Officially Started Smoking Again

Anyone with a brain can clearly see that my life is going to hell. It all started, naturally, with the NLCAC conference where myself and all of VIC were sleepdeprived until they could come up with a Branch Convenor. ;)

Hehe... So VIC branch convenor is the one that wants to sleep the most.

But anyhow, being myself and giving myself fully to whatever cause I choose to support, I first went and quit my music degree and started doing a simple bachelor of arts (or, well, I used the VIC convener thing as an excuse, perhaps, to do what I felt was right - but my parents were happy! They've begun sending me brochures for prestigious business schools again.. grrr.). Then I made a pact with my boyfriend directly following NLCAC to become a platonic couple until further notice... Hehehehe.... Does that sound evil? He must be frustrated Mwahahahah!

And finally, I've taken up smoking again! On purpose. I woke up one morning and said: "Hmm... today seems like I good day to pick up the habit again"


An expensive habit 

Strangely enough, Sharon and Teddy have quit, so I'm smoking huge amounts to try to make up for their lack of support for the cause ;)

So... no sex, no drugs, no rock and roll (well, the music was classical, but "no opera" just doesn't sound as good), and a premature death by lung cancer. Yay!

The Dangers of the Internet

Hmmm... It's definitely detrimental to my sleeping patterns to be doing anything for the NLC at this time of night. When I started out, it was only nine. Now it's almost eleven and something tells me I'll be up until atleast two or three, considering that I haven't actually done anything but surf the web yet.

What was I doing, exactly? I heard some rumours that a photo of Nic Ling being plastered with shaving cream had been posted on an official Griffith Uni site. I failed to find this, but instead discovered gossip about myself during the 19th NLCAC posted on the internet.

And definitely "JUST FRIENDS" is my reply to all this. *sulk sulk*

**The Bar At Buena Vista**

Imagine sweaty locals dancing to the impassioned efforts of a son band in the grittiest peso restaurant of Havana drinking Ron Collins, smoking Cuban cigars and generally having a seedy yet thrilling time of it, and you’ve imagined “the Bar at Buena Vista”. The good news is that those of us lucky enough to attend it didn’t have to go all the way to the Caribbean Sea to enjoy the spectacle. The whole thing happened right here in Melbourne on Exhibition street, right around the corner from Chinatown in Her Majesty’s Theatre.

The team that brought the show to Melbourne achieved something that I feel is lacking in many contemporary shows – the feeling of the grime of the location. Many global troupes seek to amaze you with their feats, thrill you with the light and estrange you with the glitz and glamour and surprise you with effects. “The bar at Buena Vista” did none of the above. Their feat was purely and simply competence and atmosphere. It was like a staged documentary set in a seedy nightclub. Their intentions were to draw in the crowd, and there wasn’t a single person who didn’t feel like a daiquiri at the end of the night (apologies to all abstainers)!

At the centre of the atmosphere was most certainly the impressive list of professionals playing and singing. These included maestros such as Luis Frank of the Afro-Cuban Allstars, Carlos Gonzales The Buena Vista Social Club, Maestro Rubalcaba, the top pianist in cuba and among the best of the world, the eighty-six year old singer Reynaldo Creagh, and his old friend Maracaibo – the list goes on, and the feeling is that all the musicians are truly playing with their peers and contemporaries. There is not a single musician in the troupe that fell behind for even a moment. The effort was seamless, a true work of art created from the collaborated efforts of trained and talented individuals.

At the centre, truly painting a visual image for the music were the dancers, telling a story of the drunk locals at the club, the musky and smoky stories of the people, all in such a way that the audience could not help but be transported into the centre of Havana.

If you missed the show this time around, I strongly urge you not to do it next time! The best you can do, given the missed opportunity is pop by at the nearest record store, find the jazz or world music section and look up Latin American bands such as Buena Vista Social Club, The Afro-Cuban All-stars, Vieja Trova Santiagera, Irakere, and Anakoana to begin with… then you’ll find yourself transported into a journey with Latin beats to keep you stepping in chachacha time for years to come!