On the Other Side: July 2012

Times are a changin' no matter what, restless minutes are over and traces fade away, as my disappearing henna tattoo is (not) here to testify anymore.

Two weekends ago, it was sunfest : an international music festival held in London over 4 days. Four days of togetherness, of auditive orgasms, of crazy dancing but mostly of awesome people. TO summarize it was basically a race... 3, 2, 1 GO

FRIDAY : as I was driving to London, the excitement built up and as soon as I hit a parking spot (before the actual one, in a visitor's parking spot) I knew it would be epic. Racing already to find P so that I would go park the rented car legally, I caught a glimpse of some of the vendors and I went straight to the office where I found everyone. Greetings... and we're on our way to park Lady B (I don't know why but I'll name the car like this). Driving, parking, changing and then the office again for some duty planning : donations. That sounds good to me, I'll be able to watch/dance during the concert and get money for sunfest.

So we start our wandering around, first to get lunch and then for me to settle at the Jazz stage in order to get the first donations. Kaja, Alpha, Delhy 2 Dublin : it's 40°C outside and we're rocking the earth already, I'm sweaty and dancing but getting some donations. Music feeds me up.

I'm joined later by P for a little dancing sesh and then we hit the office again to drop the jar and go to the beer tent for our evening. I had forgotten : we first do a big round for P so that she gets more work done before we take a rest (and a beer, or more). After that we grab some foody food, mine is Nicaraguan and delicious.

Finally we get to the Galaxy stage and we dance (Samba... watered by D with his watergun) we also went to check out the bandshell because Delhi 2 Dublin was playing again, in front of a huge crowd : not bad for a friday night (let's see what saturday has in reserve).

More dancing and more cheerfulness before going back home for a sweeeeeeeeeeeet shower.

SATURDAY : well let's start on a brand new note, saturday will be better, faster, stronger??? Indeed. We all get ready, pack stuff, grab a McDick (oups McDo) and then head out to Victoria Park. I think it's around 11 and we start freaking out because P's dad, who's supposed to play, thinks he has lost his bag. Everyone is looking for it, everywhere, a message is sent to the crew.... while the bag just decided to hide in the car...
So event and storm under control we all proceed to the stage and cheer A up. The Antler River Project, a good start to the day. And then again we all proceed to our specific duties. I grab a jar and I start going from stage to stage, dancing, and cheering the artists : Locos por Juana, Mdungu, Le Vent du Nord, Los Gateiros..., Palo Cruzao..., Lazo. Running around all day, I proceed to the Galaxy stage at one point, grad D's watergun and then try to fill it up, looking for a damn tap... "behind the stage he tells me" ok sure. On my way there ooooh well hello there T from FAF, under that tent it's sweaty, greetings and of course no tap... I proceed and try to find one. So I had to get out of the beer tent and I made my way somewhere. I think I first went to the Jazz stage and then to the abouttown stage and finally to the centre stage where I found A and started dancing. Joined by little P we keep going, I get donations and then we head out. I'm not sure how it goes from there, but I think I went to the Galaxy stage cause FAF was playing and I wanted to dance (check them out cause after that there's usually nothing in your mind except the funk : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYMdwuaf-Xk ) !!!! P joined in too for some fun and after that we went back to the car to change and get some food. But then we had to go to the bandshell to pay a tribute to one of the volunteer who passed away. We finally made it to our final destination for the night (as per usual) the beer tent and discovered LA CHIVA GANTIVA (check them out, they're freakinnnn' awesome: http://www.lachivagantiva.com/ ).

We were joined by friends and during one of the intermission we made our way out to get henna tats. Well, it was busy as hell!!!! So we went to get some food, (I got a pina colada smoothie) and finally checked out Les tambours de Brazza: what a show!!!!!! Those guys are just amazing, rhythmically speaking and show-wise. After that we finally made our way back to the Henna place when ooooh well Hello there D from FAF.... talking, and challenging... let's get henna on your face (not ours). So tattoo, and WARRIOR BALANCE GAME introduced to a new community.

Then we went back to the office to see what was next and we finally ended up going to the bar Scott's corner. Settling there, and shots of Tequila... well I turn to P and I just confirm : "I'm not driving tonight" and the evening of fun began. We actually joined the band members of FAF for an epic night of fun. Beer, games, history of Newfoundland and we're out (let's just mention stories in the washroom without actually mentioning them, but just not to forget : it involved T, P and I, the men's washroom, a visit and....... that's it.) Going back upstairs and bumping into the waitress ("You've got to be fucking kidding me" that's what she said) we kept drinking and talking, I started doodling while D was explaining and playing Warrior balance with the guys when someone came and announced that we had 10 mins to go. Finishing beers and getting out. FIRST HALF TIME = OVER

SECOND HALF-TIME : we're out, and figuring out what's next, P is on T's back, I'm whistling and comparing whistles and then we decide to walk back to the hotel. Crossing streets, videotaping everything, arabesque and all... We get to the hotel for an epic entrance and a funny ride in the elevator.
Hotel Room n°1213 and we keep going. Stories, band aids being replaced, and we decide to go back downstairs. We're out, playing warrior balance and chilling when I decide to hide T's flip flops. 3 hours later (JK) we all go back upstairs (oooh we played hot and cold for the shoes). We're in the room, googles on, and some hiding happens again. Challenge : you have 10sec to hide. For sure : 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 DONE : efficiency level 10 power 10.

You have 10 mins to find them.... 10 mins later after having led T in weird places (the fridge????) inside the toilet... I gave them back and we finally went downstairs to go home. We grabbed a cab (not the executive ones, way too expensive). We got home, walked and rested nicely...

WELLL now SUNDAY:

After a few, very few hours of sleep, we're up, and getting stuff ready for the day. Mostly : the work is to get the food vouchers ready and to file paperwork. After that we all go to Victoria park and I think it's around 12 when we get there. I went to the abouttown stage and started rounds of donations to the sound of La Chiva and Le vent du nord (Maybe Palo Cruzao too). As per usual awesome dancing good times and then with A we went to get some food, while joined by P (oooh burrito: they were delicious, I kept one for later). Then we walked to the bank and got some money. After that P not feeling good because of a bad Timmy's went to take a nap. I kept walking around and got to the Galaxy stage for Les tambours de Brazza. After that I went to change and joined P again. Some of her friends were there so they decided to walk around and we decided to go check out FAF (after the night gnaaaahahaha). Dancing/donations... everything goes fabulously like a pony on that day!!!!

After FAF at 3:45 I think we walked around to get food and then we went to the galaxy stage to chill. From that moment on, I went 1. to get a scarf, cause it was chilly (yeah 35°C gave me the shivers), 2. Food : I had cuban food). On my way back after grabbing water from the office, I went back to the tent where almost out of nowhere, I got stopped and had to take over the eco station for a bit. La Chiva is playing, I'm just dancing with the garbage... Finally he came back and I made my way to the stage to dance. After them Locos por Juana played and A joined in for some dancing before going because of other duties. We got some rest and got ready for our last round with FAF : A & A finally joined in, A played with them for a good session. This time was fantastic, the music, the people, the energy the show : sunfest, everybody loves sunfest ;)

No more voice, I speak like Amy Whinehouse, we all grab our stuff from backstage and we get out of the beer tent. Meeting up with people, we decide to get some food and to walk around. We finally get to hospitality where we grab a beer and enjoy the after party. Everyone is congratulating everyone, sharing good times and we then all depart for Winks. We arrive there, of course, before that we went to the car, had some pee/changing stories but... So we walk to the bar and once there all share drinks on the patio : conversation on and on, we can here the drummer's talking pchhhhhpadapadapadapada, tchhhh), 12/8, smash turbo, some cream stories (weird), energy on stage, collaborations... After quite some time, we're asked to finish and leave. We all get out (some did not understand that we had to leave without the drinks...) It's ok, we're all out saying goodbye (I don't even know why because we all went the same way...) So we're out, we do say goodbye to A and then TT opens the newspapers box and get his bag of chips mixed and matched hidden earlier. We all start to walk back and across the park. We sing, we dance, we stop by the van cracking some jokes... and again start walking. Some of us wanted to visit a church (quite normal) some of us were doing headstands... walking around. We finally get to the hotel, epic entrance, we're about 20 people, we all fit in one elevator and start singing "I like to move it move it...". the elevator jumps around too and we stop at the 5th... wrong stop or just a pause before others grab stuff from their room to come back up. 7th floor : who pressed the wrong button!!!! Keep going, keep going... We all get out and finally make it to the 12th... Trying to be silent, and then 20 people get in the room. Putain : "on est 20 et y'en a encore 20 qui arrivent...." We all start to hang out, play music, take pictures, tales of lives, experiences and then photoshoots!!!! People start going home and after a good time we do the same. But before, we all get out to grab food and drinks at the closest subway : 1 footlong italian BMT... and finally hit a cab......
Until I realize, once at home, that I left my camera case with the rented car keys in it, in the washroom at the hotel.... I quickly send a message and then go to bed with a sub... It's morning time 8:53, I check my message ASAP, nothing and I get out to tell Paula about it. We start thinking (in the fuzziness of that morning) that we should call the hotel in order to know if they checked out... They did, we ask about the case... nothing was found... Ok well, I'm going down there to check. We leave with A, P's mom and I. Bus station, hotel. I go up, room 1213 ooops ;) and nothing... So I decide to go back to Victoria Park and before that I make a quick stop at the subway, maybe I somehow left it there (but no, my brain has an impressive memory capacity). I get to Victoria Park and call Paula. She tells me they have it at the front desk because she got a message from D who told her that T sent an email saying so. Back to the hotel, I get to the front desk and I get my camera while they're trying to figure out who stayed there... I'm like... I don't know :) !!!! I get out of the hotel and P joins me. We go for breakfast, before I hit the road to go back to reality.

JUST EPIC ;)