City Pink, London, UK

English people, I have observed, do not network. Somehow they are completely served by the people they went to school with or if social misfits, then the group that they found at university. If you are in London and considering an exclusive 20 grand or more MBA, to boost your social standing, then maybe a city professional networking group is just what you need.

My first City Pink was it’s launch party roughly three years ago and I have been back one or twice a year every since. Although the location seems to have shifted permanently to a private members bar on Adams Street, little else has changed. The event is always busy and well attended. So the format must be working.

Hussy, Purple Turtle, Camden, Uk

Like a tiny kid meeting Mickey at Disney World, I was awe struck and scared by Hussy.

In fact I am still quivering, so why not see the pictures for yourself, put the next date in your diary and check it out.

Pink at Element, 4 Greek St, Soho London Uk

I really want a mid week lesbian dance club to work. And hats off to Pippa for giving us the venue and date (every Wednesday at Element).

I have a fondness for Element. Having been introduced to it on a date (ah good memories), my favourite occasion (some pride or another) was being witness to a group of fine ladies dancing in their bra’s. However my regular dancing buddy thinks Element is trying too hard. I think she is embarrassed by slush puppies margaritas that I insist on drinking there.

Oh well, there is always Nag Nag Nag (at Ghetto) where the gay looking women are found kissing their gay looking boyfriends.

West Wing, Deshengham Tower, Beijing, China (Tel 8208 2836)

By the time I stumbled onto this bar I had given up hope of ever meeting a lesbian in China. The many listings I had pulled of the internet had proved woefully out off date, but as my travel buddy had left me for the evening (some american he met on the plane) I decided to try one last time.

Barely out the hostel, peering at my map in hopes that the metro station would leap out at me, when a local took pity and he keenly started enquiring about my destination. Eventually after assessing my inability to even negotiate the map he called the bar and wrote out the address in Chinese and urged me to get a cab (you can show your cabbie this picture).

 

After a drive involving lots of sign language my cabbie pointed to a large Tower that looked like it had been transplanted from the Forbidden City and now lives on a round-about just off a motorway.

This incredible structure houses what instantly has become one of my favourite lesbians bars. In the summer one can drink in the court yard or in the winter you can snuggle up in the basement bar.

Xiaotong, West Wing’s owner was waiting to greet me. She was very amused that random men were calling requesting directions for lost tourists. Such a awesome lass, I was very lucky that I had found her on a rather low key Thursday when she had time to utilise her perfect English.

On Xiaotong’s suggestion I returned on Friday when there was hardly a free table and met some fantastic women (university students who spoke English) who had found the bar while chatting online. My only regret is not leading the charge to the dance floor where I am sure everyone would have followed.

As kitch as Cubby Hole (NYC) and severing glam cocktails aka Candy Bar style (London) this is one place you can not miss when you are next in Beijing.

Pipe Cafe, Gongli Nan Lu, Beijing, China (Tel 6593 7756)

 

This is a really nicely decorated spacious bar. Unfortunately a little too spacious, as the staff out numbered the customers on the both nights we were there.

Someone check it on a Saturday and let me know if lives up to the review on the outtraveller.com.

Wandering Hong Kong Relentlessly

As the girl who is never invited to the cool parties, Hong Kong seems to be just one big party without an obvious hostess. In short, I failed spectacularly to find even one lesbian hang out. Starting at the well known, but dank and grungy, Works we followed a couple of American boys over to the M bar. The only women in the bar (a Canadian student) confirmed that she too had not yet uncovered any scene, after a her first month. She then promptly went on to flirt with the boys. Dejected, at the next evening of opportunity I decided to stalk Propaganda, which you can do strategically by sitting at a bar across from the tiny alleyway that hides Propaganda’s entrance. If the crowd doesn’t appeal (and the boys are rather cute) then I suggest wandering down those steep steps to the Buddha Bar. Which has a mixed local and ex-pat crowd but you have to explain what ingredients to put in the cocktails. Here I attached myself onto a pub crawl being run by a couple of English ladies. There was better news two bars down where a Japanese lass told me about a fantastic lesbian party that she had just attended (possibly at Drop). At least there is a party going on somewhere in Hong Kong, even if I didn’t get an invite.