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2005-05-29 - 10:25 p.m. Now that I have been here for almost 8 months, I am starting to forget that I am in another country. Like I said before, I have become numb to interesting, bizarre, and downright weird everyday happenings that go all around me. The other day, however, I saw this flyer and almost fainted from excitement- talk about bizarre- I had no idea there was a roller skating rink here! A Roller Derby Revival in Shanghai, China- wow. I had a feeling it was being put on expats for 2 reasons- 1)the flyer was all in English, and 2)if there was to be a gathering of roller skaters dancing around to 70’s and 80’s music in 70’s and 80’s garb put on by the locals, then it would not be an intentional event with flyers. It would just be happening every Friday night at the local roller rink. They are much cooler than us. And they skate better too. (you will see why later) There are several things in life that I equate with full-blown, uninhibited, I- love- this –so- much- I -wanna -do -the -snoopy -dance- happiness---being with my family, thunderstorms, (that tornadoes are not attached to) tap dancing, jumping on a trampoline, snuggling with Mike Pelino(get your mind out of the gutters people!) , laughing (especially with my twin), flea markets, and…….(drum roll….) ROLLERSKATING, AND 70’s and 80’s MUSIC!!!!!! Finding an event in Shanghai that combines 2 of my favorite things on the planet has now made my list of favorite things. (Does that make sense?) The party started at 9:30. Moi, a friend of mine who I teach school with, and I were there at 9 pm. Here is Moi breaking rules the first 5 minutes we were there. I was like an over-eager kindergartner getting the run of the toy store before it opens. The only people there were a few local skaters and the organizers -a group of expats in full 70-80’s costume. The calm before the storm was fabulous. Moi and I broke our skates in with the local guys and girls who were AMAZING freaking skaters. They were doing ice skating tricks on roller skates. Phenomenal. They kept grabbing Moi and me playing that game where you whip each other around the rink. I think it’s called The Whip. I was terrified and excited all at once. The guy dragging me around didn’t speak English, and once he tried to convince me to do twirly tricks with him in the middle of the rink. I never understood exactly what he wanted me to do, but within seconds he was spinning me around WAY too fast. My legs were flying, and I was screaming STOP at the top of my lungs, but he kept going. Gotta love the language barrier. Good times![fashion story- I bought my denim hot pants jumpsuit at “City Fashion” in Levy, for those of you from Arkansas. I have been looking for a legitimate reason to wear it for months] Around 10:30, the hordes of expats began arriving. I knew it was just a matter of time before the booty-busting began, and I was ready with my camera. The organizers knew they had concocted the most lethal of cocktails- roller skating and all you can drink for the low price of 15 bucks!!!! I spent much of the night taking pictures of drunkards falling down. I also managed to single-handedly start a dance party in the center of the rink, thank you very much. Mike and I don’t generally go out where the other foreigners go, but when we do, it’s always the same—drink drink drink!!! I am wondering if these people are doing an international pub crawl. It reminds me of college. Crazy people. Lotsa liquor. Guaranteed insanity. Dancers from my studio also came, and we all boogied until around 1:00 AM. I was so happy that my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It was a great time, but I was very surprised that I didn’t hear “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Don’t Bring Me Down.” I know for a fact that the DJ was a poser. A roller skating DRINKING party and he didn’t play these songs…..he obviously didn’t grow up at Joyland Skating Rink in Cabot, Arkansas. My hometown rink used to play these songs and let people try to knock each other down. The last one standing at the end of the songs won a piece of pizza and a Coke. In honor of Gary, the best roller-skating DJ (Joyland in Cabot) to ever to grace the planet, let’s have a sing-a-long to Queen’s timeless classic……(get the beat in y’alls heads now….)
“…and another one’s gone…”
“another one bites the dust…” My jumpsuit has been put away for the time being, but it sure was put to good use. Long live the 70’s. xoxo, Julie ?lt;/P> 
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