Décadence Avec Élégance

[dotinthesky]

It's snowing in London. I only had three hours of sleep last night. I woke up at 7 to grey light pouring into the bedroom and snow flakes hitting the window. Looked outside and saw the city disappearing under a heavy flurry. My first thoughts were for the flowers that bloomed, the creatures that came out of their hibernation this past sunny week, getting covered with snow flakes. How hippie am I? When the flurry subsided a little, about two hours ago, a small pterodactyl flew past my living room window towards Victoria Park.

I only had three hours of sleep because I drank a lot yesterday and ate a large hamburger at 2 in the morning which didn't agree with my stomach (I'd been a fishetarian for the past two weeks.) The hamburger was consumed at Balans, on Old Compton Street, a queer establishment I had not visited before (I always thought it was a bit over my budget every time I walked past it, and it turns out I was right - but they do have damn good food!) Two crazy ladies accompanied me: one who has a long history with the restaurant; another who simulated a loud orgasm that got the nearby tables giggling when I slid her engagement ring back on her finger. The touchy-feely gay waiter had his bum pinched, wine got drunk and we may have run away from a cab driver without paying the fare.

Yesterday started out as such a nice and calm day; I couldn't have guessed that the dark storms were drawing in and my friends would be as wild as them. Two friends had come down from York for the weekend. I showed them my neighbourhood - including Mile End Park's Ecology Centre - before we met with another friend (the one who knows Balans well) for a visit to Tower Hamlets' cemetery. The day started sunny but by noon it was clear that things were going to get progressively worse (I suppose leading up to today's snow flurries). We decided to skip the cemetery for a walk across soggy Victoria Park and some posh fish & chips. Our friends from York then drove us to Camden to the sound of Siouxsie Sioux. We found a parking spot near the market and were shocked to discover every single table in Bar 55 reserved for the happy hour (oh unhappy lack of foresight! But how were we supposed to know the place would grow popular after Camden's fire?) That didn't stop us taking tables, then moving to other tables when réservées arrived and kicked us off.

Friends began to arrive at Bar 55 and the place got progressively full of 12-year-olds (no, seriously) and louder. One of our friends got accidentally covered in a sugary drink and spent the rest of the night wiping her black leather bag and dipping her hair into glasses of water. Later, at another pub, she also had her breasts fondled by another female (the one who later would reach orgasm in my hands). Men looked jealously at my harem collection, and more than three women asked me how many times I'd slept with girls and why had I given it up (I've got horrible straight man shoes so I'm obviously in denial about my heterosexuality.) Before we arrived at the night's final pub, where a birthday party was taking place (which we crashed), we had a brief stop at the Ice Wharf, which was filled with orange people from Essex. Strawberry beer was drunk. People then started buying me beer (thank you again!) and conversation disintegrated into TMI, silliness, gossip, innuendo, surreality and banality. Women sat on my lap, men treated me like shit (one even threatened to kill me in Soho, but I think he was high on something), and everyone felt the need to confide secrets in me (the kind of shocking secrets that could send ripples through London's Goth Scene). I'd like to take this opportunity to say that your secrets are safe with me. Yes, I do love gossip; but I'm not a gossip. Do you get the difference? I'm a collector of gossip, a gatherer of information. I'm that character in an Agatha Christie novel that eventually gets murdered for knowing too much. It will be up to the detective in you to unravel the secrets I take with me to the grave.

Comments

[atomic-joe2.livejournal.com]

Bloody snow. I got entombed in its flaky embrace and I only went 50 yards down the road for some fags.

British Summer Time, apparently!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I seriously hope this isn't some foreshadowing for the summer.

[atomic-joe2.livejournal.com]

Oh I saw a report the other night on summer weather predictions.

And I quote: "not as wet as last year but damper than average".

Confused? Why not!

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, you're serious! (except for the pterodactyl, of course) Whenever your posts get weird I look to the bottom for a particular tag I know and love. Hope I can get there for your birthday, oooh! (Southern exclamation of intensity)

I have Potential Big News coming that does not involve the man, but I can't let myself talk about it until it comes true. Then I will be all over the place about it! Cross your fingers for me, not even knowing what it's all about.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Wow! I'm curious now about these Potential Big News... I hope it's something that will make you happy.

It would be so lovely to see you again. It would be all the better if on my birthday, but I can also settle for seeing you at any other time during this year.

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

I really want to be able to hang out with you on these outings, and other times. It would be lovely to live in London while you are still there.

[saint-narcissus.livejournal.com]

at first read I thought this said ' with you on these outlings...'
'outlings' I rather like that word!
-D

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

That's funny cos I think my friend here in the States started a community on LJ for when he proposes outings, called Outlings.

[canudiglett]

Did I tell you any secrets? I can't even remember anything after about 10pm. I couldn't think what that sticky substance all over my hair and clothes was at first...

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Everyone told me hair-raising secrets. Some shared just one (like you), others shared about fifty.

Getting sticky for two free drinks is not a bad deal.

[canudiglett]

What did I tell you? I didn't think I had any secrets.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's a secret I have to keep from yourself? Could be something your drunk self is hiding from your sober self.

[despina.livejournal.com]

I remember sitting on your lap so I'm sure I told you secrets but I didn't think I had any either. Certainly nothing that could cause ripples anywhere.

[canudiglett]

You told me how much you weigh and how much your engagement ring cost! ;)

[despina.livejournal.com]

I told you how much I weigh?! Good grief. I probably told you how much I used to weigh, too, didn't I. Sigh.

[canudiglett]

I'm afraid you did, yes. I also told you how much I weigh but am hoping you've forgotten.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Sometimes people don't know the power of their secrets...

[despina.livejournal.com]

*omnious music*

[olamina.livejournal.com]

This sounds delightful. I must come back to London soon and become a temp member of said harem!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

You better start sharpening your claws. Members only join after fierce entrance battles.

[olamina.livejournal.com]

Well my nails are pretty sharp in general from years of running those NYC streets, but these last few months here in the Alps may have dulled them a bit. SO...I'm on it!

[blu-bear.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good night out!

I, on the other hand, spend the night in Duckie in the midst of a very strange 3 way relationship that seems to be developing between myself, an Argentinian and his boyfriend.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

What happened to brasilian guy?

[blu-bear.livejournal.com]

He's a wierdo. Keeps messsaging me online but as soon as I ask him if he wants to meet up he ignores me.

I've given up.

[rag-and-bone.livejournal.com]

i don't think you're hetero, ollie, i think you're a lesbian.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting theory... very possible! The girls that were all over me happened to be bisexual. Hmmmmmm....

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

hmmm.....me, too! I'd sit in your lap, too. But just 'cos you're Ollie.

[kevyn-kronycles.livejournal.com]

It snowed in London? We had sunny mild spring temperatures here in Toronto...I'm surprised.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

We were surprised too!

[fisticuff-s.livejournal.com]

i'm sorry, who reached orgasm in your hands?

and all this time i thought you were a card-carrying member.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

It was a When Harry Met Sally type of orgasm. ;-)