It's hard to turn down a ladies' night. Not that I'm an innocent shoeshine boy who keeps to himself or anything, but I really wasn't prepared for my night out with new wife Sherry and our model roommate May.

How did it all start? Ladies night at Coyote Ugly. Sobriety had nothing to do with this night on the town.

I was chilling one Tuesday evening at Round Midnight, enjoying a Jack plus, when I remembered the invitation I had received from Fiona to come by and check out their smoke-free charity night. Pressing my wife and roommate into going out for free drinks was not a difficult challenge.

Sherry looked over my table flashing her coy smile. "Tonight you are gonna find out what its like to go out on the town with drunk Chinese girls." Before I could utter a response, I was ushered into a sleek silver City cab, destination Mohammed Sultan.

"Should have packed some vitamins"raced across my forebrain as we careened through the city, coming to a quick halt. We arrived and the place only had a small crowd, so we played some pool in the back.

Chatting with Terry, the owner, an hour later, I tried to comfort him with the old 'well, it's a Tuesday' speech when he just winked at me and hinted "Just you wait and see."

Sure enough, the crowds poured through the door. We had gathered at the end of the bar, nearest the life-giving beer taps, while the girls made a run at bankrupting the bar by pounding shot after free shot of tequila in time to the sexy girls dancing on the bar top.

You see, at CU, it's all about the bar top dancing experience, whose ban-lifting had infamously put Singapore in the international headlines.

For those fools who tell you bartop dancing is sleazy, let me just correct that impression: IT'S PLAIN OL' GOOD FUN! We're not talking about exploited Bangkok pole dancing bargirls here, but people having a great time dancing to the beat and getting their grooves on.

Sure, all the lovely bartenders and the men and women who love them get all sweaty as they shake their money makers, and some people get rightly drunk, like the ang moh louts who stay up dancing on the bartop just a little too long for it to be cute, but why shouldn't they?

They work hard for their money, and when night falls, they need to go and let off a little steam. And if there weren't great venues like CU around, just imagine what sort of bad things they would get up to... like smoking!