Night out

Friday night, after the architecture happy hour, Chuck drove us to Seki, a Japanese restaurant on the Loop. He was treating me to dinner in gratitude for helping get his driver's licence in the US. As a Chinese student who may only be here for a few years, even if he doesn't end up buying a car, there are huge advantages to having a driver's licence. On the one hand, he can now go to bars without having to worry about losing his passport, since he can just show his driver's license. Also, now he can drive other people's cars, or rent a car, which will give him a lot more mobility. It's actually to my advantage as well, as he's living pretty close by and I need to go to a doctor or a hospital or something, that he could drive me.

When I got licenced in Arizona, I literally drove around the block, making only right-hand turns, and then had to make a three-point turn marked by traffic cones. The guy giving me the test was a ADOT employee with a name badge. I passed handily. Arizona is pretty easy on that kind of stuff.

Not so much here in Missouri, apparently. Chuck failed his first two driving tests. The first one, he didn't physically turn around to back up, and the second one he was driving too slowly. All systems: go on the third, however. Apparently, this test is a lot more stringent. They ask you how to turn on the defoggers, the parking brakes, etc. even before you leave the lot. They were making several left hand turns in the middle of the lane in confusing traffic situations. I'm really glad I don't have to retest here, frankly.

Anyway, that was friday night, and after dinner I just watched Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles which has a few good moments, but was probably best experienced in the early 70's, when farting on screen and using phrases like "up yours, nigger," was revolutionary and boundary-breaking.

Saturday, back in studio, was a miserable day out, so a great day to stay inside and work. I worked on studio stuff from about 9-8, before a Freda, a friend of mine from studio, reminded me about the schoolwide end of year graduate student event. I never really pay attention to the emails that were sent out, but free beer and BBQ is a deal, especially for someone still on campus. Apparently Wash U is about half graduate students, which I hadn't realized, of course, only a tiny fraction showed up for the event. So I got there just as it opened, and it was like high school prom all over again. People standing around awkwardly. Name tags. Streamers and balloons and a few token decorations. (This year's theme was "Hip Hop Hoedown". Think bling and haybales.) Just what I get for being exactly on time. We got three drink tickets, good for cheap wine or bud light. I grabbed a beer and moseyed on over to the BBQ room. After eating, I was going to walk to the metrolink to catch a ride to Anita's birthday drinks at the speakeasy, but I was waylaid by a group of friends who convinced me to stay and chat and drink some more.

I eventually caught a ride with them to the Speakeasy in downtown. It's kind of a fun concept- An old office building lobby, renovated in art deco style, but you don't enter that way. You have to go around to the back alley, and ring the doorbell for admittance. There's a password (this weekend's was "Daddy") (it was on their website, plus the suggestion that you "whisper the password to the doorman"), which gives you reduced cover. $3 instead of $5. The bar is downstairs, below the elegant and empty lobby. Really cool bar actually. Much older crowd, and not nearly enough dancing for our nightlife chaperones. I drained the gin and tonic I'd ordered (toyed with the idea of ordering a gin fizz, given the surroundings), and hit the road again, this time heading for the more trendy neighborhood of central west end.

The Mandarin was a dance club and it was hopping. It exuded trendiness. Red walls, minimalist accentuated with Asian decor, dramatic lighting, throbbing beats, and roped off areas. I paid the $5 cover and passed on a drink at this place. It's kind of funny, actually. When 4e opened in Scottsdale, Chase and I both had to drop a $20 just to get in the door. I guess its another way of saying that St.Louis is not Scottsdale.

Anyway, the floor was packed, everyone was getting down, and I had a lot of fun dancing. Met up with some other familiar faces from my studio who hit the club circuit pretty hard, so that was fun too. The only crappy part was the fact that Mandarin closes at 1:15, and they don't segue you out. They flipped on all the lights, and made repeated announcements to basically pay your tab and get the hell out. By the time we'd all regrouped outside the club, it was nearly two and a group of us, including the heavily inebriated birthday girl, were showing signs of club fatigue, so we decided to call it a night.

Makes me want to get out more.