I read an article on Wired last week that stated something along the line of trying to plan a trip is a descent into chaos. I couldn’t agree more. When I was younger and full of hope and all things good in the world, I used to enjoy the ritual of flying – putting on my sunday best, saying my pleasantries to the airline workers, and reading all the magazines in the back pouch of the seat ahead of me. Now I’m one of those disgruntled fat TIES praying each moment of the way that a) my flight leaves on time b) there won’t be any babies/loud snorer/bob the talking hair piece on the plane or c) the in-flight announcements are kept at a minimum so I can do some work or get some shut eyes.

Yes, I’ve become one of those people who requests a window seat then promptly closes the window covers and falls asleep (or at least try to fall asleep). I’m not proud of it (but yes I do know that the world looks different when you are looking at it from above).

I did however, come up with some insights from my latest whirl-wind tour of Toronto >> New York >> Toronto >> Montreal >> Las Vegas >> Toronto >> Montreal the past two weeks:

• It might be tempting, but never take the offer that the airline gives you when they overbook a flight. It’s a trap.
• There’s nothing better than an overpriced martini at the airport lounge. It makes you feel like a baller and off to some sort of secret mission.
• When the USA Customs Officers ask you why you are traveling to one of their fair cities, don’t actually say, “to go dancing at an exchange/workshop weekend/jazz event”. They won’t get it and more than likely you’ll be detained for more questioning. Instead, say you are going to a “convention” and if they probe even more, “an arts convention”. Not only will you breeze through the twenty questions game, you’ll actually get a friendlier send off as the Officers think you are going to spend lots of money in their country.
• Being able to sleep while sitting is the most useful skill I have acquired in my life.
• My bucket list goal in life is to only ever fly with carry-on luggages. How much can you stuff in two 23cm x 40cm x 55cm bags?
• iPhones + fat fingers + electronic boarding pass + carrying two heavy luggages while waiting in line to board the plane = INCREASED RISK OF DELETING YOUR BOARDING PASS!!!
• Don’t joke around with the ladies at the airline terminal counter. They ain’t having any of that and you won’t get an upgrade/seat change/flight change for free no matter how funny your jokes about dungeons and dragons are.
• Suggested check-in times are not really “suggested” than more so “required”.
• If you sit in the back 25% of the plane, there is a high chance that they won’t have a chicken sandwich left for you when the meal/food cart comes. And if you’re a vegetarian, chances are they’ll only have chicken sandwiches left.
• You have approximately 0.000005 seconds when going through the bag check point to put ALL YOUR SHIT AND SHOES in the plastic treys before the rest of the line gets disgruntled. That’s just how it is.
• Being really high in the sky makes people really gassy for some strange reason. I have no idea why, but just be weary of people who look like they might fart a lot.

Heads up, this blog post is going to be a bit scattered as I have had a few short ideas stewing in my chicken brain this morning that I just needed to type out. You’ve been warned ;-)

Everyone’s talking ’bout chicken

My last three weeks in Boston and Toronto have been a whirlwind experiment of my current obsession of lifestyle design – merging my work and dance lives together. Truth be told, I really cherished having two separate lives – my nerdy computer internetZ work life where I did many nerdy internet things, and my dance life… where I did many nerdy dance related things (I can’t change my nerdy DNA). This year, I’ve been allowing them to intersect and it seems to be working out!

What is lifestyle design?

Mostly, it’s just internet business jargon about the notion that working 9-5 is not the forgone conclusion in order to make a living. Most dancers that I know, myself included, HATE (with a passion) the day-to-day drudgery of going to the office then clocking out eight hours later. We all just want to dance all the time because it’s what makes us happy. Amirite??? When I think about what quality of life means to me, it really is about having time to do what I want and the mobility of doing it wherever I want.

I read a great presentation on the ILHC website about thrifty lindy hop traveling and how to basically manage your finances so you can go to as many dance events as possible. I think this is a great start of conscientious hobby-income management but I have an alternative suggestion – actually trying to make a living while traveling and dancing.

Now I’m not saying everyone should try to be an international dance instructor. Let’s be real – there are a very few of us who can actually make a living out of dancing and dancing alone. However, we all have skills, talents, and more importantly, the passion that can get us paid while doing what we want to do. Some examples that I have seen my traveling friends do first hand include graphic design, photography, arts and crafts, writing, virtual management and even dog walking! If you approach your day to day as a culmination of blending work and pleasure, it is really not that hard to attend as many dance events as possible without having to sleep on the floor every night. Just saying’.

(Of course, I couldn’t have done this trip without the awesome housing assistance of Khristi and John from Boston, but it’s nice to mix in housing with some hotel rooms in downtown, as well as doing some fun touristy stuff.)

You can boil it, roast it, broil it, cook it in a pan or a pot

I apologize to all the participants who traveled to Boston for BluesShout – I pretty much ate everything before you got there. My bad. My favourite dish in Boston? Lobster Macaroni and Cheese from Max and Dylans Kitchen Bar Restaurant.

Imagine this – home made macaroni melted with a pound of cheese and tossed in truffle oil. Mixed with GIANT pieces of lobster and topped off with fried crab/onion bits (think a better seafood version of bacon bits) in a seemingly bottomless bowl. All for $16 USD (haha sorry, I’m from Canada so I was able to flex my canadian dollar muscle all month)! Amazing!

It was a dish for old Caesar

BluesSHOUT 2011 was a crazy, crazy time. For the first time ever for a blues event, I really felt like I was *part* of the event rather than just an awestruck bystander. This was mostly due to the fact that people actually knew who I was, which is always nice and flattering. Considering I’m not American and am pretty shy when it comes to big events like BluesSHOUT, this is a big deal to me.

I also made it to the Champions Jack and Jill finals!! WHAT THE SHITTTTT??? I know!!! This was definitely one of my proudest moments in my short blues dancing “career” because BluesSHOUT Chicago 2009 (my first “real” blues event) I didn’t even make it to to the open jack and jill finals and BluesSHOUT Austin 2010, I was on the bottom of the finalist list for open jack and jills. Of course I was still too green to actually dance well during the spotlight (sorry Kara from Baltimore! I promise to do better next time!!) but making it to the “big stage” definitely is a rewarding moment for me. It makes me feel that all those time practicing actually does help in the end. When you live in a country that doesn’t really have consistent blues dances, practicing as much as possible with your laptop pointed to your favourite blues clips really does wonders ten months down the road. I actually have lots to write about my BluesSHOUT Boston experiences, but I’ll leave that for another blog post. Don’t want to get too carried away now whoa right?

If you weren’t able to go, next year it’s going to be in quasi-canadian city of Minneapolis. It’s going to be pretty epic I think.

Traveling is the best!!!

Can I just say one more time that there is nothing better in the world than traveling and dancing! There is so much to see and so much to do that I wish there was some dance magazine out there that would just pay me to write about my experiences of being a normal dude doing what most of us social dancers dream of doing all the time. Another highlight? You also meet so many interesting people (I’m going to raise chickens one day!) that you would never meet normally if you were just traveling for the sake of traveling.

Next stop – back to my old stomping grounds, New York!

Even though summer is already half way done, I’m still on a mission to grab a beer with all my Ontario friends by cajoling you all to come to Montréal. Of course this mission is a bit self-serving (I like beer, I like wine..) but I believe you would enjoy yourself once you get here. I know my food baby loves Montréal (I’m definitely on my second trimester).

Here’s an easy and quick guide on how to get to the land of the French using public transportation.

By Plane.

Do yourself a favor and take Porter Airlines. If you are diligent and check their sales (which they have often) you can get flights as low as $100 with taxes. Their lounge and service is by far the best economy flight experience I’ve ever been on and the Toronto City Airport (aka the “Billy Bishop” Airport; any WW1 nerds like me?) is near the Union Subway Station. They also have a an awesome shuttle that picks you up near the station and takes you on a five-minute journey so you don’t have to walk or take a small cab fare.

Forget Air Canada or West Jet if you are flying in from Toronto to Montreal, Porter Airlines is what the homies and homettes take. If you are taking PorterAirlines during the day or evening, don’t forget to ask for your free beer beverage. If you are nice, they’ll even give you two. Sometimes if they forget they gave you two, you can even ask for three!

Once you arrive at the airport, there is a convenient 24 hour airport to downtown shuttle service, aptly named the 747. Forget the taxis too, you won’t actually save any time and the bus is 80% cheaper. http://www.stm.info/english/info/a-747.htm.

Featuring nine stops in each direction, the 747 service is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year between Montréal’s central bus terminal (Berri-UQAM metro station) and Montréal-Trudeau airport.

By Train.

ViaRail is actually fast becoming one of my favourite ways to travel back and forth from Toronto->MTL. Yes some haters would say that the train is dead but for a smooth ride with acceptable wireless internet service and for about 75% the price of a plane, the train is pretty darn sweet. Economy class and assigned seating will run you about $70 total one way and believe it or not, the total time it takes to get from point A to point B is not that much longer than a plane than the train (if you include the plane wait times).

Another reason why I like taking ViaRail – I can actually get my shit done on the train! If you are always on the go, having five or so hours just to yourself does wonders for your productivity. I can usually get through all my emails, play a season or two of Football Manager, and edit some photos while enjoying the nice low hum of a large metal object going over some rails.

The train station is conveniently located in downtown Montreal (895 de la Gauchetiere West).

By Bus.

One word – Megabus. Technically it’s two words squashed into one word but if you are low on funds but high on adventure, Megabus has some pretty crazy deals from $10 one way. The average price I would say is $20-27 but I’ve gotten quite a few trips for $10 the past year. I only ever go on Megabus when I need to red-eye a trip (midnight bus ride, arrive 6am) but it’s definitely a very popular choice for many travellers.

Forget about Greyhound if you are trying to get from Montréal from Toronto. They have about three thousand stops and takes about nine hours as opposed to the six hours on Megabus.

Bonus tip! Megabus no longer stops in Kingston for a food break. So pack accordingly or the six hours is going to feel like six days.

Bonus tip number 2! Get to the line up about 45 minutes prior to departure and you’ll probably end up getting the coveted “front of the bus, on the second floor” seat. It’s worth getting there early to be on the second floor of the bus because it’s significantly less bumpy.

Watch out for drunk people getting on the red-eye bus though. More than likely, they won’t make it. You’ve been warned.

By Walking/Biking.

GTFO.

I have this need to constantly compartmentalize my life into blocks of time and ideally blocks of productive time. It’s sick, I know, but it helps me get shit done. Every once in a while though, I’ll accept gigs/events and know absolute nothing about the actual event and trust my handsome friends to take care of everything. Let someone else worry about the ‘deets and, “just point me in the dance direction.”

Some benefits of not having to plan everything is that I can actually spend time taking photos and dance geeking out with my friends at these events. Usually at the end of these events, I always promise myself to come back to the basics – dance more, meet more people, have more fun. This summer, with my travel schedule being erratic and the classes/events that I am running actually being semi successful (no way I know!), I find that I am not doing as much “hands-on” dance related activities as I should be doing. So that is what I’ll be doing again for the rest of this summer – training, practicing, learning, sharing. Time to get my hands dirty again. ;-)

Camp Jitterbug is an event held in Seattle with competitions, performances, social dances and workshops drawing a MASSIVE amount of people from all over the country all wanting to learn from the best. They have multiple track levels ranging from Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced, Advanced Plus (Advanced+), and Masters with the latter two requiring auditions. It touts itself as ‘The Awesomest Lindy Hop Event Ever!’ and I am inclined to agree with it.

Since moving back to the west coast, I have been anticipating about re-visiting Seattle to dance again; partially to benchmark myself with my first visit, as well as how I fair dancing with Seattle based dancers.

How did I do? I SUCKED… but it sure felt good.

At the risk of sounding egotistic, it was nice to get away from being one of the better leads of a scene. Some dancers would believe that I’m an advanced-plus lead, whereas I only feel that I am more of a intermediate, maybe advanced, level lead…with potential. I am always undergoing a cycle of improvement with each dance partake. While dancing in Vancouver is great, with good dancers, I feel like there is something missing that makes the dancing great, and that will push me improve, especially because it is in such a close proximity Seattle. Personally, I have found myself social dancing less, and attending more practice sessions in lindy as well as other dances.

Dancing at Camp Jitterbug brought back the experience that I am all too familiar with, yet have not experienced in the last while—being a ‘beginner’-level lead. It was not like this for every dance, but with some of the more well versed followers, even some I have danced with before, I felt like I was a ‘beginner’ dancer all over again.

When dancing, this made me more aware about how much more room I have to grow, and while I might have plateaued a bit, there is so much more for me to work on and this is invigorating for my drive to dance and get better—Cleaning up techniques, paying more attention to musicality, working on swingouts, vernacular jazz, syncopated steps and timing, etc. Being about to experience and watching the competitions and seeing some of the best instructors and dancers competing only helps drive my want to learn and practice more to get to that next level.

Camp Jitterbug was awesome, and I believe that everyone should go to it. It’s quite the experience to get to be at such a large event, and while I never took that classes this year and missed the Jump Session Perforamances, you can be assured that I will be there next year, dancing up a storm and learning from some of the best instructors. I hope that all my friends in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and around the country will join me next year and share in the same experience with me at Camp Jitterbug 2011.

Bring friends to this city.

Gotta love Dublin. There’s so much drinking and dancing in such a small area that one can hardly sit still long enough to realize just how much euro one has really spent (fyi, it was a lot). I was able to fly to Dublin (albeit after a bit of stand-by ticket scare) and attend the Dublin Lindy Exchange to meet some dancers from across the Atlantic. Having never been to Herrang dance camp, it is such a great feeling to meet lindy hoppers from so many other countries in one location having the time of their lives. To be honest, I was a bit nervous about dancing in Europe. I have only ever danced in North America so I did not know if my dance style would mesh well with other dancers. I often get this feeling when out traveling to unfamiliar dance scenes. I always chalk it up to the “big dance pond” syndrome that I self-conscientiously get. The Dublin dancers were great however and were very hospitable from the moment we arrived to the Pillars Room to the very last dance of the weekend.

During the day when not out dancing, my traveling companion, Genevieve, and I did the tourist thing and visited the Guinness Factory tour, risked dismemberment by using the new city bike program, and met up with my good old Irish friend Laura. We also saw some traditional Irish dancing (crazy!) and even did some salsa dancing on the streets (what?) near O’Donnell bridge. Being only there really for three days, I feel that I need to come back at least two or three more times to really feel like I’ve “visited” Dublin. I guess I’ll just have to put it back on the list :-)

In other dance related news, here are two quick events that I am putting on in Toronto:

Teaching A Class Series

In Toronto news, I will be teaching a beginners Lindy Hop class every Tuesday at Dovercourt House starting next week (September 22nd). I’m very excited to have to opportunity to teach this class in Toronto so hopefully it goes well.

Fund Raiser for Hamfats’ Blues Team

The past month or so, I started up a Blues Dance Team to work on some more advance blues dance concepts that I can’t work on the dance floor as well as to compete in the North Star Blues Exchange. We are holding a fundraiser to get us to Minnesota.

Facebook Even Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124675049209#/event.php?eid=132311290775

Took a trip to San Antonio to visit Suizo and the fine people at Rackspace and I have never been more impressed by the local population in all my travels. I feasted like a king for every meal and had more patrón than I could ever afford on my own. They even bought us expensive Stetson cowboy hats (see above).

More pictures to come later :)