Links
Archives
- June 2003
- July 2003
- August 2003
- September 2003
- October 2003
- November 2003
- December 2003
- January 2004
- February 2004
- March 2004
- April 2004
- May 2004
- June 2004
- July 2004
- August 2004
- September 2004
- October 2004
- November 2004
- December 2004
- January 2005
- February 2005
- July 2005
- August 2005
- September 2005
- October 2005
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- September 2006
- February 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- April 2008
- June 2008
- August 2008
For three years, I have been in China teaching Swing Dancing. Now I'm wandering yet again...
2004-11-14
Today and Yesterday
Today is Saturday, and I went to the Shanghai film studio to teach dancing and organize the extras. I also sealed a deal with the Producer who has the authority to hire me, so I'm officially on. I may have made it unclear before; this is not a new movie, this is the same movie as before. They are filming another dancing sequence and I've been called in to help with it. As I had observed before, if you want to be part of the production you have to write your own job description and sell yourself. In a sense, only you truly know where you would best fit into the organization, so you have to tell them what you will do and then hopefully they approve of it!
As for Yesterday. OK, normally I don't get too too personal on this blog because my Mom reads it (Love you, Mom!) But yesterday was a pretty exceptional day so I have to mention it. Last night a friend of mine called me and told me about a new club which was opening up. I had met the DJ for this club just a few days before, and so I decided I would go and check it out. I went out there, met up with my friend, and looked around the place.
The club had previously been owned by a different group, and it was doing so-so business. But the new people who bought it have given it an entirely new feel. It was filled with foreigners and all sort of obviously cool and rich people. Many artistic looking folks, dressed very well. About 50/50 Chinese and Western, with everyone in their best. I must say the women there were just stunning, and present by the dozen. Plus, they were giving away free beer, so who can complain?
I felt a bit uncomfortable because I really didn't know anyone, and so I just had a few of the free beers and walked about the place. It can take some time to get used to a new environment, even under such good circumstances. I had my eye on a girl on the dance floor, but I was not feeling my Mojo, so I just sort of sat back and stood next to the floor, not doing much. My friend shows up, but I guess I need to explain him a little more to paint this picture. Let's say his name is Daniel, and most people guess he's about 70-ish years old. He's a Westerner, from somewhere in the US, and to all accounts he seems to be on a intraveinous drip of Viagra and liquid caffeine. While I was sitting there mulling around and looking at this girl, ol' Daniel runs up onto the floor and grabs her by both hands and smiles and begins a little crazy dance. He's like portable energy machine. And I, more-or-less in my prime, look on as this gorgeous girl gets swept all around the floor by my friend, the person most people affectionately know as "The Old Guy".
You can't be mad at him. How can you? My own stupid fault for sitting on my ass. So I laugh a bit and got get another free beer and watch the object of my affection laughing her head off.
A little later one of my students shows up. I haven't seen her in a while. We say hello and she wants to dance, too. Right now its just Daniel and the hot girl, so we two also take the floor. Dancing always helps me loosen up a bit. Plus sometimes if I can get to do a few moves on the floor I may catch the eye of a young lady, perhaps. My student and I do a few dances and say goodbye, and now I'm looking around. Now there's FOUR very pretty young Chinese ladies in front of me. All dancing together, mei you (without) men. So what do I do? I've learned my lesson, right? You gotta take life by the horns, right? So I jump right in there, right?
No, I just mull around a bit, hummm, hmm.... la la la.... And who comes out of left field? It's my friend Daniel. He goes after one of the four like the Green Goblin after a money bag. She doesn't know quite how to take it. That's part of the charm of Daniel's approach. Who knows what to think of this guy? (Everyone usually says, Man I hope I have that much energy at his age. I always say, I wish I had that much energy now!) But the new girl not having it. She gives out a little scream, like AAhh! And starts running away from him. So he just opens his eyes wide and puts his arms out and scrunches up his fingers like claws and chases after her. Ahhh! Ahh! Ahh! she says. Grrr, grr, grr! he says. They're running all about the dance floor, which by now is filled with people. Seconds later, someone is tugging at the back of my coat. I'm still just standing there, relatively dull and dopey. I turn around, and it's the girl, hiding behind me, tugging at my coat and trying to keep me between Daniel and herself.
"Save her Jim! Save her!" Daniel says to me. And he goes off to the other part of the room, completely unphased.
So I turn around. Oh Hi. Want to Dance? You do!
So we go over and join up with her three friends. My Oh My. Actually, I had been looking at one girl in the group in particular. Not the one tugging on my coat, but her friend in the short white-and-blue qi pao (short Chinese sleveless dress). I feel like maybe I should not go for it, in case I hurt her friend's feelings, but then I'm like, You know you only live once. So I'm doing a little dancy-dancy, and the qi pao girl is smiling, so I do a little poke her with the finger, and she laughs (yes, I'm now in grade school). Things go on alright. The coat-pulling girl does not have a smile on her face anymore. But the girl I am dancing with does. (Mom you can stop reading now).
(Yes, now).
So we are being friendly on the dance floor, then suddenly I get a feeling of dread. I remember the first week I was out here in Shanghai. I was doing a friendly dancy-dancy with a girl at a bar, and I was getting ready to leave only to be informed that for the service she just provided me she expected payment. Yes, she was a pro, and she actually expected payment for the dancy-dancy. So I don't want to go through this again. So I'm like, "Uhh... what is you job?"
"Real estate agent."
"Oh good! I mean, uh, that's nice."
We go on a while then take a break. I leave her and go to talk to some friends. About a half an hour later I run into her again. She says she and her friends are leaving, going to another bar. "Would you like to come with?" she asks. I say, "No, why don't I just call you later," and she says OK. I say goodbye and wander around a bit. A few minutes later, I run into her and her friends, with their coats on, about to walk up the stairs. "You sure you don't want to come with?" she asks again.
Just then my friend Daniel shows up behind me. I have never known him to be violent before, but he had in his hand what appeared to be a wooden club. He hit me over the head with it and staggered me forward a step. Then, just as mysteriously, he winked impishly and dissapeared into a cloud of blue smoke. Then I came to my senses.
"Yes, I think I will go."
Off into the taxi, just me and the four gorgeous young Chinese ladies. Only in this city, I can tell you.
-J
Comments:
Post a Comment
