Party Time!

I survived my first Dutch party! Around midnight Erik and I head out to this party at another fraternity house. Rumor had it that it was “sold out” but someone also said this is usually the rumor with their parties, but it is not normally the case. We jump on the subway and then Erik’s friend gets on at the next stop. I feel like I can survive the night hanging out with 2 local guys. I don’t think they’ll let me get lost and die. We ride to our final destination then enjoy a short walk in the cold, fresh air to the house. There is a line outside with everyone standing around in their t-shirts. Apparently, there isn’t room for the coat check inside the house, so they have a container sitting on the road where you drop your coat off then have to wait in the line freezing while they check our IDs. We do as we are told and I give Erik my coat and find us a place in line while he checks our jackets. On the walk to the party Erik’s friend (we are going to call him Niels. That isn’t his real name, but that is what I heard the first time Erik introduced him to me, so that is what stuck in my mind) was telling me how he lost/someone stole his jacket at the bar a few nights ago. It is one thing to lose your jacket, but quite another to have to walk home in winter in the dark with no jacket. We were discussing how horrible of a situation it was and how I never want to experience it.

Well, we check our coats and I have this disappearing coat story in the back of my mind. So we give the bouncer guys our IDs and he lets Erik and "Niels" in and stops me. I try to plead with him to let me in because I’m 1) cold 2) will be left 3) will get lost 4) might cry but none of the reasons are good enough for him. So I stand in the cold, alone. He reassured me they would wait for me, but boys will be boys and I have been left before. Sure enough though, they waited for me like nice gentlemen. Thankfully! The Dutch fraternity bouncer guys are not as easily persuaded as an American boy. At this party, you give your money to a desk in the front and then they give you little green chips. Each chip is worth 1 Euro. Makes it easier, that way the bar tenders don’t have to deal with change and things go faster (in theory). We make our way into the first room and upon opening the doors I am met with loud remixed music. Now, it was quite as techno bad as I was expecting, but it wasn’t like an American party. It was definitely the dance mix version, being mixed by the DJ. What are the odds? I know, it’s amazing. We find the bar and get our first drink. They are serving none other than….Heineken. Smiling “e” cups and all! I do believe the beer tasted better when it was free though. I guess that’s how it always is though, right?

Well I decided I need to take some pictures with the boys to commemorate the evening, especially at the beginning. It is always safer that way. However, Erik wasn’t very corporative. He didn’t want the picture on the blog, but since I don’t have any others of him, I’m left with this.

This is "Niels." He was a bit more corporative but I won't say either picture would fall into "Best Picture Ever" category. But they are both tall and that makes me happy!

After a few hours, the party starts to clear out. It is now around 3am which, in my mind was still early because I was preparing myself for a 6am “bed time.” We have to wait for “Niels” to finish his cigarette then we were going to head out. The Netherlands instituted a rule that you can’t smoke just anywhere. There has to be a separate smoking area/section which makes it so nice because you can go out and don’t come home smelling like an ash tray! Now, you still stink but it is not as bad. Pick your battles!

So we head out into the coldness and Erik gives the coat check people our jacket numbers and we wait for our jackets. They bring his. They can’t find mine. I have the story of poor “Niels” losing his jacket running through my mind. I don’t know about other people, but I like my jackets. All of them. I don’t wear things I don’t like and being a jacket, they are generally not always the cheapest item of clothing I buy. They keep looking and ask me to describe it. Well, it’s a black pea coat just like the other 75% of jackets in there. Not so helpful. They ask me the brand. Still can’t find it. So then they invite me back there to look. I start rummaging through all of the jackets, freezing. I wanted to find MY jacket. They assured me that if we can’t find it, they would give me money for it. I appreciated the offer, but I wanted MY jacket. It also had my pink scarf tucked into the sleeve. They are just material things, but I have grown fond of them! I start to panic. Then finally…..I find it! I was so relieved!!!!!! I couldn’t wait to get it on, I was so cold!

After I get the jacket incident handled, the three of us jump in a cab and head back to Erik’s apartment. We grab a doner for our “midnight” snack and start eating. It was soooo tasty!!! I love those things, but after Kelly’s food poisoning incident she hasn’t exactly jumped on the band wagon to eat them again. I don’t blame her one bit, but I still miss them. This one was good too. It was nice and spicy! We make our way upstairs and all find our designated crash spots and pass out. Poor “Niels” got stuck on the tiny loveseat couch using Erik’s robe as a blanket. I had the futon and Erik got his bed. At one point I had to use the restroom in the middle of the night and I couldn’t get out of the door. I was locked in!!!!! After a slight freak out moment I woke poor Erik up and had him open the door for me. Apparently, the door knob had moved to the other side of the door. Who does that? I’m sure the alcohol consumption didn’t help either, but still! The door knob was on the wrong side!

Now, no fraternity house I have ever been to has been clean, and this one was no exception. The only difference was that there were girls who lived there. I would have thought they would regulate on the dirty stair ways and trash in common areas. They apparently don’t. And I also now know why there are mice. Good thing I visited “out” of mouse season.

I told Erik he had to give me a tour of Rotterdam on Saturday so we all had to rest up to prepare for our walking journey around the city.