I've made friends with Mona and Samuel (called Samuel here to differentiate from one of my flatmates who is also called Sam). They're in my Myth and the Creative Process class (which is swiftly becoming my favorite course, btw). But the three of us went out to lunch after class last week, and they invited me to go out with them Thursday evening. Naturally, I accepted.
We met at the Top Bar, which is a good deal quieter than the SU Bar (which, to be fair, is essentially a sports bar. Being loud is in the definition of such) but a bit more expensive. Worth it to me, though, to not have to shout in order to have a conversation. Also, there were more pool tables. Samuel bought the first round of drinks, and the three of us killed time until the club opened in much the same we killed our afternoon at lunch -- talking.
Then, finally, Second Level, one of the clubs on campus. It was Alternative Night, which is billed as "rock indie punk metal" and probably a few others. I heard an awful lot of American eighties pop, though. Seriously, eighties music is ridiculously popular here. I can't get away from it. But they also played a bunch of rock music I didn't recognize, some blink-182, Green Day, and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" because it was also Zombie Night.
Much different than the clubs in Ann Arbor I've gone to, which only play eighties when there's some appropriate theme, and otherwise play Top 40's hip-hop-py stuff or an "industrial" mix which is basically metalmetalmetalTRANCEmetalmetalmetalZYDRATECOMESINALITTLEGLASSVIALmetalmetalmetal. But it was also different in basic atmosphere. The dancing was more slightly awkward, high school dance-flavored as opposed to virtual vertical sex. People were dressed much more conservatively than I was used to seeing (Industrial/Goth/Fetish night at Necto aside, where pretty much anything goes, I'm used to at the very least getting bombarded with cleavage everywhere. Keep in mind that I'm five-foot-three, so chest-level for most people is eye level for me). There were still short skirts and hooker heels, but. . .it seemed less aggressive to me.
Yes. That's the right description. Because, besides this -- no one tried to touch me without permission. That shouldn't be such a big deal, but part of the reason why I avoided Necto most of last term was because even when I felt well enough/wasn't too busy to go. . .I didn't feel like getting groped by strangers. Which happens. It happens, no matter what you wear or how you dance. There is no asking. There isn't even any eye contact -- just the sudden realization that a frat boy wearing cheap eyeliner is grinding on your ass. This can generally be cut short if you're with the right sort of girl friend -- the sort who notices before you do and immediately turns lesbian. Typically this is enough to confuse the would-be predator into backing off. But the only way I've figured out to avoid it completely is to bring a guy with me and hang all over him for a night. Not my idea of a good time.
It was expensive, though. Where I'm used to being about to get into a club for free (for arriving early/being female) or for only a dollar or so, then being able to share a coin-operated locker with three or four other people, here there was a three pound cover (about $4) as well as a one-pound charge to store your coat. Drinks are expensive too, but then again, if I go to a club, I'm there to dance, not get hammered. (Though I have to admit, being able to buy a cold drink -- I traded between hard cider and club soda -- and take a break was kind of awesome).
I'll probably go clubbing more frequently here than I do back in A2, but probably still no more than once a week or so. While the club was cleaner than what I'm used to, it made up for it in volume. It took a full two hours for my ears to stop ringing after I left.
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