Friday 19th September 2008 sees Hitchin's biggest venue, the REMIX nightclub and bar, opens its doors to some of the best local bands, djs, art and dance. Be there, or be really really miserable! Read on to find out more about the various bands, DJs, dancers and activities, plus an exclusive free mix for download to give you a taste of what to expect.

Look out for the lovely jubbly ROGUE flyers (left), kindly designed for us by street-art pioneer, Adam King.

| INDIE | HIP HOP | RAVE | PUNK | ELECTRO |
| HOUSE | GRIME | ROCK | DNB | CLASSIX |

LIVE BANDS, LIVE DJs, LIVE DRAWING, LIVE DANCE

ONLY £4 EARLY ON, £5 LATER

DOORS OPEN 8PM til 2AM

16+ Bring ID

| Remix Nightclub | 20-21 Hermitage Road | Hitchin |
| Phone 07739840039 | Email doglatin@gmail.com |

| ROGUE FACEBOOK GROUP | ROGUE FACEBOOK EVENT | ROGUE MYSPACE PAGE |

LIVE BANDS:

GIRLS ON TOP

Three girls, one (by now probably fairly crushed, given their name) guy - all punk group, from Camden's trashy anti-fashion underworld. This ain't no mucking about faux-mo pretension bullshit - what we have here is raw, undiluted rock'n'roll ballroom bliss.

Snotty, wild and untethered - their last appearance in Hitchin saw a packed out venue full of mentalists going cocking wild to a molotov cocktail of 80s punk, 70s glam and 60s garage rock.

Look out for their third album, 'A Taste Of Cyanide', and check out their MySpace for more sickness.

NEW GROOVE FORMATION

The Bedford eight-piece are in their fourth year of wowing crowds with their unique funked-up brand of frazzled rock.

Mixing funky beats with reggae grooves and dub breaks then adding a pinch of ska, there aim is simply to get the floor moving and the crowd shaking.

Having played all over the country with such names as Babyshambles, the Dead 60s, Bad Manners, The Beat and a whole host of alternative gods - who knows, maybe NGF will be the next?

Check out www.newgrooveformation.com for more details, or cock an ear toward the MySpace to hear some sounds.

WEIGHTLOSS

If you thought the days of upbeat, horn-driven 2-tone influenced punk were behind us, well so do Weightloss! It never stopped them spitting in the faces of the emo hordes though, and if anything the Hertfordshire septet offer much more to the table than any of the white-belt scenesters or brow-beaten ska punk chancers who dare challenge their thrones as the UK's number one skacore geezers. Their soon to be released album 'Our Thoughts Are Just Noise' sees a band breathing life back into a long-neglected genre with true musicianship, lyrical swagger and ideas aplenty; while their energetic live show is not to be missed.

Check out the Weightloss Myspace to get some ska punk up in your trunk.

LIVE DANCE TROUPE:

The ADDICTION Dancers

ROGUE is proud and honoured to welcome Hertfordshire's number one all-girl dance troupe who will be performing choreographed and free-style dancing throughout the night.

Check out this video of the Stevenage 12-piece doing their thang:

See www.myspace.com/addictiongirlies for more info.

LIVE DJS

DJ DOG LATIN

DJ DOG LATIN aka DJ Book Shiv aka Charlie Frame is Rogue's resident beat surgeon and head promoter. Using only a knackered old desktop with software obtained through ill-gotten means, Dog Latin splices and dices beats and melodies from every corner of the musical spectrum. With up to 40 tracks being played in the space of an hour, 2ManyDJs and DJ Yoda with ADHD and wouldn't be a far off description.

Download an exclusive, free copy of Dog Latin's Rogue mix from July 2008 right here!

MAFF

ROGUE's own bootleg bastard will be mashing up everything from indie treasures to 80s pop gems and many more. He's been on the Rogue crew as a DJ and promoter since day one and his shows never fail to kick up a storm!

BLONDE JONNY

NEW TO ROGUE, but not to Hitchin's DJ circuit by any means, Jonny returns to his hometown to cause a house and electro ruckus after making his name in the big smoke. His own night, Camden's 'Crossover' has received rave reviews, being compared to a mini-version of the famous Bugged Out events in London.

DA HUI

DA HUI aka Matt Turner has been a regular face on the local scene for years. The pint-sized turntable terrorist specialises in the tougher side of alt-dance, mixing up breaks, drum'n'bass, trance and techno to provide a floor-shaking climax to the night's proceedings.

LIVE DRAWING:

CHLOE AND REG aka GOAWAY-COMEBACK are Rogue's in house visual team. Responsible for the awesome crowd projections at previous nights, they're now giving you the chance to add your own touch to the way the club looks!

Using a canvas, backlight and camera, they'll be inviting those of an artistic bent to get their painting hats on and draw a 10-minute creation which will be projected live onto the walls as it takes place.

Contact them on the Live Drawing Facebook group for more details.

All in all we're expecting a wicked and fun night. Drink offers at the bar, plus FREE SWEETS! You know you don't wanna miss this one.

Adios

Charlie and the Rogue crew x

So no expectation. Just try to have fun! :)

www.lamania.ro www.myspace.com/arpiar

1. De cate ori iesi in oras pe luna?
2. Ai avut perioade in care ai vrut sa te lasi?
3. De fiecare data a esuat aceasta incercare de a te lasa de iesit?
4. Iti place la nebunie sa te distrezi in oras?
5. Cercul tau de prieteni e in proportie de 70% format din oameni care ies in club si ei?
6. Cand iesi intr-un club te saluta cel putin 10 persoane?
Cinci intrebari simple dar relevante.
Daca la prima raspunsul este peste 4 si la restul DA. Este clar esti dependent!!!

Pentru mine, rezultatul acestui test a venit ca o confirmare a unui lucru pe care il cunosteam deja, sunt intradevar dependenta de viata de noapte si sincer nu e o dependenta la care vreau sa renunt prea curand, caci o singura data in viata suntem tineri.

http://www.styleguide.ro

Majoritatea dintre voi stiu cum arata acest club, in scurt timp el se va schimba ca imagine incercand sa faca pe plac unui public tot mai pretentios si mai curajos.

Cluburile au incetat sa mai fie acel loc in care mergi sa bei o bere cu prietenii, sa dansezi o piesa la moda sau sa te intalnesti cu gasca. Sunt mult mai mult de atat. In cluburi totul se schimba fata de ceea ce se intampla pe strada. Nu mai poti veni intr-un club cu aceeasi vestimentatie casual cu care mergi pe strada. In club incerci noi experiente cu oameni ca si tine dar diferiti de cei de pe strada.

I was in complete denial about leaving Toronto. I made goodbye efforts nearly everyday of my last two weeks there. Lunch, dinner, and cake dates, and drinks as well. I have never gone out for lunch or dinner as often as those few weeks. Thursday night I went out with my university friends and it felt as if I were playing pretend at leaving. It seemed like only the next night we'd find ourselves at some other pub in Mirvish Village or on someone's patio draining a few cold ones. However, we're not, and I'm somewhere else now.

I had wanted to do the things I always dismissed as touristy before I left the city. Go to the Distillery District and take in the brewery tours (I had meant to suggest this as a house event as I was living with three guys who definitely like their beer), finally go up the CN Tower, embrace a Taste of the Danforth without getting pissed off about the f-ing large crowds, or (gasp!) even go clubbing if only to realize exactly what I hate about it in the first place.

Other things I meant to do but didn't were the things I knew would be the last time I'd have done them. Buy a loaf of marbled rye at Silverstein's on McCaul (best rye in Toronto),

get an order of pad thai at either Red Room or Flip Toss 'n' Thai (or both - they're very different), relax on the patio at Hemingway's with sangria in hand, get a coffee at Futures,

sushi at Sushi on Bloor (New Gen is no longer my preference), walk through Kensington Market (daytime only!) to buy nuts and dried fruit from the Mexican lady, a final trip to Centre Island, go on a leisurely bike ride, or even just party hard with my friends (I missed the last rager - I knew I'd get too out of control anyway).

I think part of the reason I feel so unfazed about leaving Toronto is the fact that the Toronto I experienced this past year is so different from the Toronto of my undergrad. Autumn of last year had a strange vibe to it - the kick off was the mass exodus of my closest friends (a few stayed behind, but it still really rocked my world). Being thrust into the workforce opened up a new realm of stress I hadn't encountered before and exposure to the shittiest landlords anyone could possibly ever have really blew away any conception I had of Toronto as being flawless. Two more friends left by Christmas, but in the New Year a lot came back which really revitalized my sentiment for the city.

I've spent my entire adult life here and it's where the majority of my memories have been born and fostered. A lot of who I am today I owe to the privilege of having lived in this city for so long. Granted, it's no NYC, but to me it was a big city with a neighbourhoody feel and nothing else will ever compare. I'm not sad about it yet, but I'm the first person to wax nostalgic for anything so I know it's around the corner, waiting to pounce on me sometime soon. But until that hits me, Toronto will remain my jump off for the next cliched chapter of my life. I pray that I'll love Aberdeen just the same.

Copyright © 2008 WrappedUpInBooksBlog. All rights reserved.

Spaniards are nocturnal on the weekends. That is the only way I can explain it.

Clubs only begin to get hopping at 2 AM... and pepole stay until sunrise.

Saturday night, I went out with a bunch of people to Mae West, a popular club with two levels. Along the way we would stop off at different restaurants/bars/pubs and order a drink. With each drink, one would recieve a free tapa, an order. One could get sandwhiches, eggs, rices, etc. I got a baked potato with sour cream...

We arrived to Mae West at 2 AM. The girls got in easily, but we were ID'd. The floor was crazy. I didn't bring my camera for fear of losing it, but imagine probably close to 1000 people dancing and drinking with blaring music and streaming lights. It also took place in a smoky haze, the main downside to the club.

We stayed until a little after 5AM or so, and decided to walk back. We got back at a little before 6. I showered and went to bed... and got up at 6PM-- 12 hours later! Oy. It was a fun night... but definately cannot do that very often.

At 16 I was running the 100m in 11.1s, untrained…
At 17 I was county champion at the 110m high hurdles in a time of 14.4s…
I then started training properly with a coach at the local athletics club and extended myself into the 200m (23.7s), 400m (47.7s?) and the 400m high hurdles (54s and the hardest event I have EVER competed in!)

Then I foolishly tried snowboarding on a ski trip…fell on an ice field and twisted my knee really badly. I forget what the injury was exactly but it involved me trapping a nerve behind my knee cap. This meant instant agony followed by a lack of pain until (somehow - the air pressure?) on the flight home it was released and pain flooded over me. Had an ambulance meet us on the runway to rush me away to hospital.
Needless to say, since then I have never got close to those personal bests again.

Oh yeah, and at the age of 18 I was at university drinking beer and smoking cigarettes whilst studying all the hours available between parties and night clubs. Maybe that was more of an influence…?

HAPPY BDAY JONNIE & LILI

it was a blast
now now now who's next??

Friday night was suppose to go with VnT to get the items for our cheese fondue lunch on Saturday. Only we couldn't get parking anyway decent, so we gave up to go have bubble t at Utopia instead. We were then meant to meet Miss J at Vanni's sister's apartment to play pool, because I am such an awesome player and I have my own unique style of playing. ;) LOL. Only Miss J canceled on us, and Kf ended up coming by to play pool with us. Only then he decided that the call of Chaifly's Wii was too strong and wanted to go over and play that. So Vnt and him went to Chaifly's place, and I went to MB's place.

He complains about the south being too dark and having a lack of traffic lights... well I'm sorry but his street is darker and more confusing than anywhere south! I could not recognize ANY of the houses, and I couldn't remember what number he said his house was, so I made him come out into the cold in his PJs to find me. Hehehe! After hanging around his place while he attempted to fix his computer, we went to meet the others at MinQ. Saw the most interesting people there. There was a chick who's "dress" was more like a shirt. It was so short and everything was just about to fall out. I give full credit to who ever made that dress because the stitching was holding it together really well. :P Well done! But seriously, she was really drunk, and every few seconds, she'll adjust herself in full view of everyone. Every time I looked up, she had her hand up her dress pulling down the material underneath it. >.< Vnt saw her stick her hand down her top to adjust her boobs. :| Sooooooooo glad I didn't see that. Chaifly's sister saw her dealing in the toilets earlier on too. :\ Explains why her and her friend were the most flamboyant ones out of that group.

Saturday was girl's day at Vnt's sister's place. We made cheese fondue for lunch and it was super duper yummy. I'm not too sure if it was the cheese or the combination of the cheese, wine and food. But yeah, so filling, so yummy. We then sat around talking and painting our nails. :) Missy Chrissy had to leave straight after lunch, but it was a nice relaxing day. :) Vnt and I then sat around the rest of the evening talking and waiting for our nail to dry properly. When Vnt went off to have a shower, I was on the couch trying to get through to Zoom. After awhile, I ended up falling asleep on the couch, and was only woken up when Vnt came running out of the shower screaming because one of her nail polish was chipped. Got a message from MB informing me he was now drunk. LOL. I was still sitting around thinking that maybe I should start getting ready to go out. :P So I gave him a call to see just how "drunk" he was. I barely heard anything but his friends in the background screaming. LOL. We figured by then that we really should start getting ready because we still hadn't eaten dinner yet either.

We got to Metros and then went to get food. It was then that we got a call from Tc that she was at Crown for a friend's birthday, and so we went to find her. Had a few drinks there, and there was a guy there who because of his hair... or lack of.... that I remember him. I see him around the place, but I didn't know he knew my friend. He was telling us that the Chambord went well with lemonade, and VnT and I were like. Yes. Chambord goes well with everything! :P

Met up with the others at Metros. It was really good. Not as many people we knew out and about, but it was still good. :) Had a lot to drink, but it wasn't until really later when the others were totally off their face when I finally felt a little bit tipsy. :S I guess it was ok though. Everyone else thought I was drunk, so I just let them believe that. Hehehe! After we got home, VnT and I were still pretty high, so we chatted some more. I got a few messages and that from my friends and my brother who didn't know I was staying over.

Woke up on Sunday, and was sitting around when I got a call from my brother telling me that mum had canceled dad's birthday dinner, and wants me to meet them for lunch at Dragon Palace instead. So I went off to meet them for lunch while VnT went to meet her dad at the temple. We then went over to Chaifly's place and I watched his tv, while VnT played around on FB and Lil A and Chaifly studied. I got tired and sleepy, so went home. Met up with MB after dinner.

On my way out mum was like: "WHAT?! Going out again? You've been out all weekend! Why don't you want to watch the closing ceremony with us?" I didn't watch the opening, what makes you think I'll watch the closing? *shrugs* Anyways, we went to Makan2 where they had it on as well. Apparently his mum said the same thing as my mum to him too. LOL. Mums. :)

"IO,DJ"

musica, moda, stili di vita. Perché il mondo è diventato una gigantesca pista da ballo?

di Claudio Coccoluto e Pierfrancesco Pacoda

[ed. Einaudi, 2008]

[audio http://www.brunopompa.org//bruno/coccopod1.mp3]

With band Abòn (g., dj.), Kristian Wentzel (key.).

Chinawhite
Date: 17 November 2008 (man.)
Time: 21:30
Doors open: 21:00 - 03:00
Entry: £5 Concession entry before 10pm / £10 concession entry after 10pm / £15 General Admission
Address: 6 Air Street, Soho / Piccadilly Circus, London W1B 5AA
Website: www.chinawhite.com
Google map

There are reports going around that two days after Crown Princess Mary left the Beijing Games for her vacation with the couple's two young children, Frederik hit the Clup P superclub and had one too many drinks. Even worse, the club's theme was the "Playboy Mansion" - modelling itself after the Hugh Hefner's magazine and mansion.

The Danish heir's group, including former Danish tennis player Kenneth Carlsen, was involved in heavy drinking before Frederik took part in a wild session on the dance floor.

At one point he was spotted taking the bunny ears from a waitress and putting them on a friend.

His bodyguards intervened at 3am and told the prince it was time to go home, it was reported.

The royal family is already dealing with published photos of young Prince Christian naked during a beach trip last month. Now, with these reports coming out about her husband's behavior while she was away, Crown Princess Mary may not be having the vacation she was wishing for.

After much talk and Maya's persistence, I ended up going too: SOCIAL OBLIGATION.

SO off we went to the city, battling traffic and bitching about idiotic drivers surrounding. Off to a great start.

We were expecting 2 kinds, a man (37) and a boy (24), while all of us girls fell into the range between the two. Ideally, the man would have been the preferred choice because everyone knows that women like older men. But we were not prepared to be proven wrong.

37 was old-looking, Italian, and wore a shirt that would not button all the way to the collar (too tight, or something). He brought another friend, could be a couple of years younger who was also Italian, but didn't share the same DOM* appearance. Both did not consume any alcohol.

THE ITALIAN STRATEGY: Man stays completely sober. Brings woman over to house. Gives her lots of red wine. Does not let her out until the next morning.

After sometime, 24 turns up dressed very decent. Apparently, a law student from a public university. Quiet, stands in the corner, cannot shake hands with people properly. Only talks to one person.

LAW STUDENT: Shy and underexposed. What the hell is he doing in a place like this???

After a while, the 37 and friend move to the entrance to the toilet, undressing with their eyes every woman or girl that passes. Making moves on strangers, dances like a Chippendale.

We make like a banana and split. And went to KFC to bitch about the opposite sex.

My advice (which someone once gave me) is that these are not the best of places to meet a man. In fact, the library might be a better option. As for me, I think I will try my hunting in an airport or on a plane.

*Dirty Old Man

Rushed down to class after work but today, I am joining a different class as I remodule my subject as I actually skipped the previous semester. I got to school late as I was at Suntec with a client measuring the site.

Class was ok, made 2 new friends today and we formed a group to work on the project. Marketing Management is the class today. Sounds tough to me... But I love marketing as a subject, it is very interesting and the theories really can be applied to our everyday life...

The Boyfriend is having a company dinner thus he ain't free to meet up with me. I am damn hungry and all I could think about is the claypot rice at Deli Vege. So, I made my way down to the restaurant alone to have my dinner. When I walked in, the customers in the shop all turned to look at me (actually, there's only 2 tables as it is already 10pm), I guess they must be wondering why am I taking my dinner at such late hours.

I couldn't care less about them and sat down, ordered my food and while waiting, just chill myself out at the restaurant. I use to not be able to eat alone as I would feel very awkward but all that has change. Guess people am changing all the time just like the time will never stop, things will never stop changing.

The claypot rice is nice as yummylicious as usual and I enjoyed myself thoroughly but I do feel guilty, for eating so much at such hours but wasting food is a big crime, so I better finish up all my food or else next time my future hubby face will be filled with holes.

Adrian sent Mabel down and she took my car from there. We went to Tanjong Pagar where FengJiao and her girlfriends are at. They were at this thai disco named 99. I got a little culture shock initially but gradually, I learn to enjoy myself there. Guess the group really does count and we were just this bunch of girls, having fun among ourselves.

We went over to another Thai disco at Shenton way after that and it is crowded like hell. Goodness! Sex does sell very well all across the world. Guess this is the trade that will never die, but many will never want to do too.

We went over to Geyland to have supper and chit chat a little. Adrian picked Mabel from the disco and I followed his car and blardy hell, his car is fast de... My lao pok pok Nissan lose many lamp poles. So sad... I am gonna throw my lao pok pok away... Nevermind, I am waiting patiently for my new car to come, then I will zeng and make it vroom vroom... Got home at 6+am and it is no joke, even my bones are aching from all the dancing. Limpei is old already... Cham...

Now, empowered with WordPress, WiFi, and my illuminated keyboard, I'm going to get it all down. The way it was all meant to be. Bigger, longer, and uncut.

I'm a very picky dancer and clubber, so these "Rules to Clubbing" aren't for everyone. To lay a couple things down:

1. I don't go to clubs to make friends.
2. I don't go to clubs to get ass.
3. I don't go to clubs to get crunk.

So really, I'm not that girl you see in the bar dancing on tables because I have no self respect. I'm probably dancing, usually not on a table, because I like the music. I'm not there to build a superficial network (That's what MySpace is for!) or find my next hook-up. (For the record, I don't do the hook-up thing and pretty much never have.) I'm also not a big spender or a big drinker, so alcohol is nowhere near the top of my list. I'm just there to move something. I'm often that cheapass at the bar ordering a cup (not a bottle - Bottles cost money.) of water unless someone else in my crew offers me a free drink.

Snobby? Classy? Yeah, sure, maybe.

So, partnering. How does one choose a dance partner in a club when the main prerogative of most clubgoers is to freak, and not so much to dance? (I address partnering before dancing because, as I mentioned before, most people go for the potential partnerships, not for the dancing.)

Whoa whoa whoa, what's "freaking?"
"Freaking," sometimes known as "grinding," is a type of partner dancing that happens nearly exclusively in nightclubs. It's actual dirty dancing, whereas movies of the same title were more so all about empowered sexy dancing or freedom of artistic expression.

Freaking involves a lot of physical contact. (Forgive me for the blunt graphic nature of the following descriptions, but) Freaking in a heterosexual club typically involves two positions:

1. Guy and girl facing each other, interlocking at the legs.
2. Guy behind girl, "spooning" upright.

I'm not going to go into how to freak because then I'd feel like I'm bordering on some sort of bad voyeuristic smut, but I will say this much: Freaking can be hot. Did I mention there was lots of contact? That means your nerves are physically stimulated, and if you have alcohol flowing through your system, it's not like the contact's even necessary in order to pique your senses.

Since there's so much stimulation between one body and another, guys often get aroused. (You like how I didn't beat around the bush about guys getting erections on the dancefloor? Yeah, me too.) It's the goal for some, the pride of many, and the awkward minuscule elephant in the room for most...

All that said, let's get back to:

The Rules to Clubbing
Partnering.

1. Don't freak your friends. In case it wasn't clear before, I'm just not comfortable with making myself look like a promiscuous girl. (And no, I don't like that song.) I'm big on self respect, self reflection, and having control over people's perceptions of me (or at least being aware of such). That means I'm not cool with giving my social circles reasons to whisper with raised eyebrows and be all like "Oh my God, girl, didjoo see her dancin' all up on Mortimer? Did they leave together? Oh he-ey!" No, no chance. I don't dance with my guy friends. Aside from opening the gates for potential gossip, dancing that closely to guy friends is also just awkward. Immah lay it straight. I don't want to feel my guy friend's penis right behind my ass. I find it uncomfortable. Drunk or otherwise, I step away. I don't even like the poking feature on Facebook. Freaking with a guy friend would be weir-rd!
2. One song per partner. If you've gone clubbing before, you've seen those couples: The ones that just don't seem to detach from each other, causing you to think, "Hey, something's a little off and dirty with these two." Get a room! Part of not dancing with each other too obscenely much is respect for others in the club, and part of it is just saving you from the mistake of replacing healthy human communication with hormone-driven body language. If you two really connect that much, you really just gotta do yourselves a favor and take it to a bar, a patio, a place where it's not just freaky freaky. If you've been attached at the *waist* for more than eight minutes, I'd seriously begin to wonder "Is this getting creepy?"
3. The partner has to be instantly kissable. This one's for attraction. I just can't see myself being seen that close with someone I'm not immediately attracted to. It's not as simple as me thinking my friends will approve of him or nightlife photographers will find his face flyer-worthy. It's actually whatever combination defines your "hot." I like guys who dance well and can hold their own in a cypher, who dress well and carry themselves with confidence, and though it takes more than just a picture for me to decide if I find a guy cute, I do need to like his smile. If someone approaches me and just doesn't do anything for me, I don't give in. I became hardened over the years and I'm fine with that. I have no interest in being or feeling used at the end of the night by a person I'm not interested in.

Editor's Note: This entry started out as me wanting to throw down my Rules on dancing, but it clearly went in a different direction. Do not confuse this post with "What I look for in a long-term relationship partner."

Also, I will trade dancing for other creative talents.

Update: Some people tell me to cool down, that "A dance is just a dance." But when one of the most popularly posted away messages for college hos around the nation is "Dancing is the vertical expression of our horizontal desires," I have to beg to differ. A dance is not just a dance. I don't freak my friends or people I would be embarrassed to be in bed with because, to put it bluntly, I would essentially be assisting in someone else's masturbation, and I feel no obligation or need to do so.

• I got hit on by two bouncers, 1 of them even going as far as asking me what he had to do to kiss me...hmmm...
• Got asked on two dates by an Aussie and a British. I gave one of them the right and one wrong... here is the reasoning behind it, the first one caught me off guard so i gave the right number because boys always prank my phone to make sure i gave them the right number...hmmm... and for the other one I smartened up and took my battery out and gave him my old number and when he asked me to prank him I told him my battery was dead and showed him my phone... one of the bouncers saw and couldn't stop laughing :P
• Was given free pizza by a Emirates flight attendant and then got offered to keep partying and get free grog so we went to The Empire Hotel bar and when not looking i literally ran away!
• The boys were dressed as girls...hmmm...and they seemed to be enjoying it
• Got sms's from my girl Claire about me helping her get with a guy she met that night and a phone call from the British guy...at 3 am and onwards...crazyness
• Had some guy approach me asking me if im the girl he met in Canberra! And then he took me around to meet his friends... WTF

WTF HAPPENED LAST NITE?! I STILL CAN'T GRASP IT!

The book club that still has no name.

Speaking of which... I need some name suggestions. Anyone?? Anyone?

Also: I know I didn't do the cover-judging before I read the book this month, but should I go ahead and post it anyways? Even though I've already read the book?

On Thursday Heather had to work, so I went to the beach and did what I do best; got an uneven and spotty sunburn.  I somehow had this blotch on my chest that resembled a whale, or possibly a porcupine.  I blame the spray-on sunscreen….We went out to downtown Naples, but the turn-out was disappointing, so we ended up going home early.  Friday we went to Earth & Fire w/ Heather’s Aunt Sharon, where we all selected a piece of pottery to paint.  The people at the store provide all the paints and brushes, then glaze and fire the finished product for you.  I ended up making a picture frame, trying to do it in a sort of Art Nouveau style (Mucha is probably turning in his grave right now, lol).  After that we met up w/ a couple of Heather’s friends from Best Buy, and went to a club…that was located in a strip mall.  I got a real kick out of the fact that this big discothèque was situated right next to a LaZBoy…but no one seemed to find it as funny as I did.  It was open until 4am, but last call was at 2am, which I found infinitely disappointing.  Still, we stayed until 3am, at which point we decided to call it a night.  Heather and I headed back and went for a swim in “her” pool (which actually belonging to her former boss’ parents, who were letting her stay in their guest house for the summer) and finished off some spiked cranberry juice.  Since we had to leave the house at about 6am that morning, we didn’t bother to sleep; just showered and packed for the wknd. to come.

This weekend was a trip to Key West that Sharon had helped arrange for us; she had even used some surplus Marriot points to secure us a hotel on Sat. night.  We drove down to Bonita Beach took the 8:30am Key West Express (a ferry) to the island.  On the boat we made the acquaintance of two young guys from Wisconsin, Tony and Andrew, who were also out adventuring from the wknd.  We met, strangely enough, thanks to the mosquitoes.  Heather and I were being feasted upon while we waited on the stationary boat, and we asked them if, perchance, they had any bug spray.  They didn’t have any immediately available, but then Andrew got off the boat and went all the way to his car to get us some Off!  We also learned that they had rented mopeds in order to get around for the wknd.  Heather and I had been planning on walking—it was a small island, we reasoned—how far could it be?  “Does it have two seats?” we inquired playfully.

When we arrived, Heather and I set off, having exchanged numbers w/ our new friends.  We walked for about a half hour, realized we were barely halfway to our hotel, and stopped for lunch at a Greek deli.  Then we set off again, hefting our bags in the 96 degree heat.  I was wearing one of Heather’s tube tops (in an attempt to even out my zebra-like tan lines), and though I was wearing shorts, they were brief enough and the shirt was long enough to make it look like I wasn’t wearing any pants.  There were quite a few honks and prolonged stares from the locals, which only added to the fun of being swelteringly hot and miserable.  The hotel sign finally came into view some forty minutes later, shimmering slightly at the edges, so that we were afraid it might be a mirage, and we crawled towards the entrance, Heather claiming she was on the verge of fainting, and the stuffed pepper I had for lunch bubbling ominously in my stomach.  The guys at the desk were frankly amazed to discover we had walked (nearly traversing the length of the island) from the ferry stop. 

“But why didn’t you just take the shuttle?” they asked, handing us a towel and a bottle of water.  “We have a shuttle service that stops just two minutes away from the Express.”

            By that point, in the air conditioned lobby, it was funny, and Heather and I pointed out that at least we’d gotten to tour the island.  When we got to our room, there was a message from Andrew saying he and Tony had upgraded to two-person scooters.  Just for us. J  They came and picked us up, and we headed downtown, where we went to the Pirate Museum, which filled me and Heather w/ childish glee. 

If you had fought like men, you wouldn’t have to hang like dogs.—Anne Bonny (pirate, and my new heroine).  

Later on we headed to the Sunset Celebration, browsed the booths of local jewelry vendors, and watched sword swallowing and fire juggling; I was even picked to be an assistant in a magic show! That night we went out, visiting famous venues like Sloppy Joe’s and the Hog’s Breath saloon.  Key West reminds me of New Orleans a little bit, in the sense that it’s sort of creepy and seedy and viney…but New Orleans is definitely more lawless and wild.  I mean, for one thing, they were super strict about carding everyone, which was fine for us, but poor Andrew was only 20, and as a result couldn’t even get in to most of the bars.  Heather and I hung out in an Irish pub for a little bit, and the performing comedian made lewd comments at us (mostly her).

The next day, Andrew and Tony picked us up and took us to the Hemingway house-museum, where we had a v. informative tour (though I remain convinced that Hemingway was a rather callous ass-pig) and got to see all the six-toed descendants of Snowball, his cat. 

Then we walked to the southernmost point of the island (and the entire United States), getting caught in the rain on the process.  For, you see, we were being brushed by the fingertips of Tropical Storm Fay, on its way across Cuba and towards us.  Heather and I got pretty soaked, though we were more worried about our purses and their contents than our proper selves. 

After that, there was a long wait for the ferry (they wanted us there super early, b/c of the storm), and we were off.  Back on the mainland, we said our goodbyes to Tony and Andrew.  It was sad, and I felt twinges all the way home.  It is strange to spend so much time w/ people, and then suddenly be bereft of their company, even if the duration was relatively short.  And let’s be practical—will I ever see them again?  Probably not.  Wisconsin is not exactly at the top of my list of future destinations.  Nothing happened, of course (unless you count all that straddling we did, riding on the back of the mopeds).  In fact, that made it all the more pleasurable.  It was refreshing and heartening to meet two sincerely nice guys who didn’t have a hidden agenda or unsavory ulterior motives.  And even though we were just buddies, they didn’t really even look at other girls, even when we were out.  Yes, I definitely miss them a little bit, and wish they lived in Missouri so we could hang out and be friends.

Our knights and their "steeds."    

All in all, it was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had; I even thought about extending my stay in Naples for a few days—but Fay effectively nixed that option.  Oh well, Heather was probably glad to be rid of me. ;) 

Now, back home, I am trying to actualize my nebulous travel plans.  I have confirmation from my cousins in Austria, and I went ahead and bought a ticket from France to London…but it’s looking like I’m going to have to postpone visiting Eva in Toulouse.  Two weeks seems like a really long time, but it’s really quite brief.  Probably I will go to Paris, visit my friend Alex; go to Rennes, again visiting, and then head to Nantes to catch my flight to London (I booked w/ the wonderfully cheap Ryanair, so the ticket was only about 30 euros, though I have a feeling they’re going to swindle me out of a good deal more in luggage fees; there’s no way I’ll only have 15kg!). Hopefully later on I can do some kind of Toulouse-Barcelona trip over a long wknd., or something. 

Right now I am trying to get my room in some kind of order before I take off again; I have mounds and mounds of CRAP that need to be excavated and organized.  And unfortunately, I can’t just trash it all, b/c some of the crap is v. worthwhile.  I worked all morning, but this is clearly a multi-day venture.  I really prefer to do more straightforward cleaning, mopping, dusting, that sort of thing, b/c in my room, I have to fling a lot of things around, and most of it ends up on the floor, which is just depressing.  It always gets worse before it gets better, I suppose….

P.S. I feel like I have to add that Breaking Dawn absolutely SUCKED.  I actually dumped the book in the hotel room, b/c I couldn't bear to have it around anymore.  I might write a more complete indictment later, but I am not sure if I should let it waste any more of my time.  But you know, it's not like I was expecting it to be great literature; I knew the calibre of book I was reading.  And even THEN it was unbearable.

So yeah, this book looks promising.

And I'm wondering: who else is reading it this month? Just a show of virtual hands - a HERE HERE if you're reading it too.

1.Arsenium - Rumadai by djelias.wordpress.com
2.B.U.G. Mafia - Romania 2008 (Remix 2008) by djelias.wordpress.com
3.Cedry2k cu Pacha Man - Lirici Pentru Critici by djelias.wordpress.com
4.Costi Ionita - Cate o 100 by djelias.wordpress.com
5.Cosy feat. Mona - Doar eu si cu tine 2 by djelias.wordpress.com
6.Crush & Alexandra Ungureanu - Imn Made In Romania by djelias.wordpress.com
7.DJ Rynno & Sylvia - Chilling my soul by djelias.wordpress.com
8.Heaven - Kiss me by djelias.wordpress.com
9.Hi-Q - Mahal by djelias.wordpress.com
10.MARIUS si GIULIA - Rain (DJ NICK EXTEND REMIX) by djelias.wordpress.com
11.Morris & Play & Win - Morning light (radio edit) by djelias.wordpress.com
12.Peter Zaad - Fever by djelias.wordpress.com
13.Pur si Simplu feat. Yalla - Cuvinte by djelias.wordpress.com
14.Refflex - Samba (dj T3hno Tribal Rmx) by djelias.wordpress.com
15.Shock - O Secunda by djelias.wordpress.com
16.Tatone cu Puya & Cabron - Fete Cu Stil by djelias.wordpress.com
17.Vlad Dobrescu - Barfe Despre Tarfe 2 by djelias.wordpress.com
18.VraK ft. ObseSiv - Film real by djelias.wordpress.com

After that, we gonna go to gigglin marlin. Gotta walk back to take my passport since the International card couldn't verify my age. Sucks! That's bad. Walked back and took my passport so that I could go in. We danced and danced. Got thisty so we decided to get a drink. Actually we wanted to get a vodka but I'm not 22 yrs old yet so have a get a breezer instead. Aww, not again. Gotta know a middle age person, he let me taste some of his alcohol which is damn fcking strong. It doesn't taste really good. Danced till 2 am and Adolah sent us home. I'm drunk by the time and should get some sleep by then. In the morning, I couldn't wake up for school so I missed the first lesson. Ahhh, who cares anyway. Haha!

My room mate from luthiana taught me their language. It's preety cool. And, I taught her chinese too. Yeahhh!

Here it goes : LABAS - Hello        ATE - Bye     IKI - See you.       There are moreeee.

I've learn quite a few simple words from different International students. Cool, I like it.

Haven't had a chance to attend a Canthrill Party yet?  Join them this Friday in celebration of the 2-year Anniversary of LOBBY.  DJ Erick Decks from Frankfurt, Germany will be the special guest DJ for the event as well as resident DJs Skilla and Jesse James.  For updated information and more details, click here for the Facebook event.