my last Friday in Cambridge and his first in more than 6 months. He stayed long enough for a group photo of last of the stragglers, which included Mark, Polly, Raj, Laura and Vish. Zern went on a chat-fest with big-hand Misty outside the door before the night ended with Mark’s foursome drifting out and in looking into the old venue.
Nothing lasts forever. Soon I’ll be joining likes of Mimis and Cyrilles in the dustbin of Cambridge Salsa history. The vacuum left by my absence will be filled quickly, and new pecking order will be established. New admirations, envies, idiocies, outrages and understandings will replace the old. I thought I saw what was happening and what was going to happen to the scene with some clarity through a thick fog and a laser light show. Does anyone else see with same kaleidoscope eyes?
Almost Over
April 14, 2009
12:45 PM train (Thalys) to Amsterdam. I’m going to pretend that I did not visit Amsterdam, however. The only activity achieved was a canal cruise, which left me cold in more than one sense. Dinner at Hotel Ibis.
April 15, 2009
Keukenhof. A quickie one hour walk of Amsterdam never reaching De Wallen. Train to Hoek van Holland Haven. Overnight sailing to Harwich and dinner on Stena Britannica.
April 16, 2009
Breakfast on Stena Britannica. A hang up at customs due to visa issues. Slow train to Cambridge. Drive to and back from Heathrow. Feeling dazed and exhausted but I am not dead. No Salsa for this post. Five more days in the UK to go.
12:45 PM train (Thalys) to Amsterdam. I’m going to pretend that I did not visit Amsterdam, however. The only activity achieved was a canal cruise, which left me cold in more than one sense. Dinner at Hotel Ibis.
April 15, 2009
Keukenhof. A quickie one hour walk of Amsterdam never reaching De Wallen. Train to Hoek van Holland Haven. Overnight sailing to Harwich and dinner on Stena Britannica.
April 16, 2009
Breakfast on Stena Britannica. A hang up at customs due to visa issues. Slow train to Cambridge. Drive to and back from Heathrow. Feeling dazed and exhausted but I am not dead. No Salsa for this post. Five more days in the UK to go.
Decline of the Western Church and A Brief O'Sullivans Sojourn
April 7, 2009
Greenwich. Tate Modern. Evensong at Westminster Abbey. Pork curry.
April 8, 2009
Heathrow airport once again with Picadilly line and District line both impaired. Pasta and Salmon. Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square. National Portraits Gallery. National Gallery. Covent Garden (Royal Opera): Dido and Aeneas & Acis and Galatea. Four Seasons for dinner. Not enough time for Bar Salsa.
April 9, 2009
Vauxhall Bridge to House of Parliament. British Museum. Chicken curry. Covent Garden (Royal Ballet): Giselle. Short stroll in Leicester Square.
April 10, 2009
Slow jaunt to Tower Hill via replacement two-decker bus. Tower of London. Bus back to Monument in crawling traffic. Tate Britain. Last dinner in London.
April 11, 2009
6:55 AM Eurostar to Paris. Hotel International near Republique. Stroll to Seine. Centre Pompidou. A short walk along Seine. Metro back to hotel. Dinner at L’Autre Café. What is this talk about shopping and Versailles?
April 12, 2009
Disastrous Gregorian Mass at Notre Dame on Easter Sunday (more on this later). Louvre. Walk to Arch of Triumph in search of open shops of haute couture. Some pizza on Avenue Champ de Elysees for dinner. Eiffel Tower. I couldn’t escape for an outing to Barrio Latino.
April 13, 2009
Boulangerie Kayser. A trip to Versailles where every building seemed closed. d’Orsay too was closed. Louis Vuitton, Chanel, etc. Perhaps ten minutes of Vespers at Notre Dame. Atelier for dinner. The waiter with a 5-day old son.
Of all places I visited during this trip, the services at Notre Dame have to be considered the biggest disappointment.
I think the services on Easter has to rank as the worst time to visit Notre Dame given the crowding leading to large number of people left to standing or sitting on the ground for up to a little over an hour. As a tourist or as a believer, the experience is likely to be highly unsatisfying.
Vast majority of people attending the mass have very little knowledge of how to act during the mass. Outnumbering the people attending the mass are tourists simply walking around the congregation while taking photographs with flash. During the Vespers service on Monday (when there were more free chairs), the tourists felt free to wander into the area for the congregation for photographs and videos.
At several places during the mass, the leader of the mass was waving his arms to extol the congregation to sing along. Most did not – in part because many people were without appropriate program. I imagine a rather large number of people did not speak French. Personally I felt rather sorry for his difficult task.
By comparison, Anglican services in England are considerably more dignified; I speak from experience in attending evensong at Westminster Abbey and Kings College Chapel in Cambridge. Only people attending the services are allowed in. Even though more than half of the people (and there are not many people) are tourists, everyone is compelled to act respectfully given the solemn setting. I suppose all these churches are in decline, but it seems to me that the English churches are dying with more dignity compared to French churches.
By the time dinner at Atelier was finished and back at the Hotel International, it was already 11; I had hoped for an earlier getaway to O’Sullivans. By the time I arrived it was 11:30 meaning I had barely over one hour if I were to take the Metro back to the hotel. It made for a very abbreviated night out not helped by the fact that I was rather worn out from this long trip. Probably the dancing wasn’t so bad but I did wonder seriously whether I would keep up with Salsa once I am far away from Cambridge and London scene. After all my previous pattern has been to abandon the old and take up something new and unexpected after each of my major moves. Bed around 1 AM.
Greenwich. Tate Modern. Evensong at Westminster Abbey. Pork curry.
April 8, 2009
Heathrow airport once again with Picadilly line and District line both impaired. Pasta and Salmon. Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square. National Portraits Gallery. National Gallery. Covent Garden (Royal Opera): Dido and Aeneas & Acis and Galatea. Four Seasons for dinner. Not enough time for Bar Salsa.
April 9, 2009
Vauxhall Bridge to House of Parliament. British Museum. Chicken curry. Covent Garden (Royal Ballet): Giselle. Short stroll in Leicester Square.
April 10, 2009
Slow jaunt to Tower Hill via replacement two-decker bus. Tower of London. Bus back to Monument in crawling traffic. Tate Britain. Last dinner in London.
April 11, 2009
6:55 AM Eurostar to Paris. Hotel International near Republique. Stroll to Seine. Centre Pompidou. A short walk along Seine. Metro back to hotel. Dinner at L’Autre Café. What is this talk about shopping and Versailles?
April 12, 2009
Disastrous Gregorian Mass at Notre Dame on Easter Sunday (more on this later). Louvre. Walk to Arch of Triumph in search of open shops of haute couture. Some pizza on Avenue Champ de Elysees for dinner. Eiffel Tower. I couldn’t escape for an outing to Barrio Latino.
April 13, 2009
Boulangerie Kayser. A trip to Versailles where every building seemed closed. d’Orsay too was closed. Louis Vuitton, Chanel, etc. Perhaps ten minutes of Vespers at Notre Dame. Atelier for dinner. The waiter with a 5-day old son.
Of all places I visited during this trip, the services at Notre Dame have to be considered the biggest disappointment.
I think the services on Easter has to rank as the worst time to visit Notre Dame given the crowding leading to large number of people left to standing or sitting on the ground for up to a little over an hour. As a tourist or as a believer, the experience is likely to be highly unsatisfying.
Vast majority of people attending the mass have very little knowledge of how to act during the mass. Outnumbering the people attending the mass are tourists simply walking around the congregation while taking photographs with flash. During the Vespers service on Monday (when there were more free chairs), the tourists felt free to wander into the area for the congregation for photographs and videos.
At several places during the mass, the leader of the mass was waving his arms to extol the congregation to sing along. Most did not – in part because many people were without appropriate program. I imagine a rather large number of people did not speak French. Personally I felt rather sorry for his difficult task.
By comparison, Anglican services in England are considerably more dignified; I speak from experience in attending evensong at Westminster Abbey and Kings College Chapel in Cambridge. Only people attending the services are allowed in. Even though more than half of the people (and there are not many people) are tourists, everyone is compelled to act respectfully given the solemn setting. I suppose all these churches are in decline, but it seems to me that the English churches are dying with more dignity compared to French churches.
By the time dinner at Atelier was finished and back at the Hotel International, it was already 11; I had hoped for an earlier getaway to O’Sullivans. By the time I arrived it was 11:30 meaning I had barely over one hour if I were to take the Metro back to the hotel. It made for a very abbreviated night out not helped by the fact that I was rather worn out from this long trip. Probably the dancing wasn’t so bad but I did wonder seriously whether I would keep up with Salsa once I am far away from Cambridge and London scene. After all my previous pattern has been to abandon the old and take up something new and unexpected after each of my major moves. Bed around 1 AM.
Mystery Salsa Blogger Returns to Bar Salsa
April 6, 2009
A morning drive from Bath to Cambridge followed by an afternoon stroll in Cambridge. Train to London Kings Cross was extremely slow due to a supposed fatality at Finsbury Park (I wasn’t able to find any details on the web) so we did not arrive at the St. George’s Square apartment near Pimlico until more than one and half hour after the first estimated time. After wandering about Leicester Square, an awkward dinner at Mr Kong. I was finally more than ready to head to Bar Salsa at 11:30.
Past the turnstiles, I asked the tube attendant how late the trains run. 1 AM was the reply, and I said thanks as I skipped down the stairs (down escalator was undergoing a refurbishment estimated to last nearly 6 months). As I made way there, I decided that I would either try to leave at 12:40 or so or try walking back to determine how long it would take.
Once downstairs, I spotted a bunch of woman I see fairly often (but for the most part don’t dance with) as well as several old-timer leads – some I know a little more than others. Among people I recognized were Andrew, Robin, Shaan, Aiste, Laith and Sleek. I guess Robin must be living in London now if he’s now a regular at both SOS and Bar Salsa? Mario was deejaying all night, and I stopped by to say a brief hello.
I ended up staying until the start of the last song – close to 2 AM. I ended up with a good number of dances. It was fun for the most part. Nevertheless this second trip to Bar Salsa reinforced my impression that it still is less of pure dance venue compared to SOS. By this I mean there is more of a social and flirting element rather than a heavier and exaggerated emphasis on pure technique (although I feel that this description is poorly expressed and very liable for misinterpretation by a bystander and possibly even by me if I were to read this 10-20 years from now).
A few times I managed to end up watching other people dancing, my observation was that most leads here looked considerably sloppier than expected. I thought the musicality was particularly lacking although I better admit that different people may have a very different sense of what to do to achieve better musicality. Even in cases where it seemed like an effort was being made, my estimation was that their conception of musicality was quite different than my sensibilities. Who knows, of course, if my ideas evolve (which it almost certainly will if I keep this up) to match some of the people I saw tonight. Then again, the issue at hand may have more to do with mentality and possibly even technique (with a big caveat that I have no illusion that my technique is any better let alone flawless) rather than in differences in how people hear same music with different ears.
One girl there tonight seemed particularly taken with how I danced with her. Then again I would not be surprised if at least one or two girls were nonplussed about our connection. This is all without taking into account one’s ability to mask disappointment or delight. BO was an issue with at least one person.
The walk from Bar Salsa (north of Leicester Sq) to SGS (east of Pimlico) took about 35 minutes. This includes time spent to consult London AZ, to buy a drink a 24 hour convenience store, and to ask a photographer about a demonstration still going strong next to the Parliament building (near Westminster) – the demonstration was about the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.
p.s. Vishal apparently is committing to the Sauce path. Cue music.
A morning drive from Bath to Cambridge followed by an afternoon stroll in Cambridge. Train to London Kings Cross was extremely slow due to a supposed fatality at Finsbury Park (I wasn’t able to find any details on the web) so we did not arrive at the St. George’s Square apartment near Pimlico until more than one and half hour after the first estimated time. After wandering about Leicester Square, an awkward dinner at Mr Kong. I was finally more than ready to head to Bar Salsa at 11:30.
Past the turnstiles, I asked the tube attendant how late the trains run. 1 AM was the reply, and I said thanks as I skipped down the stairs (down escalator was undergoing a refurbishment estimated to last nearly 6 months). As I made way there, I decided that I would either try to leave at 12:40 or so or try walking back to determine how long it would take.
Once downstairs, I spotted a bunch of woman I see fairly often (but for the most part don’t dance with) as well as several old-timer leads – some I know a little more than others. Among people I recognized were Andrew, Robin, Shaan, Aiste, Laith and Sleek. I guess Robin must be living in London now if he’s now a regular at both SOS and Bar Salsa? Mario was deejaying all night, and I stopped by to say a brief hello.
I ended up staying until the start of the last song – close to 2 AM. I ended up with a good number of dances. It was fun for the most part. Nevertheless this second trip to Bar Salsa reinforced my impression that it still is less of pure dance venue compared to SOS. By this I mean there is more of a social and flirting element rather than a heavier and exaggerated emphasis on pure technique (although I feel that this description is poorly expressed and very liable for misinterpretation by a bystander and possibly even by me if I were to read this 10-20 years from now).
A few times I managed to end up watching other people dancing, my observation was that most leads here looked considerably sloppier than expected. I thought the musicality was particularly lacking although I better admit that different people may have a very different sense of what to do to achieve better musicality. Even in cases where it seemed like an effort was being made, my estimation was that their conception of musicality was quite different than my sensibilities. Who knows, of course, if my ideas evolve (which it almost certainly will if I keep this up) to match some of the people I saw tonight. Then again, the issue at hand may have more to do with mentality and possibly even technique (with a big caveat that I have no illusion that my technique is any better let alone flawless) rather than in differences in how people hear same music with different ears.
One girl there tonight seemed particularly taken with how I danced with her. Then again I would not be surprised if at least one or two girls were nonplussed about our connection. This is all without taking into account one’s ability to mask disappointment or delight. BO was an issue with at least one person.
The walk from Bar Salsa (north of Leicester Sq) to SGS (east of Pimlico) took about 35 minutes. This includes time spent to consult London AZ, to buy a drink a 24 hour convenience store, and to ask a photographer about a demonstration still going strong next to the Parliament building (near Westminster) – the demonstration was about the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.
p.s. Vishal apparently is committing to the Sauce path. Cue music.
Mystery Salsa Blogger Strikes Bristol
Long weekend based at Bath, UK
April 3, 2009
Two hour to Heathrow. Fifteen minutes wandering in Heathrow. Eton College. Windor Castle. Bibury. Arrival at Bath – Tasburgh Guest House. Wandering down to the canal path at sunset. Dinner at Sala Thai.
I forgot my power cord, so my laptop only has battery power until Monday – starting with less than 80% capacity to begin with. For some reason, internet connection was sporadic at Tasburgh on both April 3 and 4.
April 4, 2009
Roman Baths Museum. Walking in Bath. Stonehenge. Avebury Circle. Castle Combe. Lacock. Dinner at Peking Restaurant in Bath.
Around 9:40, I set forth for Bristol on A4. Bristol is a mere 13 mile or so away from Tasburgh, but the Google map estimated journey time was 30 minutes. No wonder. The route was filled with 30 and 40 mph zones. After two whole days of mistake-free navigation, I got lost twice within 5 minutes after leaving the hotel. Once I arrived at Bristol, it got much worse. It was only around 10:50 that I finally arrived at intended location (I did manage a free parking).
It was just as well that I arrived so late. The venue was called Warehouse, a new venue with a guy going by the name Eldj running the show upstairs for the Salsa crowd. However, I found a sign saying that upstairs Salsa room would open at 11 PM – rather than expected 10 AM. Hmm, maybe I should have taken hint from the Eldj emphasizing that the party ends at 3 AM while glossing over my other inquiries. Downstairs there were perhaps 30 people moving to Merengue and nondescript Latin music – with hardly anyone attempting partnering. At 11:05, the staircase was still blocked with a pair of chairs with the same 11 PM sign still attached to it. I had seen a bunch of people going up and down, so I decided to simply make my way inside.
Hmm. There was no physical barrier between downstairs and upstairs meaning in some areas, one could hear music from both floors. I found total of 9 people upstairs - two girls working at the bar, a pair of girls sitting with drinks – unlikely dancer candidates, a guy and two girls making a trio sitting far from the DJ booth – again very unpromising, and the DJ and a girl chatting with the DJ – the last one seemed the most likely candidate (and proved so later). The first song I was ready for happened to be a Cha so I asked her for a dance. I don’t think Cha On2 was her forte though. After a little thought, I decided to approach the DJ to make a request for a slower paced song for Salsa. I found La Llave (Grupo Latin Vibe) in his collection and decided that it would make for a reasonable re-set. I decided to stick to On1 this time.
For whatever its worth I didn’t bother with On2 all night; I don’t think there were any regular On2 dancers there tonight. I had thought it possible that there could be some On2 crowd based on the fact that Brendan was once based here. Of course one night in one venue cannot define the Bristol scene, and I am fairly sure that Warehouse Saturdays occupies the current hottest Salsa spot in Bristol right now. Also my best guess was that I did not see any local instructor or performer types tonight (but who knows for sure?)
I must say I had begun to worry that no one else with the most basic partner dance experience would show up by the fifth or the sixth song. I had made my second request by then (Soulsa – Estrellas Caiman) thinking that no one else who might care had showed up to that point. I might have come off seeming a little pushy so I decided to back off and left the DJ to his devices. In any case, I imagine he played several more songs picked with me as a likely enthusiastic audience (among other things he played a New Swing Sextet tune from their new album, Night In Tunisia by Sonora Poncena, Clasiqiendo Con Ruben by Afro-Cuban All-Stars) before returning to what I imagine were more in favor with the other locals finally arriving closer to midnight and beyond.
By the time I left around 12:40, the group upstairs had grown to as many a 30 or so. I’m guessing I danced with about 8-10 people for total of around 20 dances or perhaps twice as many as anyone else had danced up to that point. People there seemed to be predominantly Cuban style although I imagine that several of the girls danced slot or linear style with some partners in the past (and possibly one of the lead too except I though I saw him do Cuban at one point also). My initial expectation was low and it had fallen even further after the first 30+ minutes or so. So ending up with as many partners and dances I left the premises content.
I got lost after arriving in Bath after 1 AM. It was considerably simpler to find myself out of the mess, and there was no busy traffic to contend with unlike in Bristol.
April 5, 2009
Loss of water pressure during shower at Tasburgh, which has been a high class hotel slash guesthouse in general. A long day of driving. Dunster Castle. Exmoor (Porlock Weir-Lynmouth-Combe Martin-Ilfracombe). Clovelly. Another dinner at Peking.
I might expand the other travel section at some other point – not sure if I’ll post it in this blog though.
April 3, 2009
Two hour to Heathrow. Fifteen minutes wandering in Heathrow. Eton College. Windor Castle. Bibury. Arrival at Bath – Tasburgh Guest House. Wandering down to the canal path at sunset. Dinner at Sala Thai.
I forgot my power cord, so my laptop only has battery power until Monday – starting with less than 80% capacity to begin with. For some reason, internet connection was sporadic at Tasburgh on both April 3 and 4.
April 4, 2009
Roman Baths Museum. Walking in Bath. Stonehenge. Avebury Circle. Castle Combe. Lacock. Dinner at Peking Restaurant in Bath.
Around 9:40, I set forth for Bristol on A4. Bristol is a mere 13 mile or so away from Tasburgh, but the Google map estimated journey time was 30 minutes. No wonder. The route was filled with 30 and 40 mph zones. After two whole days of mistake-free navigation, I got lost twice within 5 minutes after leaving the hotel. Once I arrived at Bristol, it got much worse. It was only around 10:50 that I finally arrived at intended location (I did manage a free parking).
It was just as well that I arrived so late. The venue was called Warehouse, a new venue with a guy going by the name Eldj running the show upstairs for the Salsa crowd. However, I found a sign saying that upstairs Salsa room would open at 11 PM – rather than expected 10 AM. Hmm, maybe I should have taken hint from the Eldj emphasizing that the party ends at 3 AM while glossing over my other inquiries. Downstairs there were perhaps 30 people moving to Merengue and nondescript Latin music – with hardly anyone attempting partnering. At 11:05, the staircase was still blocked with a pair of chairs with the same 11 PM sign still attached to it. I had seen a bunch of people going up and down, so I decided to simply make my way inside.
Hmm. There was no physical barrier between downstairs and upstairs meaning in some areas, one could hear music from both floors. I found total of 9 people upstairs - two girls working at the bar, a pair of girls sitting with drinks – unlikely dancer candidates, a guy and two girls making a trio sitting far from the DJ booth – again very unpromising, and the DJ and a girl chatting with the DJ – the last one seemed the most likely candidate (and proved so later). The first song I was ready for happened to be a Cha so I asked her for a dance. I don’t think Cha On2 was her forte though. After a little thought, I decided to approach the DJ to make a request for a slower paced song for Salsa. I found La Llave (Grupo Latin Vibe) in his collection and decided that it would make for a reasonable re-set. I decided to stick to On1 this time.
For whatever its worth I didn’t bother with On2 all night; I don’t think there were any regular On2 dancers there tonight. I had thought it possible that there could be some On2 crowd based on the fact that Brendan was once based here. Of course one night in one venue cannot define the Bristol scene, and I am fairly sure that Warehouse Saturdays occupies the current hottest Salsa spot in Bristol right now. Also my best guess was that I did not see any local instructor or performer types tonight (but who knows for sure?)
I must say I had begun to worry that no one else with the most basic partner dance experience would show up by the fifth or the sixth song. I had made my second request by then (Soulsa – Estrellas Caiman) thinking that no one else who might care had showed up to that point. I might have come off seeming a little pushy so I decided to back off and left the DJ to his devices. In any case, I imagine he played several more songs picked with me as a likely enthusiastic audience (among other things he played a New Swing Sextet tune from their new album, Night In Tunisia by Sonora Poncena, Clasiqiendo Con Ruben by Afro-Cuban All-Stars) before returning to what I imagine were more in favor with the other locals finally arriving closer to midnight and beyond.
By the time I left around 12:40, the group upstairs had grown to as many a 30 or so. I’m guessing I danced with about 8-10 people for total of around 20 dances or perhaps twice as many as anyone else had danced up to that point. People there seemed to be predominantly Cuban style although I imagine that several of the girls danced slot or linear style with some partners in the past (and possibly one of the lead too except I though I saw him do Cuban at one point also). My initial expectation was low and it had fallen even further after the first 30+ minutes or so. So ending up with as many partners and dances I left the premises content.
I got lost after arriving in Bath after 1 AM. It was considerably simpler to find myself out of the mess, and there was no busy traffic to contend with unlike in Bristol.
April 5, 2009
Loss of water pressure during shower at Tasburgh, which has been a high class hotel slash guesthouse in general. A long day of driving. Dunster Castle. Exmoor (Porlock Weir-Lynmouth-Combe Martin-Ilfracombe). Clovelly. Another dinner at Peking.
I might expand the other travel section at some other point – not sure if I’ll post it in this blog though.
Salsa and Sauce
April 1, 2009
Club Salsa at Sauce - no joke. That it started on April 1st – priceless. Moving from 1 Station Road to 3 Station Road – sublime. The clincher? At the end of the night, I decided to take a peek at the old venue. Under new management of Mohammed Alabi, it’s reopening as Salsa-Cambridge will be re-opening on Friday 10 April 2009 at 9 PM. I wish all the best to Mohammed, who I feel is one of the nicest guys around in the Cambridge Salsa scene. I suppose he has wanted to run a Salsa club in Nigeria for a long time, so this might help in some ways. That Vish seems to be keeping open the option of running his Club Salsa at Sauce on Fridays rather than at Sorrento Hotel makes for a great deal of intrigue. It might be for the best that I won’t be around to see what happens firsthand – too much comedy.
I arrived at Sauce around 10 – maybe shortly before. I’m guessing the people there were the usual suspects plus some more people appearing to show support. Vish was there when I arrived but left shortly thereafter leaving one of his minions to gather up the old familiar DJ mixer and CD player at the end of the evening. Apparently Nicola is teaching with Cristian and Vish now, which probably explains appearance by Lindsey, Charlotte and Annette. Dan was there without Kafe. There also were a number of people I had not seen much recently – I think some of them had been regulars on Wednesdays, which I had lost track of for quite some time. Shorty and Abbe showed up later in the evening. I also tried to guess which one was the owner of Sauce – the one Vish had talked to me about a good number of times.
I had not expected much dancing, but it went much better than I expected. The party lasted until midnight with Cristian playing short snippets of pop anthems for kicks. The windows were fogged up by the heat generated by people dancing. Most of the people walking by seemed to be Salsa people; I suppose there might be a little more general foot traffic on weekends (this is one possible trump card Sauce has over Sorrento Hotel).
Apparently there is talk of converting the remaining carpeted floor to wood floor (e.g. downstairs and the elevated area on main floor) at the Sauce. I imagine that Sauce had been used to getting a decent number of Salsa dancers stopping by for drinks before, during and after lessons. In any case, the guy I pegged as the owner seemed to be getting a little kick out of hosting the dance party – if nothing else for novelty value. I might add that if there’s another flooding (and if I were a betting man, I would bet on more flooding), it should only affect small downstairs. I know I am biased, but it’s pretty obvious which side will be favored to “win” the latest battle of Salsa nights in Cambridge even with one less ammunition (read me), no?
Club Salsa at Sauce - no joke. That it started on April 1st – priceless. Moving from 1 Station Road to 3 Station Road – sublime. The clincher? At the end of the night, I decided to take a peek at the old venue. Under new management of Mohammed Alabi, it’s reopening as Salsa-Cambridge will be re-opening on Friday 10 April 2009 at 9 PM. I wish all the best to Mohammed, who I feel is one of the nicest guys around in the Cambridge Salsa scene. I suppose he has wanted to run a Salsa club in Nigeria for a long time, so this might help in some ways. That Vish seems to be keeping open the option of running his Club Salsa at Sauce on Fridays rather than at Sorrento Hotel makes for a great deal of intrigue. It might be for the best that I won’t be around to see what happens firsthand – too much comedy.
I arrived at Sauce around 10 – maybe shortly before. I’m guessing the people there were the usual suspects plus some more people appearing to show support. Vish was there when I arrived but left shortly thereafter leaving one of his minions to gather up the old familiar DJ mixer and CD player at the end of the evening. Apparently Nicola is teaching with Cristian and Vish now, which probably explains appearance by Lindsey, Charlotte and Annette. Dan was there without Kafe. There also were a number of people I had not seen much recently – I think some of them had been regulars on Wednesdays, which I had lost track of for quite some time. Shorty and Abbe showed up later in the evening. I also tried to guess which one was the owner of Sauce – the one Vish had talked to me about a good number of times.
I had not expected much dancing, but it went much better than I expected. The party lasted until midnight with Cristian playing short snippets of pop anthems for kicks. The windows were fogged up by the heat generated by people dancing. Most of the people walking by seemed to be Salsa people; I suppose there might be a little more general foot traffic on weekends (this is one possible trump card Sauce has over Sorrento Hotel).
Apparently there is talk of converting the remaining carpeted floor to wood floor (e.g. downstairs and the elevated area on main floor) at the Sauce. I imagine that Sauce had been used to getting a decent number of Salsa dancers stopping by for drinks before, during and after lessons. In any case, the guy I pegged as the owner seemed to be getting a little kick out of hosting the dance party – if nothing else for novelty value. I might add that if there’s another flooding (and if I were a betting man, I would bet on more flooding), it should only affect small downstairs. I know I am biased, but it’s pretty obvious which side will be favored to “win” the latest battle of Salsa nights in Cambridge even with one less ammunition (read me), no?
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