Clean Living

For those of you concerned about me, I didn't drown in the floods, I didn't die of liver cancer, and wasn't thrown in jail. It's just that it seems each day gets busier and busier. I would, however, say that life continues to be great. The rain finally stopped (if you can believe it, it rained for 15 weeks straight!), and summer has officially arrived. The last few weeks have been full of parties, beaches, and great times. I have had one friend here for almost three weeks (he has since decided that he is moving to Floripa) and, in the meanwhile, I also had three other friends visit me. Unfortunately, those three had a nightmare travel experience thanks to the rain but once they arrived, we did as expected and I don't think we could have had more fun. I would say that the entertaining of friends can be cumbersome in a world where they don't speak the language, but nothing makes me happier than seeing a smile on their faces. Now, after three straight weeks of partying (more like 8 months for me!), the hour has arrived for a brief time out and some good, clean living.

As for the stories for when the guys were here, there is not much to say other than it was fantastic. I had the second of my crazy house parties, and this one was even better than the first. There were over 200 people at this one. I had to have a guest list, hire security, etc. The pictures of the party even made the front page one of Floripa's most known event websites (that was trippy). The best part was that the cops actually showed up, which in Brazil is pretty damn difficult to accomplish. You typically need a 10-car wreck and a fire for them to show up. I went outside to talk to them and they basically told me, "Man, we could care less. We're just required to show up so no worries and have fun." It was pretty epic. I'm sure the neighbors hate me but since their dog wakes me up literally seven days a week, I could care less. Until that thing goes away, it's going to be a summer of parties and I hope they at least like the music...

The craziest night of the past month was a night at Confraria with Steve Aoki. For those of you who have seen him play you know what I'm talking about. Of all the DJ's I have seen in my life, he is by far the best. No one puts on a show like him. He is basically throwing one hell of a party and you better be on board. He was literally hanging from the stereo speakers, pouring vodka down the crowd's throat, and just overall killing the place. It was unbelievable but it didn't stop there. He actually went to high school with some friends of friends so we chatted him up before he started his show. Once his show was over, we decided to throw an after party at my house. We asked Steve if he wanted to come over and he was like, "Of course." Therefore, basically the rest of the club just came to my house (keep in mind that this was around 6AM). I threw on my iPod and let the party start. Steve came up to me and asked if I would mind if he played his laptop. I was like, "Ahhh, yeah, sure." When one of the best DJ's in the world wants to play some jams at your after party your only answer should be "Let's do this! Can I get you something to drink?" We rocked it until about 9AM when everyone finally got a little tired. I have said it before and I will say it again....this shit only happens in Floripa. It literally never ceases to amaze me.

The gang and I also threw a party to help those people who have been devastated by the rain. We brought in a big semi-truck and sent out the word to everyone to come donate as much as they could before the party. It was very rewarding because the next day everything was delivered to a small village who had yet to receive any aid following the rain. Several families called to give thanks and many of them were crying tears of joy. If there is something more rewarding than that, let me know because I'm all ears....

Lastly, Tatsuya Sushi Lounge is scheduled to open December 18th. It's an incredible feeling to look at what I am creating but at the same time very nerve racking. I LOVE the place, love the food, and just love the concept but at the end of the day, other people still have to share that same opinion and show up. I am trying to do everything perfect (decor, food, press, etc.) and if they don't come, I can say that I tried my best. But I do have a lot of confidence that it is going to be great. There is nothing about the place that I don't absolutely love. I've really enjoyed watching the transformation over the past few weeks as things are getting built and the buzz goes around town. It's amazing to see everything that we had on a piece of paper just a few weeks ago come to life. It's been very rewarding. The next 10 days are going to be intense but once all the ducks are in line, all I can do is sit back, watch, and enjoy. It's going to be one hell of an experience, and I can't wait to see how it goes....