Day 193 POETS

Our Canadian friends, Kathy and Ray, brought a tradition of theirs from up north over to the east. In their previous school, their teacher friends would gather one Friday evening a month at someone's home for a POETS meeting. It does not involve poetry whatsoever :)  Our POETS meetings entail cocktails and appetizers because it means Piss On Everything Tomorrow's Saturday. It's only meant to be a happy hour come and go sort of gathering, but so far, we tend to linger and laugh well in to the evening :)  Needless to say, POETS has become a much welcomed event here at BNDS.

Two of my pretty ladies, Duong from Vietnam and Alejandra
from Honduras. Love them :)

This particular evening we had to be out by 8pm, as the
neighbors have a little one.

It was fine with us, as a large group of us had planned on heading over
to the Worker's Stadium at Fu Bar to hear Violette and the Headhunters.

There was a soccer game going on in the stadium and the
police were out enforce in full riot gear.  I thought that
seemed like overkill as most sporting events in China
have about half capacity in attendance. Unless of
course it is a ping-pong or badminton tournament-
then they get all sorts of serious about it all.

 We grabbed dinner at Annie's, which was the
most incredible Italian place, of all things. I
had some amazing bruschetta and fettuccine
alfredo for dinner.  Oh. my. goodness.
Hank had some baked pasta and clams that
looked delicious, and a tad bit curious, too. 

Fu Bar was this very cool, swanky little place.
It had a hidden sliding door to enter like
a throwback to the speakeasy days during
Prohibition in the United States. What is this place?!

We hung out up in the balcony for a birds eye view.

Duong in a sweetheart; I cannot wait to travel

 to Vietnam next year :)  Her mother and son

will be joining her in Beijing later this spring.

I'm happy for her. It would certainly make the

overseas experience that much more enjoyable

 to share it with your loved ones.

The band was, by far, the best I have heard so far in Beijing.
Violette had an incredible set of pipes on her, and the band
was a really talented bunch of musicians.  I found out
later than she is a school teacher in Beijing :)

I'm sure Rob, our resident music/guitar teacher from NYC,
enjoyed talking with the lead guitarist on their break.  Rob has
also played some solo gigs around the city, and he has joined a
 band here, too.  We've been several times to hear and support him.

  

We needed a break, too, as we danced our socks off :)

The 'questionable' shots may have had something to do with that.
(Sorry, mom.)

We convinced the band to play a couple of encores, and we didn't leave until after 1:00am. Add a one hour cab ride back to our side of town, and this momma was pooped. It's a good thing I only do this with the young'ns about once a month. Though Violette and the Headhunters were playing at a hutong the following night, I didn't join the rest of them for another night of debauchery. I'm too old for this nonsense; I just can't keep up with them anymore :/

G'nite, or I should say, G'mornin' y'all!