Sunday, January 29, 2006

Waiting for Uma Thurman


Ever had a night when you're out, and all of sudden you feel like this can't be real? This moment right here, right now feels like you're in a movie.

Saturday was one of those, and no, I wasn't high. It started with a picture.

I'm inside Lava for Freaky Wack, the grand opening party for Eden, formerly Sky. I see this Korean cat, smoking a cigarette standing alone. Now, Asians often hang at Lava, but typically they travel with friends. This dude is standing alone, taking in the crowd. His air was so cool, I snap off a few pictures for Party Pix and introduce myself. We start talking, his name was Do Kin. He used to live in L.A. and loves to breakdance.

We head next door to Cuisine Malaya, which is hosting a private Chinese New Year party. Kin's Korean, but he has Chinese friends. For the next hour or so, I talk with him and one of his buddies about the difference between Koreans and Chinese, clubbing in different states and for Do in different countries (He loves South America). There's a football game playing on TV, a group of Asians talk at a table near the door. Couples pack up to go boxes of food and their children to leave (it's after 2 a.m.) and three other people sit near us talking.

Except for me and a few white people, everyone else is Asian. It was at that moment, when I'm soaking it all in and Do is telling me about why black people love him -- because he's from Seoul and he's got Steez (aka style)-- that I wonder if I'm in some kind of Quentin Tarantino movie. Do keeps saying, "Holla' at your boy" and throwing his hands up. And at any moment, I expect Uma Thurman to bust through the door, and pull out a sword.

The moment passes, we talk some more and then return next door to Eden. It's 3 a.m. and the dancefloor is still jumping. Muscle guys in tight T-shirts and itty-bitty women on their arms fill the dancefloor. The Freaky Wack crowd is gone. Music is pumping, but this DJs has no mixing skills. His song transition is, well there is no transition. Do and I shake our heads at the music then find a space on the floor.

Do isn't exaggerating, he moves with soul. Holla' at your girl.