First Night Out: Page 3 is the New Page 6

I went out with some co-workers for the first time Wednesday night. Our driver took us about 30 minutes out to an area that had sidewalks and familiar American stores like Levi, Reebok, and Sony (yay Carla!). To get to the club, we had to go inside what looked like a mall and then up to the top floor to the club. As we waited to go in, I found one new addition to the party scene I have never experienced before: the paparazi. Apparently, in Hyderabad, the paparazzi take pictures of people going out and post them on page 3 of the local newspaper (similar to our page 6). It is taboo to be pictured there because everyone in the office will see and apparently judge you. I thought my nerdy side ponytail, cheap H&M jeans, my sister's throwaway top, and an old Gap sweater would prevent any interest but I was mistaken. Being an expert celebrity stalker thanks to PerezHilton.com, I think I avoided the paps quite well. They got tricky by holding the camera down and looking to the side but still trying to snap a shot, but I did not fall for their little game. It is was a strange experience that I could do without in the future. How does Brittany do it?

Once we got inside the club we found it to be pretty empty. It was decorated like any average lounge in SF , so it was very nice and modern. It was 95% men and 5% women (nothing in between haha). Apparently the only way a guy can dance is if he has a girl partner on the floor. Because there were not many girls, the dance floor was empty. Techno was blasting but it was Bollywood style so each song had a choreographed dance that people mimiced from the movie s. Neelima told me that in India, they dance with their shoulders and their hips. This made me realize that at home, we focus so much more on the lower body. I practiced moving both elements at once and failed. I ended up pulling out old Jane Fonda aerobic moves and survived just fine.

One highlight of the night was taking a break from the dance floor to use the restroom. I was greeted by a woman who led me to the appropriate stall, pumped soap for me, got me paper towels, and made sure my top was not tucked into the back of my jeans. She was sweet. I gave her my first tip in India: 50 Rupees (about $1).

Luckily the club closed at midnight cause I was about to fall asleep! Our driver promply swung by to pick us up. What a trooper! Although the club was pretty nice, I would take KT's any day. I feel after the page 3 nonsense that I must end the blog with a xoxo!