Yay for the Waiters!

The aftermath of the assignment left me totally drained throughout the week. All I can say is thank god for Chris's help. The boy saved my hide.

Nevertheless, by the time Friday rolled around I had plans to recharge the batteries.

Girls night in! Sometimes all a chick needs is to be with her girlfriends and do girl stuff. It was a little bit of housemate bonding as well. Strange, that all four of us live in the same unit, and yet at times, lead totally separate lives. It was one of the few times that me, Akmal and Liyana made proper plans that we would stay in and do stuff. Strange, that I've lived with them for a couple of months and yet, barely mention them, even though they play such central roles in my life now. It is one of the things you take for granted.

I had so much fun though. Lounging around in front of the computer watching Dirty Dancing, as Akmal and I drooled over Patrick Swayze, Liyana and I teasing Akmal about the sexual connotations that she totally missed, and getting mushy over romantic scenes in the way you can only do with your girlfriends. It seemed a natural progression to whip out our makeup kits and the tongs and curlers, and the many photographs we took throughout the night, which I still crack up at everytime they flash across the screen. I miss those days.

Batteries recharged in time for our Saturday night antics. I didn't expect to ever, ever step foot inside Mandate, and yet, there I was, with Iyra, Munira and Azreen, all four rather excited and tingling with anticipation. The entrance foyer seemed relatively quiet. It seemed like we were the only ones there at first. Paid out entrance fees and waited around until our waiter came down and unlatched the gate that separated the foyer from the stairs.

Be still my heart. The waiter was the most adorable guy ever. Dark eyed and funky haired, and topless, with a body worthy of a Baywatch lifeguard. And he had the sweetest smile! It was a good beginning to the night.

As he led us up the stairs, me trying hard not to blatantly perve on his rippling muscles, we stepped into the room. The first thing that struck me was the amount of people. A throng of women, all laughing, drunk, and possibly horny. It reminded me of a zoo. Their gazes filled with lust, a sense of being surrounded by predators. And men were the prey of the night.

We walked in the middle of Tarzan's act. The strippers did themes throughout the night.

Yes, strippers.

It was a strip club, exclusively for women. Men performed dance routines onstage, to the catcalls of the women, and every once in awhile, picked volunteers from the audience and simulated sex acts onstage. They teased and twirled, and suggestively toyed with the small scraps of material that covered essential bits as the crowd roared for more. I was secretly relieved when they stopped at underwear, for most cases.

Tried and tested costumes. Cowboy. Detective trenchcoats and a navy uniform, both which I discovered a personal preference for. A matador outfit, which was a little strange. Oh well. In the end it all came down to their thongs. There was a strange number with a cross dresser, which was a bit disconcerting, but the whole show was entertaining. Cheesy at times, funny at times, but definitely entertaining.

The audience mostly consisted of women out on their Hen's nights, and celebrations of some sort, be it birthdays or celebrating a recent divorce. They were highly charged, ready to let loose, and very, very drunk. I had to bite back my smiles whenever a tipsy woman 'tripped' on a waiter. It smacked of desperation at some points. I almost pitied the waiters, as they tried to tactfully avoid the women who were getting a little bit too frisky, a little bit too hands on.

We were watching the show at the back, which was perfect, because that seemed to be the waiters' hangout whenever there was a lull, which meant I got to happily take my fill in of them. Azreen and I were easily distracted, whenever our first waiter walked past, whom we christened 'Tom', after the band member from Blink 182. I was much too embarassed to walk up and ask if I could take photos with them, but Iyra and Azreen were getting well into the spirit.

I totally melted when Iyra and Azreen were taking pictures with 'Tom', while I shyly watched longingly, and he must have noticed, because he smiled at me and said, "You're not going to leave her out, are you?" Total meltdown. I am officially besotted.

It was an entertaining night. One of those things I shall look back in my older days and chuckle to myself, and say, "Well. At least I've done that."