May 2010
It was another one-night-out-for-the-month. This is also a very late entry - by nearly a month. The venue visited was DCDC for the fourth Saturday. No dances with many of the old favorites usually would have spelled trouble. All things considered, it wasn't bad. I was asked for a Bachata while downstairs - a surprise. So why the infrequent outings? It's the obvious option number 1 - new GF does not dance, etc.
Unending Epilogue 13
April 2010
This is a much belated entry - nearly 3 weeks late. I went Salsa dancing twice in April. The first one was a house party hosted by Leah. The second was the fourth Saturday DCDC - I missed the second Saturday DCDC. I felt relatively fine at the house party despite having just returned from my Boston trip earlier in the evening (Apr 3), but I was feeling quite dead tired for the DCDC (Apr 24) and had to return home shortly after 1 AM. Normally I would have stayed well past closing time, but driving back from DCDC in the rain was a major headache and seemingly dangerous. I expect to be going out considerably less frequently indefinitely.
This is a much belated entry - nearly 3 weeks late. I went Salsa dancing twice in April. The first one was a house party hosted by Leah. The second was the fourth Saturday DCDC - I missed the second Saturday DCDC. I felt relatively fine at the house party despite having just returned from my Boston trip earlier in the evening (Apr 3), but I was feeling quite dead tired for the DCDC (Apr 24) and had to return home shortly after 1 AM. Normally I would have stayed well past closing time, but driving back from DCDC in the rain was a major headache and seemingly dangerous. I expect to be going out considerably less frequently indefinitely.
Boston Trip
Apr 1, 2010
I flew to Boston in the morning. My feelings about returning to Boston were mixed at best - at least while waiting for my connections on the T. The day was spent meeting Bob and his people as well as Peter and his people. Speaking with Bob was the highlight.
The "business" portion of the trip ended fairly early so I made it to the hotel - Club Quarters in the Financial District by 5 or so. Not bad. Water bottle service was the best unexpected bonus. I spent the leftover time to write a mail for Derek taking into consideration of Bob's advice.
Dinner was a sushi takeout from a nearby place called Samurai Eatery. Not great but cheap. Their miso soup was the biggest disappointment.
Ryles Jazz Club for Salsa (at Inman Square in Cambridge) was okay - nothing to write home about. Mostly On1 if they kept time at all - some were okay following On2.
I left early enough to catch the T back to Boston from Central Square.
Apr 2, 2010
Train trip to Worcester to meet with Craig and Mark. Good times. Dinner at Redbones with Craig, Brendan and Megan - Megan showing up despite feeling rather ill. The biggest scoop I was able to provide regarded a fun family trip planned by Zeke.
The Havana Club (at Central Square in Cambridge) was simply a bigger version of Ryles Jazz Club Salsa-wise. Quantity was greater than at Ryles on Thursday by considerable margin although the overall level was not very different.
I did stay to the end so ended up taking a very old taxi back to the hotel.
Apr 3, 2010
Nothing on the calendar. Lunch at Pho Pasteur. Purchased two used books at Brattle Book Shop - The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe and Truman by David McCullough. I still had time enough to catch Alice In Wonderland, which I found underwhelming - especially the 3D effect, and still made it to the airport with hours to spare.
I won a pair of Red Sox tickets at my flight gate. The airline was holding a trivia contest - Who hit the most home runs for Red Sox in '09? Jason Bay.
I flew to Boston in the morning. My feelings about returning to Boston were mixed at best - at least while waiting for my connections on the T. The day was spent meeting Bob and his people as well as Peter and his people. Speaking with Bob was the highlight.
The "business" portion of the trip ended fairly early so I made it to the hotel - Club Quarters in the Financial District by 5 or so. Not bad. Water bottle service was the best unexpected bonus. I spent the leftover time to write a mail for Derek taking into consideration of Bob's advice.
Dinner was a sushi takeout from a nearby place called Samurai Eatery. Not great but cheap. Their miso soup was the biggest disappointment.
Ryles Jazz Club for Salsa (at Inman Square in Cambridge) was okay - nothing to write home about. Mostly On1 if they kept time at all - some were okay following On2.
I left early enough to catch the T back to Boston from Central Square.
Apr 2, 2010
Train trip to Worcester to meet with Craig and Mark. Good times. Dinner at Redbones with Craig, Brendan and Megan - Megan showing up despite feeling rather ill. The biggest scoop I was able to provide regarded a fun family trip planned by Zeke.
The Havana Club (at Central Square in Cambridge) was simply a bigger version of Ryles Jazz Club Salsa-wise. Quantity was greater than at Ryles on Thursday by considerable margin although the overall level was not very different.
I did stay to the end so ended up taking a very old taxi back to the hotel.
Apr 3, 2010
Nothing on the calendar. Lunch at Pho Pasteur. Purchased two used books at Brattle Book Shop - The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe and Truman by David McCullough. I still had time enough to catch Alice In Wonderland, which I found underwhelming - especially the 3D effect, and still made it to the airport with hours to spare.
I won a pair of Red Sox tickets at my flight gate. The airline was holding a trivia contest - Who hit the most home runs for Red Sox in '09? Jason Bay.
Unending Epilogue 12
March 2010
My approach to Salsa this year seemed to have settled into twice or thrice a month local outing focusing on personal enjoyment without drama. I don't seek out beginners - at least not as much as before. There are not many people I ask for a dance more than once a night - no more than the number of people on the DNA list.
DCDC
There was to be only one this month because of a benefit event bumping the fourth Saturday event. Anyhow, it was a bit on the short side but still quite enjoyable. Going out less frequently hasn't made it less fun - in fact the opposite seemed true.
MDSX
Second weekend in a row to go out. This was the first time I went to the Baltimore area for Salsa. Likes of TS and JY had gone to Philly instead, but this turned out to be a fun event even without them. This was second event I have seen Ana Masacote, and I was able to take advantage for a second dance with her. Dancing with inactive locals who came out for the visiting guests were just as big a highlight.
One of the guys I met (Benny) tried to talk me into a spot called La Palapa Grill in Ellicott City. Chatted a bit with Brandon and Eric also. One of Brandon's videos ended up having extended cameo by me.
CG
I tried this for the first time in 2010, and this essentially made it third week in a row. I felt I could have done without this outing for a large part of the evening although it did get better as the night went along.
My approach to Salsa this year seemed to have settled into twice or thrice a month local outing focusing on personal enjoyment without drama. I don't seek out beginners - at least not as much as before. There are not many people I ask for a dance more than once a night - no more than the number of people on the DNA list.
DCDC
There was to be only one this month because of a benefit event bumping the fourth Saturday event. Anyhow, it was a bit on the short side but still quite enjoyable. Going out less frequently hasn't made it less fun - in fact the opposite seemed true.
MDSX
Second weekend in a row to go out. This was the first time I went to the Baltimore area for Salsa. Likes of TS and JY had gone to Philly instead, but this turned out to be a fun event even without them. This was second event I have seen Ana Masacote, and I was able to take advantage for a second dance with her. Dancing with inactive locals who came out for the visiting guests were just as big a highlight.
One of the guys I met (Benny) tried to talk me into a spot called La Palapa Grill in Ellicott City. Chatted a bit with Brandon and Eric also. One of Brandon's videos ended up having extended cameo by me.
CG
I tried this for the first time in 2010, and this essentially made it third week in a row. I felt I could have done without this outing for a large part of the evening although it did get better as the night went along.
Unending Epilogue 11
February 2010
Another quiet month. I only went out twice, both for DCDC. Both were quite good. I might be getting out of shape, however. My right leg was hurting after the second DCDC night this month. Meanwhile I seemed to have gained a little weight. A noteworthy new activity for me lately is playing the piano.
Another quiet month. I only went out twice, both for DCDC. Both were quite good. I might be getting out of shape, however. My right leg was hurting after the second DCDC night this month. Meanwhile I seemed to have gained a little weight. A noteworthy new activity for me lately is playing the piano.
Unending Epilogue 10
January 2010
I went out three times this month. Maybe I'm losing interest?
January 2, 2010. Resolution Jam. Two words - traffic jam.
January 9, 2010. DCDC. DC All-Stars workshop. Gray hair and long nails.
January 23, 2010. DCDC. I felt like a fake and a fraud. Too long a break?
I went out three times this month. Maybe I'm losing interest?
January 2, 2010. Resolution Jam. Two words - traffic jam.
January 9, 2010. DCDC. DC All-Stars workshop. Gray hair and long nails.
January 23, 2010. DCDC. I felt like a fake and a fraud. Too long a break?
An Impulsive NYE trip to Montreal - AKA I Need More Sleep
December 26, 2009
Seed of this trip was sown on my mind at the DCDC. I can’t remember – was it Tanya who tried to talk me into it? Or was it Jimmy? Josh and Dola helped in the instigation too.
December 28, 2009
The list was whittled down with Tanya dropping out. I told Jimmy and Luz that I was in as long as they still were interested. My understanding was that the plan would be carried out if we get a fourth person involved.
December 29, 2009
For a while it didn’t look like it wasn’t going to happen because Jimmy and Luz lacked a fourth. However by mid-afternoon, they decided to go never mind lack of interest from others. I needed something different to deal with doldrums and annoyances of every day life of late, and taking a crazy road trip involving well over 900 miles of driving roundtrip for a new year’s celebration seemed like a perfectly reasonable/insane prescription. Tally ho!
Sometime around 9 PM, I learned that we have a fourth! Kim! Who is she? Oh, I see – cool!
The initial plan according to Jimmy was to depart DC area sometime between 11 and midnight.
December 30, 2009
The plan was changed to a 1 AM departure, then a 2 AM departure.
Around 2:30 AM, Jimmy called me to say he’ll pick me up in 15 minutes. The Jimmy, Luz, Kim trio arrived shortly after 3:30 AM.
Jimmy’s GPS has an interesting set of driving directions involving multiple roads with traffic lights. Jimmy did most of the driving – despite the evidence to contrary. Blame motion sickness for Jimmy insisting this – or maybe it has to do with macho alpha male blah factor mentioned by Luz. It did mean a heavy dose of Jimmy’s music with Cameo being one of the highlights.
On route, I learned that a fifth person would be join us – for the drive back in anyway. She bought a one-way airplane ticket while we were still on the road. And I thought I was being impulsive. I guess I’ll find out the identity of our fifth Chelley at the party tonight.
Arrival at Montreal 2:30 PM. I had perhaps 2 hours of shuteye after breakfast. Luz did a little bit of the driving in New York with Kim riding shotgun. I was mostly dormant and passive on the rear left of the car. The topic of discussion was quite heavy-duty dance at a scope and depth I rarely get into so I mostly listened only. Snowy landscape in the mountains of New York made the snowscape in DC after the recent 20-inch snowfall pale in comparison.
Finding the Hotel Lord Berri was smoothly done in light snow. Finding a spot in the underground parking lot – much more difficult. I thought I was back in Europe seeing such tight space. Trying to back out of the underground lot with snow on the ground was something we could not do without severe risk to our health.
In search of a restaurant, we went west on Rue Berri for two blocks – a reasonable start. Then we turned right on Boulevard de Maisonneuve (wrong!), then turned right again on Rue Saint-Hubert (getting colder!), then turned left on Rue Ste-Catherine (icing on the cake). After a few more blocks, we turned around heading south on Rue Ste-Catherine until we finally found Rue St-Denis, which was the street I was looking for in the first place based upon Jimmy talking about the Latin Quarter. We ate at Lymai (Vietnamese), which was all right considering how little effort we placed in finding quality – we were too cold to look around much. Jimmy was particularly happy with his fish dish. My Pad Thai would have to be ranked somewhere in the middle of all the Pad Thais I have tried to date. Kim seemed happy enough with her dish (with spinach, not pork) whereas Luz appeared underwhelmed with hers. Jimmy, Luz and I also stopped for desserts (pistachio éclair was a hit I think... my tiramisu was so so) at La Brioche Lyonnaise on the way back to the hotel.
Before the party started, we opted for a nap for a couple of hours with the alarm set at 8:30 PM. Easier said than done. There were signs all against it such as when Luz came back from check-in with lists of things not allowed in the hotel (it included no bottles in the hallway) or a large crowd of young people in the lobby surrounding tables advertising nightlife tour of Montreal or a hotel personnel reassuring us that these party-seeking folks were all staying at floor below us. The truth was that there were plenty of loud unruly kids on our floor (the ninth) with people keeping their doors open looking to converse with other people passing on the hallway. On their defence, I would imagine that the last thing they would have expected was bunch of sleep-deprived people in the hotel wanting quiet-time between 6-9 PM the evening before new year’s eve.
The hubbub at the hotel reminded me of my freshman dormitory, in particular of one night when one of the sophomores got angry one night by noise generated by us freshmen partying on the hallway while he was trying to sleep. Security was called then too. I wonder what the reaction of the proprietors and security personnel – both at the dormitory and the hotel.
Chellely called during preparations to say she made it to the airport but not her luggage, which led to a scramble to help piece together an emergency outfit for her between extra clothing, make-up and accessories Luz and Kim had. I was most surprised by large earrings Luz decided to use.
I think we arrived at the Cat’s Corner Studio a little after 11. For me it was quite an enjoyable party on par with my first night at the DC congress. Best part – plenty of likeable followers to choose from. This was a rare night where everyone I danced with was someone I had never danced with before – all I had to do was not dance with Luz or Kim. I thought such was a rather unique event at the time, but in retrospect this sort of thing happened many times before (e.g. when I was visiting new places by myself – London, Portland, Madrid, Paris, DC). I must have been too tired to think straight. More or less the only weak part was humidity, which led to me stop dancing for the last half hour in an attempt to dry off. I was far from dried by the nominal closing time of 2 AM.
Eating after big Salsa event apparently is considered a DC tradition of sorts. Dola, Josh and Kelvin joined the group for this outing. Hanging out with this crew was cool, but food was not particularly to my liking. I did not bother with poutine, a Quebec diner staple. Then again, their pogo (corndog) was not very good either.
December 31, 2009
I think I had about 6 hours of sleep after going to sleep around 5 AM.
Dola and Kelvin joined our group of 5 at the Lord Berri Hotel for a brunch outing. Late brunch – it did not end until 4 PM after all. The venue of choice was Brioche Lyonnaise in Latin Quarter (Rue St. Denis). It turned out to be a pretty good choice. Clean fresh healthy-ish breakfast rather than a greasy spoon. Omelettes were popular (both of the typical “complete” style and of salmon-themed “Norvegiene” style). Kelvin seemed to be in a competitive eating mode – having his two main dishes as well as digging in on a crepe someone else ordered but never got around to touching. His aim was to not needing to eat again until the end of the party. Despite cleaning my plate of omelette, potatoes and fruits, I felt like an amateur eater in this crowd – maybe it’s because I have been living in Europe for so long. I thought it ironic that I was having such a drawn out meal back in the Americas after not being involved in such scene in the UK. We also made the waitress work a lot asking for various items one at a time whether it was jam, coffee, ketchup or Tabasco sauce.
What can be done for diversion of a couple of hours in a cold dark night in a unfamiliar city with a large group of people? Hang out at a mall, of course. After a couple of blocks of walking mostly along Rue Ste Catherine good for a few heckles and a short taxi ride, we found ourselves on Avenue McGill College. After some fooling around for photos, we had about half hour for shopping in the large underground shopping complex. I imagine we might never have found a pharmacy without a native help in that maze. More touristy was the walk up the Avenue McGill College towards Sherbrooke admiring holiday decorations and a large group of people statues for more photo ops – at least until we were told off the public artwork by the security personnel.
After a stop at the Hotel Delta Montreal in the middle of rehearsals, Kim, Chelley and Luz headed back to the hotel on a cab while Jimmy and I decided to wander back in a more leisurely manner on foot. There was one clothing shop open where I amused myself checking out the silly T-shirt with clever/silly/provocative messages while Jimmy chatted away with an attendant. Then there was a public arts display next to Musee d’Art Contemporain de Montreal with red and white lights on the ground. A conversation with a Hilton employee in front of a men’s dress shop further convinced Jimmy that he want to come back to Montreal again and to take advantage of $60/night specials.
The Salsaglam NYE party was supposed to be a dress-up party. Kim had a black dress chosen whereas Chelley wore a gold-toned dress. Luz picked a black-and-white striped dress over a red dress, which would be saved for later in the weekend. Jimmy arguably had the most number of flip-flops regarding ties, trousers and belts. The only other debate I got involved was about the choice of eyelash glue (for translation purpose only – natural rubber glue or special eyelash glue?). I just put on the suit I brought along with a blue tie chosen over two other ties I brought along. I wonder if the lack of effort I put in at least as demonstrated by the amount of time spent in this process was considered shocking.
The girls were very interested in watching the shows. Jimmy and I were less interested – we were more concerned with food. Because most of the nearby restaurants were closed by 10 PM, we ended up in a sandwich shop, which was not so bad all things considered. By the time we returned, the shows were half over. The most talked about show was done to the song Smooth Operator, which I only caught a few glimpses of while walking in and looking for a reasonable spot to stand and watch.
By the time the shows were over and the chairs cleared, it was essentially the time for champagne and a countdown to New Years (probably not done to the official time).
The party itself for Salsa dancing alone was less enjoyable for me compared to the pre party. Finding people I wanted to dance with seemed problematic especially during the early part of the evening. I suppose this should not be considered surprising - a high priced fancy dress party on a big family holiday would not attract the same hardcore dance crew as a pure dance big events (e.g. congresses). The fact that it was as good as it was perhaps should be considered remarkable.
Biggest complaint - music by the second DJ was full of problems – premature stops both unintentional and intentional, degraded sound quality in addition to some songs simply not to my liking period. By after 2 AM, I thought the party was getting close to becoming something of a fiasco and that the venue might be over soon.
Music was more to my liking starting with Dola moving into the DJ booth and with the people who played after Dola. Dancing too became more enjoyable after I gave up on having great dances - and after I finally gave up wearing a tie around 3 AM. Of course, this begs the question, “what is a great dance?” For that matter, what is an enjoyable dance?
I never got around to dancing with Luz during this trip. Lately it has been a 50/50 proposition. I also danced only once with both Chelley (last night) and Kim (tonight) while in Montreal.
Anyway, I did manage to survive until 6 AM closing. Survive is the keyword - I felt so weary. Incredibly the number of people who stayed to closing was quite large with total number of people in the room staying about the same after 3 AM or so. I had taken along multiple extra shirts, which seemed like a good idea given the conditions at the pre party, but I never came close to feeling a need to change - possibly because of good ventilation (none visible) or because I did not exert myself for long at any point during the night. Dancing with jacket and tie on was not so bad either - I was careful not to overexert myself.
Perhaps the amount of enjoyment I had in this trip was the best I could have hoped for given all the recent bouts of dark moods brought upon in no small part by DS. Of course, I imagine I might have skipped Montreal if it weren’t for DS.
Why do I dance Salsa these days? Perhaps because it’s the only reason why I go out and socialize and without it I may simply turn into a hermit? Then again if this is the case, shouldn’t I try to find some other avenue – at least not become dependent on a single activity?
January 1, 2010
I did not get to sleep until after 7 AM (or was it 8 or 9 AM?). Hotel checkout was 1 PM.
Brunch was once again at La Brioche Lyonnaise lasting well past 4 PM. Same waitress as yesterday. Jimmy took over Kelvin’s part of big orderer from yesterday. Arguably the most pleasant times spent in Montreal were at the two brunches. Nice relaxed atmosphere with pleasant company. I switched to Norvegiene omelette, which I preferred over the “complete.” The least successful dish was crepe flambée (Grand Marnier) – possibly because it sat around for too long before it was lit. Others enjoyed quiche and key lime pie. As relaxing as it was, it did mean a very late start for the drive back.
Between this and that, we did not get to the US-Canada border custom until 7 PM. Chelley joined us at the duty-free shop just outside the border. Even with a big car, fitting 5 people instead of 4 made a significant difference. Apparently the middle seat in the back was rather uncomfortable. It was snowing for a large part of the drive especially up north. Once again Jimmy did the vast majority of the driving – all the way from Montreal to Clara Barton rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. Two other stops were made in upstate New York (Subway for dinner) and a Exxon mart in Pennsylvania. Jimmy by then was no longer in condition to drive. Kim drove from Clara Barton to BWI for a little over an hour. After some search for Chelley’s car (going from level 5 to 3 before finding it at 4C), I took over for BWI to home for half an hour or so. I missed the exit for 295 Southbound somehow and ended up taking 95 instead.
By the way I had not seen how big an impact iPhone had on general populace in person until this trip. It is well beyond an electronic toy for geeky boys – grown up women seemingly find it as essential as a make-up kit or a handbag. Well - perhaps a better description is a lifestyle changing experience – they were spending enormous amount of time using the device. Blame wireless internet, facebook, youtube and their like also.
Home arrival was a little past 6 AM. I collapsed on my bed after directing Kim to route 1. It was a relief to drive a familiar car.
Resolution Jam in less than 24 hours? A cause for celebration or a big groan?
Seed of this trip was sown on my mind at the DCDC. I can’t remember – was it Tanya who tried to talk me into it? Or was it Jimmy? Josh and Dola helped in the instigation too.
December 28, 2009
The list was whittled down with Tanya dropping out. I told Jimmy and Luz that I was in as long as they still were interested. My understanding was that the plan would be carried out if we get a fourth person involved.
December 29, 2009
For a while it didn’t look like it wasn’t going to happen because Jimmy and Luz lacked a fourth. However by mid-afternoon, they decided to go never mind lack of interest from others. I needed something different to deal with doldrums and annoyances of every day life of late, and taking a crazy road trip involving well over 900 miles of driving roundtrip for a new year’s celebration seemed like a perfectly reasonable/insane prescription. Tally ho!
Sometime around 9 PM, I learned that we have a fourth! Kim! Who is she? Oh, I see – cool!
The initial plan according to Jimmy was to depart DC area sometime between 11 and midnight.
December 30, 2009
The plan was changed to a 1 AM departure, then a 2 AM departure.
Around 2:30 AM, Jimmy called me to say he’ll pick me up in 15 minutes. The Jimmy, Luz, Kim trio arrived shortly after 3:30 AM.
Jimmy’s GPS has an interesting set of driving directions involving multiple roads with traffic lights. Jimmy did most of the driving – despite the evidence to contrary. Blame motion sickness for Jimmy insisting this – or maybe it has to do with macho alpha male blah factor mentioned by Luz. It did mean a heavy dose of Jimmy’s music with Cameo being one of the highlights.
On route, I learned that a fifth person would be join us – for the drive back in anyway. She bought a one-way airplane ticket while we were still on the road. And I thought I was being impulsive. I guess I’ll find out the identity of our fifth Chelley at the party tonight.
Arrival at Montreal 2:30 PM. I had perhaps 2 hours of shuteye after breakfast. Luz did a little bit of the driving in New York with Kim riding shotgun. I was mostly dormant and passive on the rear left of the car. The topic of discussion was quite heavy-duty dance at a scope and depth I rarely get into so I mostly listened only. Snowy landscape in the mountains of New York made the snowscape in DC after the recent 20-inch snowfall pale in comparison.
Finding the Hotel Lord Berri was smoothly done in light snow. Finding a spot in the underground parking lot – much more difficult. I thought I was back in Europe seeing such tight space. Trying to back out of the underground lot with snow on the ground was something we could not do without severe risk to our health.
In search of a restaurant, we went west on Rue Berri for two blocks – a reasonable start. Then we turned right on Boulevard de Maisonneuve (wrong!), then turned right again on Rue Saint-Hubert (getting colder!), then turned left on Rue Ste-Catherine (icing on the cake). After a few more blocks, we turned around heading south on Rue Ste-Catherine until we finally found Rue St-Denis, which was the street I was looking for in the first place based upon Jimmy talking about the Latin Quarter. We ate at Lymai (Vietnamese), which was all right considering how little effort we placed in finding quality – we were too cold to look around much. Jimmy was particularly happy with his fish dish. My Pad Thai would have to be ranked somewhere in the middle of all the Pad Thais I have tried to date. Kim seemed happy enough with her dish (with spinach, not pork) whereas Luz appeared underwhelmed with hers. Jimmy, Luz and I also stopped for desserts (pistachio éclair was a hit I think... my tiramisu was so so) at La Brioche Lyonnaise on the way back to the hotel.
Before the party started, we opted for a nap for a couple of hours with the alarm set at 8:30 PM. Easier said than done. There were signs all against it such as when Luz came back from check-in with lists of things not allowed in the hotel (it included no bottles in the hallway) or a large crowd of young people in the lobby surrounding tables advertising nightlife tour of Montreal or a hotel personnel reassuring us that these party-seeking folks were all staying at floor below us. The truth was that there were plenty of loud unruly kids on our floor (the ninth) with people keeping their doors open looking to converse with other people passing on the hallway. On their defence, I would imagine that the last thing they would have expected was bunch of sleep-deprived people in the hotel wanting quiet-time between 6-9 PM the evening before new year’s eve.
The hubbub at the hotel reminded me of my freshman dormitory, in particular of one night when one of the sophomores got angry one night by noise generated by us freshmen partying on the hallway while he was trying to sleep. Security was called then too. I wonder what the reaction of the proprietors and security personnel – both at the dormitory and the hotel.
Chellely called during preparations to say she made it to the airport but not her luggage, which led to a scramble to help piece together an emergency outfit for her between extra clothing, make-up and accessories Luz and Kim had. I was most surprised by large earrings Luz decided to use.
I think we arrived at the Cat’s Corner Studio a little after 11. For me it was quite an enjoyable party on par with my first night at the DC congress. Best part – plenty of likeable followers to choose from. This was a rare night where everyone I danced with was someone I had never danced with before – all I had to do was not dance with Luz or Kim. I thought such was a rather unique event at the time, but in retrospect this sort of thing happened many times before (e.g. when I was visiting new places by myself – London, Portland, Madrid, Paris, DC). I must have been too tired to think straight. More or less the only weak part was humidity, which led to me stop dancing for the last half hour in an attempt to dry off. I was far from dried by the nominal closing time of 2 AM.
Eating after big Salsa event apparently is considered a DC tradition of sorts. Dola, Josh and Kelvin joined the group for this outing. Hanging out with this crew was cool, but food was not particularly to my liking. I did not bother with poutine, a Quebec diner staple. Then again, their pogo (corndog) was not very good either.
December 31, 2009
I think I had about 6 hours of sleep after going to sleep around 5 AM.
Dola and Kelvin joined our group of 5 at the Lord Berri Hotel for a brunch outing. Late brunch – it did not end until 4 PM after all. The venue of choice was Brioche Lyonnaise in Latin Quarter (Rue St. Denis). It turned out to be a pretty good choice. Clean fresh healthy-ish breakfast rather than a greasy spoon. Omelettes were popular (both of the typical “complete” style and of salmon-themed “Norvegiene” style). Kelvin seemed to be in a competitive eating mode – having his two main dishes as well as digging in on a crepe someone else ordered but never got around to touching. His aim was to not needing to eat again until the end of the party. Despite cleaning my plate of omelette, potatoes and fruits, I felt like an amateur eater in this crowd – maybe it’s because I have been living in Europe for so long. I thought it ironic that I was having such a drawn out meal back in the Americas after not being involved in such scene in the UK. We also made the waitress work a lot asking for various items one at a time whether it was jam, coffee, ketchup or Tabasco sauce.
What can be done for diversion of a couple of hours in a cold dark night in a unfamiliar city with a large group of people? Hang out at a mall, of course. After a couple of blocks of walking mostly along Rue Ste Catherine good for a few heckles and a short taxi ride, we found ourselves on Avenue McGill College. After some fooling around for photos, we had about half hour for shopping in the large underground shopping complex. I imagine we might never have found a pharmacy without a native help in that maze. More touristy was the walk up the Avenue McGill College towards Sherbrooke admiring holiday decorations and a large group of people statues for more photo ops – at least until we were told off the public artwork by the security personnel.
After a stop at the Hotel Delta Montreal in the middle of rehearsals, Kim, Chelley and Luz headed back to the hotel on a cab while Jimmy and I decided to wander back in a more leisurely manner on foot. There was one clothing shop open where I amused myself checking out the silly T-shirt with clever/silly/provocative messages while Jimmy chatted away with an attendant. Then there was a public arts display next to Musee d’Art Contemporain de Montreal with red and white lights on the ground. A conversation with a Hilton employee in front of a men’s dress shop further convinced Jimmy that he want to come back to Montreal again and to take advantage of $60/night specials.
The Salsaglam NYE party was supposed to be a dress-up party. Kim had a black dress chosen whereas Chelley wore a gold-toned dress. Luz picked a black-and-white striped dress over a red dress, which would be saved for later in the weekend. Jimmy arguably had the most number of flip-flops regarding ties, trousers and belts. The only other debate I got involved was about the choice of eyelash glue (for translation purpose only – natural rubber glue or special eyelash glue?). I just put on the suit I brought along with a blue tie chosen over two other ties I brought along. I wonder if the lack of effort I put in at least as demonstrated by the amount of time spent in this process was considered shocking.
The girls were very interested in watching the shows. Jimmy and I were less interested – we were more concerned with food. Because most of the nearby restaurants were closed by 10 PM, we ended up in a sandwich shop, which was not so bad all things considered. By the time we returned, the shows were half over. The most talked about show was done to the song Smooth Operator, which I only caught a few glimpses of while walking in and looking for a reasonable spot to stand and watch.
By the time the shows were over and the chairs cleared, it was essentially the time for champagne and a countdown to New Years (probably not done to the official time).
The party itself for Salsa dancing alone was less enjoyable for me compared to the pre party. Finding people I wanted to dance with seemed problematic especially during the early part of the evening. I suppose this should not be considered surprising - a high priced fancy dress party on a big family holiday would not attract the same hardcore dance crew as a pure dance big events (e.g. congresses). The fact that it was as good as it was perhaps should be considered remarkable.
Biggest complaint - music by the second DJ was full of problems – premature stops both unintentional and intentional, degraded sound quality in addition to some songs simply not to my liking period. By after 2 AM, I thought the party was getting close to becoming something of a fiasco and that the venue might be over soon.
Music was more to my liking starting with Dola moving into the DJ booth and with the people who played after Dola. Dancing too became more enjoyable after I gave up on having great dances - and after I finally gave up wearing a tie around 3 AM. Of course, this begs the question, “what is a great dance?” For that matter, what is an enjoyable dance?
I never got around to dancing with Luz during this trip. Lately it has been a 50/50 proposition. I also danced only once with both Chelley (last night) and Kim (tonight) while in Montreal.
Anyway, I did manage to survive until 6 AM closing. Survive is the keyword - I felt so weary. Incredibly the number of people who stayed to closing was quite large with total number of people in the room staying about the same after 3 AM or so. I had taken along multiple extra shirts, which seemed like a good idea given the conditions at the pre party, but I never came close to feeling a need to change - possibly because of good ventilation (none visible) or because I did not exert myself for long at any point during the night. Dancing with jacket and tie on was not so bad either - I was careful not to overexert myself.
Perhaps the amount of enjoyment I had in this trip was the best I could have hoped for given all the recent bouts of dark moods brought upon in no small part by DS. Of course, I imagine I might have skipped Montreal if it weren’t for DS.
Why do I dance Salsa these days? Perhaps because it’s the only reason why I go out and socialize and without it I may simply turn into a hermit? Then again if this is the case, shouldn’t I try to find some other avenue – at least not become dependent on a single activity?
January 1, 2010
I did not get to sleep until after 7 AM (or was it 8 or 9 AM?). Hotel checkout was 1 PM.
Brunch was once again at La Brioche Lyonnaise lasting well past 4 PM. Same waitress as yesterday. Jimmy took over Kelvin’s part of big orderer from yesterday. Arguably the most pleasant times spent in Montreal were at the two brunches. Nice relaxed atmosphere with pleasant company. I switched to Norvegiene omelette, which I preferred over the “complete.” The least successful dish was crepe flambée (Grand Marnier) – possibly because it sat around for too long before it was lit. Others enjoyed quiche and key lime pie. As relaxing as it was, it did mean a very late start for the drive back.
Between this and that, we did not get to the US-Canada border custom until 7 PM. Chelley joined us at the duty-free shop just outside the border. Even with a big car, fitting 5 people instead of 4 made a significant difference. Apparently the middle seat in the back was rather uncomfortable. It was snowing for a large part of the drive especially up north. Once again Jimmy did the vast majority of the driving – all the way from Montreal to Clara Barton rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. Two other stops were made in upstate New York (Subway for dinner) and a Exxon mart in Pennsylvania. Jimmy by then was no longer in condition to drive. Kim drove from Clara Barton to BWI for a little over an hour. After some search for Chelley’s car (going from level 5 to 3 before finding it at 4C), I took over for BWI to home for half an hour or so. I missed the exit for 295 Southbound somehow and ended up taking 95 instead.
By the way I had not seen how big an impact iPhone had on general populace in person until this trip. It is well beyond an electronic toy for geeky boys – grown up women seemingly find it as essential as a make-up kit or a handbag. Well - perhaps a better description is a lifestyle changing experience – they were spending enormous amount of time using the device. Blame wireless internet, facebook, youtube and their like also.
Home arrival was a little past 6 AM. I collapsed on my bed after directing Kim to route 1. It was a relief to drive a familiar car.
Resolution Jam in less than 24 hours? A cause for celebration or a big groan?
Unending Epilogue 9
December 2009
Dec 1. BD. Pretty good one. Sonido Bestial.
Dec 4. Spates Hall. Fewer people than last month. I still enjoyed it despite no dancing for first 30 min. Jesus and Nicole. A very long song - as long as she liked it, no problem for me. Next one apparently competes with DCDC - yuck.
Dec 8. BD. Earl knew something when he said rain keeps DC dancers away. Heavy rain. Poor anticipation of deejaying - the Cha Cha + 2 Merengue + 2 Bachata did not start until 10:30. A later 1 Merengue + 2(!) Bachata was followed by Vamonos Pal Monte (yes the original). I avoided a live-band CG last night.
Dec 12. DCDC. Most enjoyable music at this setting thus far - DJs were Neo and Steve. Steve went quite commercial in fact. Perhaps more follower heavy than usual. A late photo led to a fairly long FB exchange. BC still on a HYM routine. LR ill. No LV. Mel. Chats with Abdul. Nice dances with D.
Dec 14. CG. Mac/Yuno week. Quite crowded. Maybe somewhat fewer dances than usual - probably not - perhaps I merely didn't ask some of the usual suspects. A few wrong turns on the way to 19th and K.
Dec 15. BD. Mac/Yuno week. Beto made an appearance. Record crowd. What's with freaking out when going off slot - especially for safety?! Also I almost poked TS's eyes out.
Dec 19. This date was supposed to be Jesus & Nicole event except it was postponed by a record snowfall.
Dec 26. DCDC. Party for Psyon. No B-day dance. I opted out too. Quite crowded.
Dec 28. CG. Very crowded. Too crowded.
Montreal next?
Dec 1. BD. Pretty good one. Sonido Bestial.
Dec 4. Spates Hall. Fewer people than last month. I still enjoyed it despite no dancing for first 30 min. Jesus and Nicole. A very long song - as long as she liked it, no problem for me. Next one apparently competes with DCDC - yuck.
Dec 8. BD. Earl knew something when he said rain keeps DC dancers away. Heavy rain. Poor anticipation of deejaying - the Cha Cha + 2 Merengue + 2 Bachata did not start until 10:30. A later 1 Merengue + 2(!) Bachata was followed by Vamonos Pal Monte (yes the original). I avoided a live-band CG last night.
Dec 12. DCDC. Most enjoyable music at this setting thus far - DJs were Neo and Steve. Steve went quite commercial in fact. Perhaps more follower heavy than usual. A late photo led to a fairly long FB exchange. BC still on a HYM routine. LR ill. No LV. Mel. Chats with Abdul. Nice dances with D.
Dec 14. CG. Mac/Yuno week. Quite crowded. Maybe somewhat fewer dances than usual - probably not - perhaps I merely didn't ask some of the usual suspects. A few wrong turns on the way to 19th and K.
Dec 15. BD. Mac/Yuno week. Beto made an appearance. Record crowd. What's with freaking out when going off slot - especially for safety?! Also I almost poked TS's eyes out.
Dec 19. This date was supposed to be Jesus & Nicole event except it was postponed by a record snowfall.
Dec 26. DCDC. Party for Psyon. No B-day dance. I opted out too. Quite crowded.
Dec 28. CG. Very crowded. Too crowded.
Montreal next?
Unending Epilogue 8
November 2009
This was a month where DCDC Saturdays were followed immediately by Jimmy's social, which helped to discourage me from taking a trip to NYC. Of course, I've kept making excuses after excuses. I have no idea when I'll get around to visiting - perhaps never at this rate.
Nov 2. CG. I was there from around 9:40 to well past midnight for mere 4 dances. Bruno seemed to have made up for the lack of music I did not enjoy last week. The Chinita song was played once again. The night ended with talking about the state of affairs with J&T.
One month of waiting is stretching to two months with no obvious end in sight. DS is being highly frustrating, missing his own deadlines repeatedly.
Nov 7. TS birthday dinner preceded a visit to a Timba social at Bethesda late. I took several wrong turns on the way, and by the time of my arrival it was essentially a private party. TS, JY, LR, BC as well as Julie, Christian, Hans and Naj(?) made up the final Bethesda group from a larger dinner group.
Watching old television shows is diverting - probably too much so.
Nov 9. CG. DCSM night. There were more people to dance with than usual. It was LV's first visit to CG apparently. Lisa-lookalike again - she recognized me first. Despite missing dances with likes of LR, this was one of the most enjoyable CG night - best in a long time especially for On1.
After all I have more or less run out of old movies.
Nov 14 -. DCDC. Somewhat light night. I opted out of B-day dance - I just couldn't bring myself to join.
Reading on the other hand is something I seem to have lost interest in for a time being. I still haven't finished 2666.
Nov 17. BD. The turnout felt light in the beginning but it filled up nicely. Two dances with MB to start off - was surprised to see her there. Sylvia. Carl.
DC scene is large enough that it can be difficult to figure out if someone is new to the scene or had been out of circulation or had been running in different social circles.
Nov 21. Spates Hall. Interesting security check-in. Nice space. Fast floor. Many people. Couples crowd in large part. Many non-dancers present (by non-dancers I include people with zero experience). Running out of partners to ask for dance was something of an issue - all too common in past few months. Manuel spoke with mic too far away - not a particularly effective MC.
SF. I have more time than ever to spend my free time there. Ugh.
Nov 23. CG. Very rainy. Very difficult driving condition - lane markers nearly invisible. No TS - toe trouble. No JY either. JHU chitchat with A/S. Sylvia for 1 1/2 dance once again. There were 2 others with 2 dances - something of a rarity outside DCDC. About a third of the songs played tonight were used at BD last week by DJ Sonero substituting for Bruno.
Facebook too. Here, however, I avoid revealing yet I do much digging. I think I might be doing myself a favor by not making many facebook friends because it can oh so easily become an enormous time sink.
Nov 28. DCDC. Heavy turnout due to DCSM. Wet mirrors. I thought I was going to suffocate after first few dances. Betto from NC (not Philly) was there - LV was right and I was wrong. Likeable music.
To act or wait, that is the question. Inaction is so easy, but it does make certain sense.
This was a month where DCDC Saturdays were followed immediately by Jimmy's social, which helped to discourage me from taking a trip to NYC. Of course, I've kept making excuses after excuses. I have no idea when I'll get around to visiting - perhaps never at this rate.
Nov 2. CG. I was there from around 9:40 to well past midnight for mere 4 dances. Bruno seemed to have made up for the lack of music I did not enjoy last week. The Chinita song was played once again. The night ended with talking about the state of affairs with J&T.
One month of waiting is stretching to two months with no obvious end in sight. DS is being highly frustrating, missing his own deadlines repeatedly.
Nov 7. TS birthday dinner preceded a visit to a Timba social at Bethesda late. I took several wrong turns on the way, and by the time of my arrival it was essentially a private party. TS, JY, LR, BC as well as Julie, Christian, Hans and Naj(?) made up the final Bethesda group from a larger dinner group.
Watching old television shows is diverting - probably too much so.
Nov 9. CG. DCSM night. There were more people to dance with than usual. It was LV's first visit to CG apparently. Lisa-lookalike again - she recognized me first. Despite missing dances with likes of LR, this was one of the most enjoyable CG night - best in a long time especially for On1.
After all I have more or less run out of old movies.
Nov 14 -. DCDC. Somewhat light night. I opted out of B-day dance - I just couldn't bring myself to join.
Reading on the other hand is something I seem to have lost interest in for a time being. I still haven't finished 2666.
Nov 17. BD. The turnout felt light in the beginning but it filled up nicely. Two dances with MB to start off - was surprised to see her there. Sylvia. Carl.
DC scene is large enough that it can be difficult to figure out if someone is new to the scene or had been out of circulation or had been running in different social circles.
Nov 21. Spates Hall. Interesting security check-in. Nice space. Fast floor. Many people. Couples crowd in large part. Many non-dancers present (by non-dancers I include people with zero experience). Running out of partners to ask for dance was something of an issue - all too common in past few months. Manuel spoke with mic too far away - not a particularly effective MC.
SF. I have more time than ever to spend my free time there. Ugh.
Nov 23. CG. Very rainy. Very difficult driving condition - lane markers nearly invisible. No TS - toe trouble. No JY either. JHU chitchat with A/S. Sylvia for 1 1/2 dance once again. There were 2 others with 2 dances - something of a rarity outside DCDC. About a third of the songs played tonight were used at BD last week by DJ Sonero substituting for Bruno.
Facebook too. Here, however, I avoid revealing yet I do much digging. I think I might be doing myself a favor by not making many facebook friends because it can oh so easily become an enormous time sink.
Nov 28. DCDC. Heavy turnout due to DCSM. Wet mirrors. I thought I was going to suffocate after first few dances. Betto from NC (not Philly) was there - LV was right and I was wrong. Likeable music.
To act or wait, that is the question. Inaction is so easy, but it does make certain sense.
Trick or treat
October 31, 2009
It was supposed to be a treat to myself for an uninspiring month of October.
The event schedule showed early evening show from 7:30 to 8:30 PM and late evening show from 9 to 10:30 PM. I thought catching the late show might be fine but not essential. Since I left home at 8:30, I knew I would only catch the end of the late show only if there was no problem with my driving unless the shows started late.
The drive was more expensive than I would have liked. There was the 200+ mile roundtrip to consider. I thought avoiding Baltimore Harbor Tunnel would save toll fee, but I ended up on Fort McHenry Tunnel, which had the same toll fee ($2 each way). I also had not counted on toll on route 95 northbound in Maryland north of Baltimore ($5) although I had remembered toll on route 95 in Delaware ($4 each way). So paying toll alone cost $17 for this trip. The night pass was $30.
Incidentally I had considered going to New York this weekend instead of Philadelphia. Remind me not to drive. Add more toll fee – Delaware Memorial Bridge ($3 return), New Jersey Turnpike (probably $8 each way or more), and Holland or Lincoln Tunnel ($6 to Manhattan). Take the bus (it’s cheaper. e.g. Chinatown buses, Bolt Bus or even Greyhound) or the train (most comfortable) instead. Anyway, it is a pain to visit NYC for a day trip living in the suburbs.
Google map erroneously stated that I should take exit 6 towards Ridley Park off route 95 to get to the Ramada at Philadelphia airpot. It was exit 8. I took exit 6 then got back on before getting lost after taking exit 7 and ending up on Macdade Blvd and Fairview Rd. Fortunately I was able to get instructions to get to the Ramada Inn via local routes thanks to a couple of bystanders by some fast food eatery. I managed to find parking by 10:40 PM.
There were many DC folks there including Tanya, Tommy, Brandon, Julie, Earl, Renzo, Josh, Janet as well as some people whose names I caught via meetup or facebook photos (e.g. Masahiko from Station 9 fiasco, Adrienne, Masha) and a few others including some I dance well with in DC. There were also some Philly people I knew from other connections. Unfortunately as the evening progressed, it became evident that there were very few Philly natives, whom I could develop decent dance chemistry.
So the highlights ended up being dancing with “big-name” instructor-performer types. Two highlights were Vanda and Burju – I had never danced with either before, and I liked dances with both – I liked the songs too although perhaps Tlahuanaco is not without its difficulties (no complaint about Rumbon Melon). I don’t think I pushed them much – not that I feel particularly competent especially as of late. Magna was there, but I failed to spot her until very late. I thought about asking her for a dance, but I opted out after seeing her looking concerned about some leg injury. Hopefully I’ll find her without ailments one of these days. So what about others “big-name” followers? The fact that I am wondering about this is a little disconcerting because there wasn’t any “new” follower who I had strong favorable impression aside from Vanda and Burju. Was Griselle Ponce or Liz Lira there? If so, did I dance with either of them? If so, was our dance chemistry so poor that I found them unremarkable? For whatever its worth, the number of “big-name” leaders I saw were spotty too – Nuno, MarioB and Cristian Oviedo were there, but I did not see Shaka or Victor and failed to spot Al Espinoza assuming he was there.
I think this might have been the first time I have heard two Bachata followed by one or more Merengue at a Salsa congress.
Songs played included Ana Y Saoco (Angel Canales), Hay Craneo (Tito Rodriguez), Hong Kong Mambo (Tito Puente – remix), Cuando Te Vea (Tito Puente), Tlahuanaco (Alfredo Linares), Picadillo (Cal Tjader & Eddie Palmieri), Tres Dias De Carnaval (Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco), Mambo Mongo (Mongo Santamaria), Nabori (Cheo Feliciano), Alafia (Joe Cuba Sextet), Oyelo (Johnny Colon), Lady (Orquesta Palabra), Calle Luna Calle Sol (Willie Colon), Rumbon Melon (Joe Pastrana) among others.
The Halloween costume contest had five finalists – Roman Legionnaire, Urkel, Burju (as Madonna?), Hooters waitress (worn by a guy) and a pair of elderly 60s/70s partygoers. The first three had a dance-off for the top 3 prize runoff, won ultimately by Urkel.
I may have danced only once during the last hour or so. Around 1:30 or 2 or so, I thought I should leave by 3 or so, but I ended up lingering until 3:30. Only when I turned the car engine on I realized that it would have been 4:30 AM without the end of the daylight savings hour.
Drive back was dark and rainy. It was very difficult to see the road markings, and there were more than usual share of nutty drivers. On a section of the empty road with four lanes, I was on the right lane and saw a slow moving car in the second from right lane. I decided to pass it from its left-side as I ought to, but this car all of sudden for no reason decided to change lane to left as well just as I was about to pass it. Bloody hell! I had to move one more lane to avoid hitting this car before hitting the klaxon in irritation. Later in the drive on a three-lane road, I found a car stopped dead in the middle lane with its lights on but without any hazard lights. Stopping in the breakdown lane is dangerous enough. What are these people thinking?
Treat it wasn’t.
It was supposed to be a treat to myself for an uninspiring month of October.
The event schedule showed early evening show from 7:30 to 8:30 PM and late evening show from 9 to 10:30 PM. I thought catching the late show might be fine but not essential. Since I left home at 8:30, I knew I would only catch the end of the late show only if there was no problem with my driving unless the shows started late.
The drive was more expensive than I would have liked. There was the 200+ mile roundtrip to consider. I thought avoiding Baltimore Harbor Tunnel would save toll fee, but I ended up on Fort McHenry Tunnel, which had the same toll fee ($2 each way). I also had not counted on toll on route 95 northbound in Maryland north of Baltimore ($5) although I had remembered toll on route 95 in Delaware ($4 each way). So paying toll alone cost $17 for this trip. The night pass was $30.
Incidentally I had considered going to New York this weekend instead of Philadelphia. Remind me not to drive. Add more toll fee – Delaware Memorial Bridge ($3 return), New Jersey Turnpike (probably $8 each way or more), and Holland or Lincoln Tunnel ($6 to Manhattan). Take the bus (it’s cheaper. e.g. Chinatown buses, Bolt Bus or even Greyhound) or the train (most comfortable) instead. Anyway, it is a pain to visit NYC for a day trip living in the suburbs.
Google map erroneously stated that I should take exit 6 towards Ridley Park off route 95 to get to the Ramada at Philadelphia airpot. It was exit 8. I took exit 6 then got back on before getting lost after taking exit 7 and ending up on Macdade Blvd and Fairview Rd. Fortunately I was able to get instructions to get to the Ramada Inn via local routes thanks to a couple of bystanders by some fast food eatery. I managed to find parking by 10:40 PM.
There were many DC folks there including Tanya, Tommy, Brandon, Julie, Earl, Renzo, Josh, Janet as well as some people whose names I caught via meetup or facebook photos (e.g. Masahiko from Station 9 fiasco, Adrienne, Masha) and a few others including some I dance well with in DC. There were also some Philly people I knew from other connections. Unfortunately as the evening progressed, it became evident that there were very few Philly natives, whom I could develop decent dance chemistry.
So the highlights ended up being dancing with “big-name” instructor-performer types. Two highlights were Vanda and Burju – I had never danced with either before, and I liked dances with both – I liked the songs too although perhaps Tlahuanaco is not without its difficulties (no complaint about Rumbon Melon). I don’t think I pushed them much – not that I feel particularly competent especially as of late. Magna was there, but I failed to spot her until very late. I thought about asking her for a dance, but I opted out after seeing her looking concerned about some leg injury. Hopefully I’ll find her without ailments one of these days. So what about others “big-name” followers? The fact that I am wondering about this is a little disconcerting because there wasn’t any “new” follower who I had strong favorable impression aside from Vanda and Burju. Was Griselle Ponce or Liz Lira there? If so, did I dance with either of them? If so, was our dance chemistry so poor that I found them unremarkable? For whatever its worth, the number of “big-name” leaders I saw were spotty too – Nuno, MarioB and Cristian Oviedo were there, but I did not see Shaka or Victor and failed to spot Al Espinoza assuming he was there.
I think this might have been the first time I have heard two Bachata followed by one or more Merengue at a Salsa congress.
Songs played included Ana Y Saoco (Angel Canales), Hay Craneo (Tito Rodriguez), Hong Kong Mambo (Tito Puente – remix), Cuando Te Vea (Tito Puente), Tlahuanaco (Alfredo Linares), Picadillo (Cal Tjader & Eddie Palmieri), Tres Dias De Carnaval (Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco), Mambo Mongo (Mongo Santamaria), Nabori (Cheo Feliciano), Alafia (Joe Cuba Sextet), Oyelo (Johnny Colon), Lady (Orquesta Palabra), Calle Luna Calle Sol (Willie Colon), Rumbon Melon (Joe Pastrana) among others.
The Halloween costume contest had five finalists – Roman Legionnaire, Urkel, Burju (as Madonna?), Hooters waitress (worn by a guy) and a pair of elderly 60s/70s partygoers. The first three had a dance-off for the top 3 prize runoff, won ultimately by Urkel.
I may have danced only once during the last hour or so. Around 1:30 or 2 or so, I thought I should leave by 3 or so, but I ended up lingering until 3:30. Only when I turned the car engine on I realized that it would have been 4:30 AM without the end of the daylight savings hour.
Drive back was dark and rainy. It was very difficult to see the road markings, and there were more than usual share of nutty drivers. On a section of the empty road with four lanes, I was on the right lane and saw a slow moving car in the second from right lane. I decided to pass it from its left-side as I ought to, but this car all of sudden for no reason decided to change lane to left as well just as I was about to pass it. Bloody hell! I had to move one more lane to avoid hitting this car before hitting the klaxon in irritation. Later in the drive on a three-lane road, I found a car stopped dead in the middle lane with its lights on but without any hazard lights. Stopping in the breakdown lane is dangerous enough. What are these people thinking?
Treat it wasn’t.
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