TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

11:32 PM
Posted by jodi rose

So, tonight in the interests of journalistic fairness and objectivity, I have done a comprehensive survey of the nightlife in Sturovo. Just remember I am a gonzo cultural journalist, and completely subjective.

Started with the Ghymes concert at the Kulturhaz - excellent musicians, contemporary folk/pop all based on traditional hungarian folksongs, and I can't get enough of those men in furry hats with off-the shoulder sheepskin vests and knee-high boots - more footstomping passion and waving sticks in the air.

This finished at 8pm, and my friends andrea and robert went home,
so they dropped me back at the green pub, where danny and ursula sat propping up the bar, told me jokes and invited me to come to the argus with them to meet up with some friends. I've been hearing about the argus - it's 'the other' pub - and was keen to explore more options.
definitely where the kids hang out, much edgier scene, more tracksuits and hoodies, and hiphop instead of hard rock on the jukebox.
although incongrously, everyone sang along to 'raindrops keep falling on my head' straight after snoop dog and the beasties boys - wish I'd been recording that. The uni kids back from brat for the weekend hang here, you can play dart, and foozball; drink heavily and cheaply.

I hear more stories about the communist times, how 'dope' was legal because it was grown for hemp production, but no-one knew you could smoke it. Someone's mum found a joint in their pocket while doing the family washing, and decided to try it for herself. Respect.

Staying up late too many nights already, I head home early - but on the way drop in to the 'steel bridge disco' just to see what it's like.
Almost empty, some lasers on the dance floor but no-one shakin' it,
booths and kids and a techno remake of an early madonna song - can't tell which one - not really my scene, but maybe with a posse after 3am when the hiphop comes on. we'll see.

Wander past the Cafe Hollywood which intrigues me with some live drumming - odd combo of rhythm and keyboards, good atmosphere, a more sophisticated crowd and decor, backlit bar and funky couches.
Am now in need of pizza and they don't do take away, so I make my last stop for the evening at the pension restaurant which features a silver mercedes convertible as one of the tables, and buy a decent vegetarian health pizza. No really, it comes with carrots, corn, peas, mushroom, brocooli, potato... almost gourmet.

Come home and am enchanted by the snow in my courtyard, wander up to the various farm implements and try to make them work. Then worry that the museum director will know it's me from the footprints, as no-one else is in here on the weekend. Reminds me of a story a friend told me about his time in the Finnish army, when he had to sneak out one night for this illegal forest rave which he had organised, and coming back realised that the deep footprints in the snow leading up to the backdoor of the barracks were a dead giveaway. Luckily it rained or snowed again and washed them away or filled them in.

Now it's time to get back to the trashy dvd I had to leave earlier,
and find out if julianne moore and pierce brosnan will get it together, in 'the laws of attraction'. And despite what my mum thinks, I wasn't that drunk really - only had one beer and one wine all night, the rest were walk-in and walk straight back out!