New Year’s Memoir – 2024 Edition
Wow, 2023 was quite a year for me :’D. Where do I even begin? A table of contents!
January
I’ll start with I started at this Komiks NYE Rave:
I’d wished to check out one of the Komiks parties, which leans in the acid house and low-key techno direction, I think.
The warehouse with three floors and fog-of-war (which I disprefer, preferring to see smiling faces) was pretty nifty. The music was fairly good, albeit not my style.
I overall had a good time and expressed interest in 9 women, 8 of whom responded with warm appreciation, 1 of whom was glad to keep talking — and then I surprisingly lost interest upon hearing she lives in Austria 😂😆😇.
… which happens to be the most I’d ever invited to connect to in one night — fab way to start the year 😉.
And 2023 went on to be perhaps my most social year yet!
As noted in 2023’s NYE post, I’ve become a social person who authentically enjoys connecting with people. Over the years in Prague, I’ve become a member of the psytrance community (among some others). So now when attending a good party, I often spend quite much of it in discourse with friends or acquaintances. And I experience enough social comfort to reach out to people I don’t know yet (“strangers”).
The first of these was on Friday the 13th of January: a celebration of Albert Hofmann‘s birthday (two days late). Ah, good parties have space to sit back, chill, and sip some good masala chai while discussing career choices and life at large 🤤🥳.
Here’s a snapshot of TOD at the party, one of my favorite Czech DJs.
I’d guesstimate that I met 400+ people this year. Just curiously getting to know people, having fun, learning to joke, networking, ,etc. I’ve learned that connecting people who have shared interests can be really fulfilling! I feel more at home when there are friendly faces all over, and this state can be attained within hours at a new venue in a new city 😏😋. Is hours long? 🤷♂️🙃.
At some point, a sense of ‘desperation’ to connect with women started to fade when out and about socializing. Perhaps due to a trust that I will express interest sometimes as appropriate (and desired); moreover, a trust that I will connect and be with them in the course of affairs. Being with people is totally more enjoyable on this side of river1Yes, I am here to say that if this is the other side of your river, the grass is indeed greener over here!. I would still say I’m an ambivert; generally, living alone, private time happens.. enough.
Somethingnew Prague deserves mention. They host various events to help people gain new experiences and foster a sense of community in fun, quirky ways. Slow friending while making mugs, speed friending, personal defense seminars, and speed dating. I attended a few speed dating events with them from early in the year. They made the atmosphere light and fun, encouraging us to have fun however our matches go, even offering to set up a surprise date if we match. The backstory is that they enjoy romantic comedies and decided they’d like to see some in real life (and have succeeded). Super cute 😸😽. Where else do I get to enjoy chatting with 11 potentially interested women? 😳🤭
Frankly, I think digital dating services should probably get their feet on the ground some more and cooperate with speed dating organizers. Spending 90-120 minutes a week meeting 12 potential dates seems like a much more pleasurable way to date than the now typical approach of curiously examining dozens upon dozens of profiles of people one will likely never interact with. At least after a five-minute discussion, I have a sense of who this person is. Yet what to do with repeats is an interesting question and people are shy about hearing the responses in person, which I think would be way more fun (— maybe because I became accustomed to rejections already). Humanity is still learning what works for us ~ 🎷🎵🎶
Success-wise, I made a couple of cute friends at the speed friending, and the speed dating wound up being a pleasure activity (— my sole matching “maybe yes” then ignored me on WhatsApp). Why do we like to be with others anyway? Why do people enjoy my company? Is it the smile or the inner philosoraptor? My best thinking was that I enjoy being around others thanks to:
- Sharing ideas
- Sharing joys
- Basking in each other’s presence
- Cooperative creations (😘)
What about for you?
One of my favorite clubs that feels like home is Centrála where parties are always free and food and kombuchas are available. There’s a cafe, bar, and small dance floor — not to mention the whole venue serves as an art gallery. Note: this art is Kavárna Liberál.
Another fun, friendly DJ snapshotted in early January is Gondar who looks like a psychedelic Buddhist monk and often organizes charity events at Centrála, too:
A Maze in Tchaiovna was an awesome cultural venue for the chaotic arts where one could grab a tea, discover hidden rooms behind bookcases, and meet funkadelic hippie-leaning folk. They had tea talks, live comedy shows, as well as this jam session I attended on January 16th. They’re quite good — Owner Andy’s the chap on the violin. Unfortunately, they shut their doors in April.