Burners!

   For all you guys out there, I forgot to mention one of the most fun things about Burning Man! Well much like the decorated vehicles, people all around are dressed up....... or just going straight out naked or topless. Yes a great majority of girls ditch their clothes for the freedom of peace and love. Hooray for Burning Man!

Burning Man

     Of course what would be a blog in "memoirs of a club kid" without posting about "Burning Man"! For those of you who don't know what Burning man is, well, it is a week long party, the week before and the weekend of labor day. There is a gathering of of over fifty thousand people the the Blackrock desert in Nevada. I attended Burning Man in the year 2004 but this is already after it has gotten very popular, each year the numbers grow larger and larger I imagine. The Burning Man rave started out in the early to mid nineties on the beaches of California with a handful of dedicated ravers, nature lovers, and humanitarians. The beach raves (kinda like ours here in Hawaii) ended up becoming too large, so the rave called Burning Man was moved from the beaches of California to the desert of Nevada. Oh, the gathering is called burning man because there is a wooden hand built fifty foot man. At the end of the week long partying and raving, the man is set on fire and everyone watches the flames huge and wide engulf the wooden image of themselves. Also at Burning Man there is a temple, also hand built out of wood, where one can go and write a prayer onto the wood; prayers to loved one's passed, or present, or any prayer that is special, a day before the man is burned, the temple is burned first. (I believe. . . my memory may be a little fuzzy :))
     I flew into Las Vegas from Honolulu. I had never been to Vegas or to Burning Man. From what I had heard there were camps set up all through the gathering and that is how one decided where to stay for the week. Also, the motto behind Burning Man was "leave no trace", meaning whatever you bring in you take with you, no littering, no trashing, no dumping. Also, people have to bring in all of their own food supplies for the week, and especially water (being in the desert, water is very important), because there are no monetary transactions at Burning man meaning no way to buy food. Since there are no monetary transactions at burning man, everyone deals in barters. Like trading a massage for a drink, etc...  I flew into Vegas, met up with my friends from Hawaii, because we were all going to stay together at the Hawaii camp! Also, from past "Burners" (we like to call people that go to burning man every year burners) we learned that the desert weather can be especially brutal. I mean over one hundred degrees in the day time with gnarly dust storms, and as low as forty degrees at night time! So with the guidance of our burner friends, we all agreed on renting a trailer for the trip. Our trailer was awesome! It had air-conditioning, a shower, toilet, beds, couches, a kitchen, and was very comfortable. I highly recommend renting a trailer if you decide to go to burning man, it really helps!
     Once at burning man, you have to find your camp site. Also, at the entrance you are greeted by people in the silliest costumes, but that is just a teaser until the real party gets started. Ex. Teddy Bears, but we got there early in the morning, so everyone was dressed super warm. The way that the festival is designed is in maybe, five or six concentric half circles are named five different avenues. Within the semi circles, they are dissected into pie slices, these become other named streets. The streets are wittily named too, like "charmed", or "species", or "enlighten". (Btw, if an avid Burner is reading this, I may get some of the details wrong, but after almost ten years come one! no one's memory is perfect) In the center of the semi circle, where the radius would begin if it were drawn on a piece of paper, is the camp center. Here there is a huge tent for people to hang out, also they sell the two things only sold on the entire place, ice cubes and coffee. :)
     As one walks around the "playa" (that is what they call the area of Burning man, in spanish I believe i t means beach) there are huge sculptures of wired people, abstractions, a forty foot see saw. Also, sometimes traveling across the playa can be cumbersome if having to walk, so it is allowed for people to build their own mode of transportation. The transportation cannot be like a regular car or bus, or moped. Rules say that is one brings transportation is that it must be decorated or done in a way as to not look like a car. I have seen, rolling by me, double decker pirate ships serving sushi, I have sat on a train on top of a swing anchored ten feet above the second story of the train, I have seen a huge cheshire cat purple and stripped glowing past me, and many more. And if one didn't want to walk there were always ample bicycles around. The bicycles were free for anyone to use, just leave um and find um and ride um.
     Maybe with more time I can go into detail about some of my most fond experiences there at Burning man. But the best one and the most moving, was visiting my favorite artist camp. Alex Grey, this is before I met him in Italy, and it was phenomenal to meet him and chill with him in his camp. Also, for me, seeing the burning man burn down to the ground was a very spiritual and moving experience for me, I saw myself in the wooden creation, burning away, and becoming a new being, like shedding a layer of old skin making room for new growth. Tears even came to my eyes. One of the most beautiful images I remember from Burning Man, is watching the sun rise in the desert. While people were dancing to the music I was sitting on this sculpture made of metal and rubber and paint which had a balancing swing on it, and I just watched. As the warm sun rose over the cold desert, it looked like to me we were on the moon. I thought to myself we could be dancing on the moon. A gorgeous moment I will never forget. It's moments like these that make life worth living. Special moments that arise an emotion of mystery, awe, and gratitude, for we are so small, yet we are the entire Universe!

Where the clubkid is now. . .

     To put things in to perspective, I was clubbing over ten years ago, and I stopped going out about two years ago when I seriously began to focus on my academics and completing college. I also changed my degree from fine arts to engineering, I am right now under the heading environmental engineering, but now I am also considering changing to chemical engineering. Anyway, the type of person I am is all or nothing. When I decide to do or to commit myself to something, I put my 100% and more into that goal. When my goal was to know artist and musicians on the island and work out of my art studio loft I rented out, I totally immersed myself in it. Now my goal is to educate myself, I have always been good at Mathematics and Sciences, I just was too focused on Art to give any interest to these subjects. But now that I am taking many math and science classes I am doing quite well. I have been accepted into Phi Theta Kappa, Have made the Dean's list multiple times and am moving on to calculus II, Physics, and Organic Chemistry next semester. In only two years, by next semester all I will need is one more physics class and I will be complete with my associates in science, A.S. Then I plan on continuing as far as I can go, Masters? Doctor?
     In trying to balance my heavy academic life, I enrolled in a Modern Dance class here at K.C.C. this semester. This was the first time I have ever taken a dance class, although I love dancing and have been dancing my heart out for fourteen years or so. I was unsure if I would enjoy the class or not. But that was silly, because I absolutely love it! I love the movement, the expression, and I love learning new ways to move and to be flexible and strong. I recommend dance to anyone who hasn't ever taken it. It is freeing and cathartic. After dance class with all the endorphins running through my body, I always feel happy. Next semester I am going to take ballet and then after that probably modern dance again. I am even thinking of enrolling in a private dance company. With all the rationality of mathematics and formulas of chemistry, dance is the perfect action to balance the retired club kid's life. Keep on dancing!

Full moon gatherings

     Other events that I used to be a part of were full moon gatherings on the beach. Every other full moon or so, we would coordinate a party/rave on a secluded beach. After we had been throwing parties there for over a year, other promoters and people started learning about our secret spot, so, needless to say, it is now no longer secret. You would drive past sandy 's beach and keep driving till you saw a little entrance between some bushed onto the beach. You could drive your car through those bushes and then keep driving, on the beach, parallel to the ocean, about another five minutes or so until you were closer to the dance area and park. Once parked there was still about a ten minute walk or so to the party. Try carrying speakers ten minutes while walking in the sand, and wire and other sound equipment, it was a lot of work, but in the end, it was so-very worth it. :)
     Some nights I can remember there were so magical. The full moon would be shining upon the ocean in shimmering opal and iridescent tips of the waves. There would be a d.j. station, which was the only place covered in case of rain, of course. But surprisingly, I hardly remember it ever raining, most nights were gorgeous. We all would dance in front of the d.j.s in a make shift dance floor. I will never forget that dancing on sand was way harder to do than dancing on a hard surface, it makes for fond memories. D.j.s would spin until dawn and that was usually when I stayed till and then after clean up, go to a friends house and crash.
   Towards the end, I heard other people and other promoters throwing their own parties there. I think they ruined it for us, because immediately after they started throwing their parties, the police became aware of our spot. One time, the police chased us out before we had unloaded the gear for the d.j. equipment. We left and then came back twenty minutes later. No one the wiser. Cheers and happy full moons!

my first warehouse party

     In the late eighties is when electronic music became more and more popular and when the underground scene of raves began. In the early nineties raves were known as secret, illegal parties; sometimes outdoors on a secluded beach or sometimes in warehouses, and these parties were never advertised. The only way that one would know how to get to a rave would be by a secret map that only some people were given. When my friends and I threw "future primitive" up in the mountains, we made maps for people to go to and we never made fliers or had promotional media for advertising. We didn't want it to be commercial and we wanted to keep our party special, I imagine in the early nineties that was some of their goals for keeping a low profile too. Also the notion of being part of something secret and in some sense hand picked to go to, was all the more exciting to fuel a  night full of adventure, music, dance, and magic.
     The first warehouse party I went to was when I was sixteen. This was in the nineties and there were illegal raves going on in Hawaii then, much much more than they have now. Well, rarely do they have them now, I think HPD got wise to what was going on. Any way, the rave I went to was only advertised through word of mouth. No fliers, no maps, only people through people to people contact and words. The warehouse was called "Atomix" and it was located in a discreet crevice in the warehouse district of Nimitz highway. It was huge inside with an upstairs where they usually played jungle or drum and base, and also an outside area with tents. This was before the big ecstasy scare with kids dropping dead. This was before spinning glow sticks was popular, and this was before the time when girls dressed like strippers to raves. Everyone here was part of an underground family that supported music, and of course there were drugs on the scene, but it was never an issue if you went sober. I must say, that first experience of going to atomix at the age of sixteen changed my life. I loved the experience because it was pure freedom, and I felt so comfortable. At punk rock shows when I would go, there wasn't the same vibe of carefree that raves had. I mean you could dance with your eyes closed at a rave for hours and no one would bother you or question your behavior. At punk shows, I found many people had to uphold a facade and it often times was very violent with the mosh pit being full of big white guys with steel toe boots ready to kick skulls in. I never really was one for violence, so the p.l.u.r. (peace, love, unity, and respect) vibe of raves was a welcome change. If any one of you has ever been to atomix, I'm sure you will remember it fondly, remembering some of the big named dj's that you have seen there.

pink caddilac

     Well I started talking about pink caddilac last blog and I had titled the blog roller disco funk and didn't even get to why I had titled the blog such. Well, as I mentioned last time, I became buddy buddies with the promoters of the club (I gotta leave out the names, it doesn't take away from the story). One Tuesday night that I was there, a friend had pitched to me that he wanted to start a roller rink disco night. I love roller skating, but am not too keen on roller derby... yet. Well I  thought it sounded like a fabulous idea! I helped my friend do some promoting and, faithfully there on opening night I was there in my hot pants and fish nets and blue wheeled Rydell suede roller skates. Once again, I guess not too many people were willing to party on Wednesday nights, so I had the entire club to myself to roller skate around in. I loved it. I even got to be a pro at playing pool in roller skates:).  Well, roller disco night was short lived and didn't last long, but while it did it was super!

roller disco funk

     A while ago at a club that is now known as the Irish Rose Saloon, there existed the dirtiest seediest hole in the wall club that one could ever imagine. It had a dark wide stairway going up from the door entrance into the club. Once at the top of the stairs all you could see was the dance floor to the front left, the bar to the right and behind, towards the back, some pool tables with hanging dingy lamps over them with plumes of cigarette smoke filling areas between. Towards the opposite of the stairs and everywhere else around the club was darkness. In this darkness was booths with tall backs to sit in, the kind of booth and tables one sits in when you don't want any one to find you. This club at the time that I would frequent there was called "Pink Caddilac". But the dingy club has existed the same way it had always been with a variety of different names whenever they had to change owners or some shady business always seemed to loom in the atmosphere. Other names this place was called was... "evolutions", and some others I can't remember. Promoters used to throw jungle nights there called "rewind" and I had some good times there in the "nineties". But my favorite night was the eighties and goth nights. They were every Tuesday. At this time of my life, I would go out to the clubs at least four/five times a week. I practically lived at a handful of clubs. And of course whenever you're a regular at a club, the promoters and worker's for the night, always become your buddies. And me always being there every Tuesday night, I ended up drinking and playing pool with the djs, and heck, I'd be the only one there and I'd have the entire dance floor to myself!

Frankfurt-red light district!

     Let's see I left off just realizing that I got off the train in the red light district in Frankfurt. As I walked past strip club, after strip club, and past three high story dominatrix super stores, I laughed to myself at where my instincts have lead me. Strangely I did not feel afraid though, maybe because there was a lot of people and for the most part the streets were very well light, and I didn't go in the alleys that looked dark of course. I actually felt safer there than I do in China Town in some parts. Any way, as I walked, I decided to pop into a bar and get a drink and ask where, if any, are there places to go listen to music and dance? The bartender said there was a place and all I had to do was walk about four more blocks more outward (out from the train station). Now, I spent all my euros on the drink I had, and had to save the rest for the train ride back to the air port. But I had all night to explore and I could sleep on the air plane back home, so I decided to continue my quest for dance music after my gin and tonic double with lime.
     After a few blocks the red light district turned into a business district with lots of large executive financial buildings and banks, similar to our own down town honolulu. Then after a block or so more, finally I saw a club. The club was called "The Living Room", which was very funny at the time, because in Oahu at that time, there was a club at the Fisherman's Warf which was also called "The Living Room" which I used to love to go to, until the promoters changed from Imaginary Friends. But what caught my eye is the event that was going on next to the club. By the way the club was very chique with very tall glass walls, with water fountains on the outside, and the music the dj played was euro electronic techno and dance, some classic songs of that time still remind me of that club. But back to what I was saying caught my eye (apologies for the scattered writing tonight) next to the club, it was an outdoor art show with live dj's spinning outside on the grass and people were dancing outside on the grass as well. Now this is what I like and at the time lived for. I was very in to the art and music scene and to be able to experience this in Frankfurt was nothing less than magical and fantastic. I danced under the stars next to complete strangers where we smiled and had great vibes. I don't remember the artwork that well, but I remember walking around, alone, probably the only non speaking German there, (or not), it really didn't matter because there was no judgement, and I guess you could say we were all there to enjoy the music and the art and from that common link lingual and verbal communication could be surpassed.
     At this out door party I met a German gentleman that by the stroke of luck, worked at the airport! So, long story short, he ended up driving me back to the airport, so I didn't have to catch the train, and we got to drive his mercedes (everyone in Germany has a mercedes!) on the autovan! (which of course was awesome!) And I made it back to the airport in time to catch my flight to San Francisco, and then Honolulu. >

Lost in Germany

     The summer of 2006 I went to Turin, in northern Italy, to audit an art class through the Wisdom University in San Francisco. I really wanted to go because the class was taught by my favorite artist of all time, Alex Grey. I am on Alex Grey's email list through his website. When I was notified he was teaching a class in Italy in conjunction with the Wisdom University, I knew I had to seize the opportunity and go. The Wisdom University is a "trip". It is usually for people that have already got their Master's, BA, or doctorate. The Wisdom University believes that the best way to learn instead from books in a classroom, is to actually, physically, go to the location from which you are trying to learn from. They believe that certain places and locations hold energy and it is possible to tap into that energy and be transformed through learning. I think they're method of learning is awesome, they have trips to Notre Dame, the pyramids, some in the U.S., basically all over the world. The classes taught around the world are often taught be renowned teachers or artists and the classes that span over a month's time are called intensives or pilgrimages. The types of degrees that the Wisdom University offers are more on the esoteric side, like Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor or Ministry, and Master of Art and Wisdom Studies, to name a few. From their website, they are known for "Providing learning experiences that catalyze the enlargement of the soul and inspire resilient learning communities to thrive". Feel free to read more about them, just search, Wisdom University and it will pop up first.
     Perhaps next email I will talk about my experience during my intensive art class with Alex Grey in Turin, Italy.
     This blog I wanted to speak about what happened after the trip to Turin, when I was on my way back to  Oahu. I had rescheduled my ticket right before I left home, so I had forgotten that I had a very long lay over in Germany. From Turin, Italy, I went to Frankfurt, Germany, then from Germany, I went to San Franciso, and from there finally Honolulu. Any way, after leaving Turin, I am in Frankfurt and it is early evening, around dinner time, the day is just getting dark. In Frankfurt, I find to my surprise, because I forgot, that my plane doesn't leave till tomorrow morning at 7am. I thought gee, I don't want to wait around the air port all night, why don't I check in my bags and catch the train into town to find a place where I could get a drink and listen to some music! So I check in my bags and ask the girl at the counter who helped me where I can go to listen to music and maybe dance? She said it was very easy and close, just get on the train and get off at somewhere I forgot, and walk close to the train station. So I get on the train and am on my way. Let me just mention I am also at this time, down to my last euros, only just enough for two train rides and one drink.
     On the train, I look around and there are young couples here and there, groups of friends who look like they're going out for the night. I think to myself, should I ask them where to get off? Then I think to myself, Nah! I'm going to use my instinct! and see what I find!" So when the train gets to a stop, I feel like this is a good stop to get off on, so I do... The train station is lovely, lot's of brown and golds and kind of crowded but not too crowded. I walk outside and get approached by an Italian man. Just for your information, Italian men, are very very forward! They literally will grab you and pull you to them while walking, and say in broken English "come, you are with me now!" and after saying no thank you for a few times they take the answer as no, finally and be off on their merry way. So this man that approached me did just what I described. Finally I was on my way again, walking further reaching the first block and the second, I find I am in the Red Light District!.... Every other bar is a strip club or peep show, or the three story dominatrix store. I wasn't ready for this!...... (tune in to the next blog to hear what happens and how I find a club and How I get back to the airport!) xoxo

Memoirs of a club kid

One of my favorite gatherings that friends and I put together was called "Future Primitive". We called our selves as a group L.U.V. acronyms for local underground vibe. It was around one hundred fifty or so people that were there, we decided not to make it too large because as Alicia said, if the rave gets too large it looses a sense of intimacy and community. This gathering/rave was more than a party, it was an adventure full of love and community. It was held at the top of the mountain in Ewa where camp Timberline is. The rave was for the weekend. On Friday the music went till 2am. and on Saturday the music went to dawn. It was during the weekend of a full moon and all the dj sounds were out doors in the large open field underneath the beautiful night sky. As music played and was dj'd by Dan mainly, and others, the full moon rose right before us on that mountain top. And as I danced I felt somehow like people have done this, dancing under the full moon, all through out time. It was connecting to the Earth and one another in a very special and true way. We had built all kinds of tents for fun and pleasure. A tent of black light. A tent for body painting (run by me). A massage tent. Art pieces for prayers, you could write your prayer on flags and it would wave in the wind. You could even walk through the forest for we had put up christmas lights in the forest and it was enchanting indeed. It is very hard to describe in words all of the events and emotions that this night evoked in me. It is truly an awesome feeling to be a part of a group and community that comes together for a purpose and accomplishes it for one, and for two makes it a memorable evening for a lifetime. But let me just say that the credit must go to the entire coordinator and instigator, Alicia. She was from New York, and a couple years after Future Primitive she moved to San Francisco. Maybe I'll tell you a little more of what happened at this party or somewhere else next time. Until then... X

blog test

     I have just created this blog. I had to create a g mail account in order to do so, and it took me forever to find a gmail name that didn't already exist. I didn't want some tina1883276 wierd kind of name that was another digital info bite to remember. I was getting irritated so the word splatter mouth jumped into my brain. I tested it an hooray! it was available. So now, you are being addressed by the new owner of splattermouth@gmail.com and feel free to e mail me any thoughts you would like to splatter out of your moutha and it may just end up here on my spankin new blog site. testing one, testing two, testing off... for now.