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Published: June 24th 2010
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So... today is my birthday and I have spent it all in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Everyone in the program (Alliance for Global Education @ BLCU) has a Chinese test tomorrow, and thus is studying tonight, so we decided to go out last night. I was surprised at the turn-out, as almost 20 out of 26 or so students showed up. I was originally thinking of going for all-you-can-eat and drink sushi, as we celebrated many a birthday at such places in Shanghai, where everyone gets plenty of food and their fill of beer, sake, and plum wine for under 200yuan ($30). However, turned out the US and England games were both Wednesday night (World Cup Soccer for those of you who don't keep up) and I was afraid we wouldn't be able to get a table together for so many people at a bar if we went to eat somewhere else, as the sports bars pack out around campus several hours before the games start (there are so many international students and football fans) .
Anyways, I ended up deciding on Pyro, a pizza place walking distance from campus that we've watched most the games at, has great drink
specials (towers for 30RMB / about $5), great food, and we always have fun there. Getting reservations required a visit in person the day before, as the staff's English is pretty bad and getting anything done over the phone is impossible with my limited Chinese vocab. I was banking on being able to talk to one of the American managers/owners, and shortly after Dale (another Alliance student) and I got there, one of them came in and the matter was settled with ease.
When we got there the next night (last night), there was no table reserved. All the spots that would make sense to stick a huge party at were taken by groups of twos and fours, so we ended up a pain in everyone's arse all night because no one could move around the place due to our table location. I've never heard anyone accuse the Chinese of being customer-service oriented or logical in the Western sense of the word. I'll never say they are either. But it was a minor inconvenience for us (a bigger issue for the staff trying to get to the other tables ours had cut off) and the night went on. We
quickly downed several towers of beer and several pizzas, wings, fries, and whatnot (no desire to be healthy on my bday!). I think by the time the game started, we were all pretty well set, and I actually don't think I even refilled my beer for the entire game. We had played some drinking games (I've learned so many new ones here!) and chatted amongst the people close enough to hear over the background noise for a good three and half hours before the games started. The place got so packed out, it was ridiculous. Going to the bathroom from where we were involved walking over benches (maneuvering around the bodies occupying them) or crawling across a beer mug filled table, the squeezing past group after group to get to the back of the place. Pyro was playing both games, and attracted a huge American and English crowd, which made for good banter and fun. We sang (shouted) the nation anthem at least once, and I can't even remember all the other cheers and jeers we had back and forth, all in good fun. I think most of us were hoping both teams won their respective games; and to make
my bday even better, we did! Which was great, because USA tied the last two games we played, so we had to win this one to go on to the next level.
So... a good time was had by all. The gaggle of Brits and most the rest of the bar even joined in a drunken "Happy Birthday to You" song for me. A little later, some of my friends got drunk and started fighting (more like wrestling) each other, and got mobbed by the male employees. It's very interesting to see the reactions here to such things. People in China will rarely if ever step in alone to help anyone or stop something that could involve their injury or legal/political inconvenience, but once a group is already doing it, the mob mentality is painfully clear to see, as everyone in sight wants a piece of the action, even if they have no idea what's going on or who is in the wrong. It's something I've witnessed more than once here and am not sure if I'm more intrigued or disturbed by it.
Anywho... no one got hurt (don't think any punches were even thrown) and I got
a manager to get his guys off mine as quick as I could, with the promise of throwing them in a cab and sending them home. Afterward, the same manager gave me a birthday beer on the house, and an hour later, my friend wandered back in, but I guess all white guys look alike 😉 cause no one said anything.
Anyways, it was an awesome night, with good company, food, drinks, and an awesome game and atmosphere. Even though I've only known the people here for two weeks, they bought me a card and all signed it and wouldn't let me pay for a thing all night. Today in class, everyone came into my room with a cake and sang "Zhu Ni Sheng Ri Kuai Le"- the Birthday Song in Chinese. I was so embarrassed to be in sweats and not even have washed my face, as several people had cameras. But most the people there had been with me the night before and were sympathetic or in the same situation- just easier able to avoid being photographed. It's amazing how situations like this- studying abroad (and being in the military) can make almost instant friends out
of total strangers. I know from my time in Shanghai though just how great these guys are, and I can honestly say I really like everyone here (couldn't say the same in SH).
I was so happy to get to share my birthday with the people I did, as they made this the funnest birthday I've had in the many years since I've been away from my friends and my family back home...
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Ammers
Amber Hanna
Yay for Awesome Birthday!
Hey Lizzy, I'm so happy your birthday was fun. I love reading your blogs, they are written so well. No wonder you have followers that you don't even know :) I heard about the soccer game, my boyfriend went to work at 7am to watch it with his co-workers. He also told me how in the 1800s in Portland (china town) they used to abduct them and send them to china to be slaves or something and they called this "getting shanghaied" But if this happened to me then I would get to visit you :)