The Surprise Second Party, 20 May 2010

Dinner was good and we were pretty much done, when I reminded Dan he should go get his new room key from Herr Huger since the hostel meal time was almost done. If I hadn’t mentioned it before, Dan had a different room each night, and had yet to get his new key. His new room would prove to be almost right next to Sarah’s and mine. So, he went and about five minutes later, came back very flushed.

“There are two guys downstairs to take us to a party.”

We were all extremely surprised and confused, since Toni hadn’t mentioned it yesterday and we had assumed we’d just have the evening to ourselves. Our attitude at first was that we really didn’t want to go out, because we wanted to write blogs and emails, and go to bed early. And not pay for a taxi to get home. But, we couldn’t really ask the boys to just go away, either. So, I concluded that we go down and at least meet them, but tell them we had to be back early, because we had to wake up by seven-thirty the next day.

So, we went down after grabbing coats and lipstick (Dan didn’t grab any lipstick). Two guys, Ben and Raymond (both were rather tall) were there and introduced themselves. They said Toni had forgotten to tell us last night and that she couldn’t come because she’d received a call from Wilma Prifti (the Webster boss for the International Business Internship Program). But we told them we needed to be back around eleven, and they were okay with that. They said we would go to one café, then another for karaoke.

Piling in a car, we were off. On the way there, we learned that Ben is not in school but rather working as a policeman in Singen (sometimes at a prison there). Raymond is coming to St. Louis for the same exchange we are on, really likes to speak English (which he does rather well), wants to start the Beer Pong League for Webster University, and wants to have a big celebration of his birthday come July in St. Louis. Mind you, not a birthday party, but a celebration of his birthday. I said I’d see what I could help him with. And both guys like movies, a lot. Especially action ones.

At the first café, we met Katharina and Jullian. These are all new people, for the record. Katherina was very quiet, and the boys didn’t really ever shut up. Except to drink. I think Katherina and I were the only ones to have non-alcoholic beverages…hot chocolate! It’s been quite cold here and I don’t like coffee, so what else can I drink? But we just talked more, in a mix of English and Deutsch (I spoke mostly auf Deutsch, because I was already in that mindset), which was nice. I much prefer these smaller groups.

After a bit, we walked down the street to the other café, where there was to be karaoke. The guys kept teasing Dan and Sarah about singing. Neither one can, and kept trying to refuse. The German guys kept saying they were going to make the two sing songs like “YMCA.” This was pretty funny, since Dan and Sarah were not game at all. I think when they first asked if any of us could sing, I said I’d taken lessons for 5 years and done choir for 10. They didn’t really pester me about singing after that. But, luck was one someone’s side, because the café only offered karaoke every two weeks. So we just sat, drank and talked some more.

One thing I really appreciated about this group of people, was how respectful they were. Two of the guys smoked, but asked if we’d prefer to sit in the smoking or non-smoking section. Being and advocate for myself and my clothes, I said I preferred the non-smoking section. So there we sat, and it was no big deal. Periodically the guys would go outside to smoke, but it wasn’t a big deal. They also asked why I didn’t drink alcohol, and when I gave them my answer, they said, “OK” and that was the end of it. No more pressure, or trying to buy me a drink. I was very impressed. Why can’t more Americans be like this?

Anyways, the highlights of the evening for conversations, were: attempting to explain what a mercenary was, differences between Germany and the US, movies, and partying in St. Louis. I had to be diplomatic on that one…we’re really not a party or club city at all, but I didn’t want to turn them off coming, or give them lower expectations. So, I ended up saying that we had a lot of Irish pubs that are good, and one street of clubs. But it’s hard to party in St. Louis because we don’t have a big (a la Columbia) university, and the drinking age is 21, so you can’t really party until you’re almost done with college anyway. They seemed to accept that answer. But I may have to brush up on my party-scene knowledge for when they come this summer. I’m kind of excited to be able to show them around; they’ve been so welcoming to us, I want to return the favor.

True to their word, the guys brought us back to the youth hostel about eleven. I was legitimately yawning by this time, so that helped, I think. Dan and Sarah had become a little oblivious of time at this point. I think the quote of the evening this time, was from Sarah, who suddenly said really loudly, “Oh, those are pretty!” about my rings (birthstone, class ring and silver wire one my mom). I said “Thank you.” And that was that.

We got ready for bed; I pushed packing up till the next morning. Frau Brusis had asked that we be packed and ready to go by ten when she picked us up. Though, I did “pack away” the leftovers from dinner…the meat, cheese, juice and half bottle of wine Sarah had left went on the windowsill since there was no refrigerator and it was certainly cold enough outside . I felt very Viennese for that moment. In Vienna last year, most students just set their perishables on the window sill instead of using a refrigerator. So, you’d look up at the dorm windows and just see little piles of food everywhere. And nothing fell off, for the record.