"Barney, 好久不见!"

Whoa. The last time I blogged...it was 2007, I was still living in Toronto and could barely read a word of Chinese. Boy have things changed!! 哈哈我现在真的爱中国.



...Hm, on second thought, nothing has really changed in a way. It's almost two years later and I'm pretty much exactly where I was in April 2007: about to graduate without a clue as to what I want to do. I lie awake at night plagued by feelings of anxiety, terror and hunger. Alright, it was just that one night and mostly it was hunger...but it was a tad unpleasant. I guess a few things have changed but the uncertainty is still there. The world is my economically depressed oyster.

I sat here for a while, thinking of what I would blog about. Really, things haven't changed. My life still revolves around: friends, food, dancing, music and all thangs racial. So...where do I start?

Well, as I sit here and ponder the injustices of the world, the economic crisis, the riots in Thailand and other super duper serious current events I should be thinking more about, all I want to do is rant...about clubbing. Well, more about the music they play at clubs.

"I am a fan of clubbing"

For those of you who know me (out of my legions of anonymous blog readers - I heart you all), I am a fan of clubbing. Ha, okay perhaps that is an understatement :D I seem to be the person who brings people together on weekends to go out, get drunk (sigh) and dance the night away. Week after week I venture out to same clubs to be stepped on, shoved, humped, harassed and groped...only to leave with clothes stained with spilled drinks, hair reeking of cigarettes and the occasional business card from a man who should be at home with his wife and kids and really should've stopped going out about 10 years ago. Sounds like a joy right?

Haha I exaggerate (only a little) but I usually manage to have a lot of fun dancing with my girls, meeting random guys and just being crazy so it is almost always worth the pain and grossness. However, lately I've realized two things: 1) It's pretty darned hard to have fun without imbibing alcohol 2) And without alcohol, I seem to react differently to the music they play at clubs - they start to bleed.

Gaga-g me

As much as I've always enjoyed going to our beloved Prive, I think it's about time for the club to stop pretending the guy behind the turntables is an actual DJ and not a dude they hired to press the play button because really, the music comes from a CD they burnt about 5 months back consisting of 7 songs that they play on repeat. If Lady GaGa received a little talent filled nugget for every time they played one of her songs, she just might be nugget-ful enough to possibly put on some pants and make real music.

I am not a music snob. I know what I like but I'm open to most things (even though I'm still waiting for the day I start to appreciate house/techno/trance/whatever). What I don't get is why they have to play the same songs three to four times in one night when there are so many club-friendly (and even top-40) songs they could play that would get the crowd going. Perhaps a little more Jay-Z and a little less Beyonce or more Pharrell and less Maroon 5.

...And no Bon Jovi, ever.

Sorry Jon, you're awesome on Rockband but not even your hunkiness can save you now.

If you're feeling a little crazy, maybe you can spin some Lupe, KRS-1 or Nas interspersed with a little r&b soul courtesy of Mary J and Mr. Legend?


One John I approve of.

So here is my heartfelt letter urging our home away from home in Lan Kwai Fong to come clean about their dirty little secret a.k.a. Prive Hits 2008-2009, and start treating its patrons like they have ears:

Dear the powers that be,

Please get a real DJ.

Your loyal customer and one-third of the dancefloor starting trio,
Flo