Maarten's 25th Birthday

I had midterms yesterday. I wouldn’t say the exams were hard, but I just had made some careless mistakes. I should have studied more diligently before the exams. I will do it during my finals exam. It is great to wake up on a Saturday morning where the Sun is shining into my room. Yesterday, Palacio Domingo celebrated his birthday in Madrid at the Real Theatre. It was a grand affair with Royalties and celebrities celebrating his birthday.

While Domingo had his celebration at the Real Theatre, I was invited to Maarten’s 25^th birthday party. Maarten is in my Spanish class. He speaks 5 languages. They are Spanish, English, Dutch, French and German. I went over to his place to pregame before going out to a club. We were expected to be there at 9pm but most of us arrived after 10pm. He lives with 3 other Dutch, Roland, Bram and Joanne. They are all extremely friendly and nice.

During Maarten’s birthday party, all of us were just talking and getting to know one another. We have only known each other for about 2 weeks just because we are all classmates. This is the time where we get to know each other better and enjoyed each others company. However, the conversations are about politics and a little about ourselves.

I spent 2 hours talking to Roland about politics in Malaysia, Singapore, North Korea, the US and shared some details about myself, and how I ended up studying in the US. Roland might seem like a party animal but he is well read and extremely knowledgeable.

We drank and chatted until about 1.20am when Dino asked me how I was going to go back. I told him the Metro, but the Metro in Spain closes at 1.30am. By that time Maarten suggested that we go out to party in a club. I was down since the place that we plan to go is only 5 minutes away from my apartment. Everybody was taking their sweet time talking and just chilling before leaving for the club.

When we were finally outside, Dino showed Bram how to do a shotgun beer. Bram trying to puncture the can with a key before opening up his shotgun of beer.

And now trying to chuck it...

It was -2 Celsius and we waited for 15minutes before the bus finally arrived. We took the N8 straight to Banco de Espana. In the bus, Laura was laughing and it was definitely fun seeing Laura and Maarten talking to one another. Maarten is a Dutch where else Laura is Danish. Both their first language is not English and either Bram or Roland had to help translate certain words.

From left to right: Dino, Bram, Laura and Maarten (the Birthday Boy)

From left to right: Jordann, Joanne, and Roland

Embarrassingly we were extremely loud on the bus. I felt that everybody was staring at us at the corner of their and thinking to themselves this bunch of noisy foreigners think that they are in their own country.

When we finally reached Banco de Espana, we had to walk for 10 minutes to get to Sol. At one point after Roland and Maarten had withdrew money from the ATM, all of us suddenly felt like going to the toilet at the same time. We saw a theater and all of us rushed in. The person at the front desk was a bit shocked and at the same time he wanted to deny us the privilege to use the restroom. But it was 2.10am in the morning and I guess he figured that we had been drinking and need the washroom. When we were all done, Bram tipped him but he refused. That is peculiar to deny a tip. Who does not want money in this economic crisis?

We went to a bar called Dubelin if I remember correctly.It was hot and stuffy. Wasnt really club but it was free. :P The rest of them had beer but I over pre-game that Icouldnt drink anymore when I was in that bar/club. It was an amazing night.

Next week, it is Joanne’s 20^th Birthday. It is going to be another round of crazy partying with the Dutch. I am looking forward to another amazing Friday next week.