"Is this legal?"

So, I have a lot to update you all on. I'm going to do this in segments so that the post isn't ridiculously long, and so you can choose which parts you would like to read first.

We are going to start with last Saturday night.

I went to Albert and Christine's farewell party at Slovak Pub. It was the usual suspects, plus some of Albert's Erasmus friends (its a European exchange program...a lot of them live here in Vlcie hrdlo, and they are quite loud. who parties on tuesday nights?) So, I ate my halusky and drank my favorite Saris beer, relaxed, and enjoyed the (semi-smoky) atmosphere. That part of the story is normal.

The next part of the story is not.

So, we went to a club that Albert suggested because he had heard that they were hosting a special party that night. It is called Dopler, and I pass it every morning on my bus ride from the dorm to work. It looked like something that could be interesting...their PR put them in the same grain as upscale clubs in US cities, so I supposed that the cocktails would be expensive, the DJ would be quality, and the women would be scantily clad in designer clothes. Some of those things were true.

In general, the music was ok. The DJ was quite amateur, and it was obvious he only got his turntables for his 18th birthday, which may have only been a year earlier. It took him awhile to figure out how to cut one song into another one without having to completely stop the other song mid-play. I was perturbed when he cut off songs that I actually enjoyed. I had had enough when he broke out with "Summer Lovin" from Grease. I said, "Ugly Lights up. Time to go home". (For those of you who haven't worked in the service industry lately..."Ugly Lights" refers to Last Call")

Don't think that this story is over. I just wanted to comment on the bad music first. This next part may offend you slightly. 17.37

When we got to the club, it was one of those places that checks your ID, pats you down, and then gives you a "wrist watch", or tag sensor, that tracks when you entered and how many drinks you buy, so that the bartenders don't have to worry about cash, and can just sling the booze over the counter seamlessly. I thought this was an inventive idea. That way, when you go to leave, you give her your "watch", she scans it, and then you pay for everything at the end. This part was ok. Efficient, cost effective, and almost fashionable.

The problem? Apparently, the place turns into a strip club after around 1:00am. This would not have been such an awkward situation, had they followed the rules of most respectable strip joints in the US (aka: not completely nude, no group dances, no audience participation) Oh no. I had to divert my eyes from the atrocities going on up on the stage. Luckily, there were only 2 shows, because I could only spend so much time in the bathroom and on the opposite side of the club. Worry not, I am not going into detail. The damage to my eyes is better left alone.

There was a funny/charming part of the experience however. There was a man who dressed in drag and lip synced to some of the songs. My favorite was when he impersonated Tina Turner! He also did a great rendition of the song from Sister Act :) (See photo)