Travelogue Chapter 3 (part deux): Portland, Oregon, USA

Dear readers,

This entry is for a very select mailing-list because it is going to contain details that i don't feel are fit for general consumption. Feel privileged.

Some of you I'm taking a risk with - trusting your descretion and discernment - so be good.

My friend Ryan, a couple of people he knew, and yours truly, had what's known as a 'bourbon night' (its known as this by no-one except myself) and so, as is traditional, went to a strip club last night. Needless to say this was my first experience of such an establishment - and very likely was my last. I won't say
the place lacked class, but i will say there were no doors on the toilet cubicles and said facilities were designated to their respective genders with the graphic titles 'chix' and 'dix'. Enough said. But don't get me wrong though, the atmosphere wasn't actually at all intimidating and we're not talking (please pardon the phrase) 'crack-ho's' here.


Now it's not that anything happened to me personally that i would be ashamed of or even embarrassed about that I'm not mentioning this little adventure to everyone. It's just that I wouldn't want to worry people who might read into it some kind of desperation or self-destruction that really isn't there. Though I had reservations about the venture, Ryan is one of the only friends i have here, i do respect and trust him, and hey, I'm on friggin holiday! It was however, a night which sailed pretty close to the wind (or whatever) in a number of respects.

Well let's leave the details, I'll not sensationalise. I would like to say this though: while the initial novelty of naked and - how shoudl I put this? - 'talented' women does appeal to some instinct that is quite compelling, and produces something of an intense experience, I found it so short-lived that i could hardly believe it. First I was bored and then I was depressed. I brought
this up with Ryan at the time and he didn't have much to say about it really - though I could tell we were on the same page. We moved on to this other place that was much less in-your-face (particularly appropriate phrase actually) where there were still alot of naked, but it was more about just playing pool or talking with your friends. In this place Ryan spoke with such clarity on how the idea of strippers made him feel (particularly in the wake of a break-up of about three-weeks of age), that I could just about stop myself from hugging him (you definitely don't want to start hugging guys in this kind of bar by the way). It was a beautiful moment. After that, we (certainly I) began having a really great night. Went to a more regular bar (though it was still kind of gritty) and I was talking to some really nice American girls and all in, a good time was being had by all.

So the conclusions I'm drawing, the 'moral of the story' I suppose, is a bland and predictable one - not worth spelling out. So I won't. But i will say that the experience was very worthwhile for me, opened up areas of thought i hadn't considered before, and last night was one of the best nights I've had in Portland.
James.

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