Social Tech Animal

Let's face it, when I'm out if town and mention to people that I'm from Vegas their primary reaction is not "oh it's a beautiful city, very rich in art and culture." Instead I'm hampered with questions of drunken debaucherous nights, how many celebrities have I met, and Weirdest of all, what hotel do I live in. I'm not joking, I was asked this question when I went on vacation two years ago in California, and being the drunken, belligerent, Vegas native that I am, I replied "The Bellagio man."

I never tire of talking about my city, because it's a unique city, I mean where else can one walk down a busy city block with a corona in one hand, a cigar in the other, while yelling obscenities at other people and at worst only getting a "Fuck you man I'm in Vegas!" Reply. Unfortunately, these type of acts are only the norm within the boundaries of the strip. If you were to act like a raging boner beyond the neon lights of Las Vegas blvd, you would most likely take a swift baton to the temple, then wake up In prison next to a man named strawberry.

Anyway, my point is that life is different beyond the strip. Vegas is made up off small communities with each with their own set of separate identities. Recently I was invited to participate in an art class by a young lady I am currently dating. I thought that it would be an awesome date so naturally said yes. Little did I know, the location of said art class was in an area prone to drive bys, Crack deals and populated by people of ethnic flavor.

This class was held inside a famous barbershop called..famous barbershop...yup. This was one of the best, most fun dates of my life. It was a double date as her friend from work brought her husband, and let me tell you this fucker was hilarious. We cracked jokes all night as we pounded brews for 3 hours and made fun of each other's 5th grade art skills. Our gals did the same, it was a great night we spent with friends and new people just enjoying each other's company and a night out away from the noise and stupidity of the strip.

The finished product was not too shabby if I do say myself. Wonder how much I could sell it on eBay for; original painting by Ruben Villanueva motha fuka! I kid of course, this was a great experience and it was able to awaken a hidden creativity I had had in me...then I looked at everyone else's painting and realized mine was not all that special. Oh well it was still a lot of fun and me and my girl have made this a regular thing. It just goes to show that there are more good times to be had than drink yourself silly and party your arse off.