A night of dancing

16 July

A number of us went out dancing last night. Many of the participants on the program have family and friends in India. We met up with a young man who lives in Chandigarh. He picked us up and took us to a lounge, Oriental Lounge, and then a club, Voodoo. Both are located in Sector 26, nearly next to each other. Regardless, we were hurried back into the car after the lounge; only to be driven 100 feet to another parking space in front of the club.

Entering before 10:30pm and as a couple, admission is free. Not to worry, they charge ridiculous prices for alcoholic drinks. For instance, two shots of Johnnie Walker Red Label whisky is Rs.550 ($12.75). However, a bottle of water is the common price of Rs.50 ($1).

Last year, Chandigarh passed a citywide ban on smoking. It has cleaned up the air in public places, restaurants, and clubs. In past years, I was disgusted visiting clubs. The air was thick with smoke, people blowing smoke in my face. Traditionally, it was polite to ask everyone around you if lighting a cigarette was ok. For example, Sikhs are not permitted to take tobacco nor are they to associate with persons who do so. Smoking in front of a Sikh, without getting permission, may have resulted in many loud words and a beating. Now, clubs have a smoking room with a fan separating the rooms that prevents smoke from traveling between rooms. Regardless, people coming out of the room reek of smoke and look deprived of oxygen. By the end of the night, my lungs hurt and my clothes smelled of cigarettes. Yuck!

The elite youth of the city, in their best Western clothes and sans traditional clothing – turbans, kurtas, and salwar kamizes – rock the night away in a trance-induced haze. House and techno reign, bhangra (Punjabi music) is only played after 1:30am. The reason behind this is that because it is so popular, no one leaves the dance floor to buy drinks.