[happiness] is finishing your last final, walking out of that door, and taking a big breath of freedom. gosh darnit, it's about time i was done with tests, dontcha think? =D i hope everyone managed to accomplish all they wanted during finals period, and if you weren't quite there, relish in the fact that it's christmas time and you get to do it all again next semester. woopee =)

[more happiness - a completed evening] like the true young-and-crazy college girl i am, upon exiting the doors of Andersen Auditorium, i hopped into my car and sped away into the city to watch Paul Oakenfold in concert. now, if you met me three years ago, i was an adament *disliker* of anything trance related. to me, it was all "computer music". but these days, i can't detach myself from the bumpin' beats of such music.. and Oakie was no exception. so bear with me if you'd like, and i'll give you a little account of my evening =)

so b & i get into the warfield a half hour or so late, and the starting dj is already spinning. very cool bouncin' beats -- interesting crowd -- it seems that Oakie attracts the old fogies too, as they were sipping their beers and nodding their heads to the songs the dj played. i know b & my first impressions were: uh... high-school dance crosses old fogie bar and rave? it was an interesting mix to say the least. but maaaaaaaan, hearing the thumping of those loud speakers, and the per-um-pum-pum-pum in your heart -- i just wanted to get up and boogie. there really is nothing like some great music, the high of finishing finals, and just being enveloped by the sounds.. i was definitely feeling good about being there =) i just wanted to immerse myself in the music...and let my weird dance moves take me wherever it wanted to go, kekeke =)

by the time Oakie came out, it was already 10pm, and he spun a set off a little balcony... his music is so distinct; even without looking, i was thinking to myself.. wait a minute, this sounds like Oakenfold. he sure knows how to work a crowd too -- you know when a trance song is building up and it's just about to climax? good lordie that feels good =) it sort of mimics the excitement in your heart from dancing =) it does for me anyways. heehee. so.. after about an hour, he moves onto the big stage and hoo boy, it's quite a sight. there's an electric drummer dude (who was awesome!) and a guitarist, and then Oakie himself lodged between large black boxes with blinking lights. (did you know he plays the keyboard?) there's also a huge screen in the background, displaying artsy images of landscapes, girls, and colors. by this point, the warfield was a regular club -- lights were trampolining off walls, ceilings, and floors, and everyone was just jumping up and down. Oakie is a funny man. there was this group of girls screaming at him and Oakie saw them, and he looked at them and made a screaming face too, but you know that nothing is coming out of his mouth. and then when he's playing the crowd, he just has to lift his hand up and the crowd goes mad. haha. he must feel like God sometimes.. sigh, what a great job he has. small, spinning Oakie. haha =)

so all in all, i'm quite sure my random ramblings have captured only a miniscule part of what this evening really meant to me -- but all i can say is that it was incredible. i highly suggest it to anyone who is open to a new experience, and at the warfield no less! (that venue is amazing). dancing? dancing is the best. dancing with b? oh, even better. dancing with be to trance? (have you seen b's moves?!) oh, the happiness.