Clubbing

I cannot truthfully say this for sure due to my age, but I believe that clubbing is extremely different in Europe, more specifically Germany, than it is in the States.

For example, in the States, it is my general opinion that girls go there to dance, and guys go there to (try to) get girls. Girls stand in a small circle of her friends, sometimes surrounding their personal belongings and shoes, and they dance. Guys spend the rest of their night trying to find a way "in" that circle. Not literally. Just maybe right behind. Ha. But it is difficult to do this. Again, I have never actually been to a "real" American club. The one I have been to was one of maybe 7 in Wisconsin that allow people under 21 in. Obviously they cannot drink, but they can go about doing the aforementioned activities. Actually I just remembered that in this particular club there were like 6 or 7 guys that could dance. Like really well... so the roles were kind of reversed. Was interesting to see all the girls I went with trying their best moves to get the guys attention.. anyway I digress.

Germany's clubs, at least the two I got to see, are more about having a fucking good time. For everyone. There were like 4 or 5 different dance floors at the one in Berlin.. all playing different music. So for the people who didn't want to bleed from the ears to heavy techno could go all the way across the club and hear all of the latest rap and R&B, passing by the karaoke area and folk song/stripper rooms. No, they weren't really strippers, I guess. They wouldn't accept money at any rate, like more of a professional dancer. I must admit, there is something fun and yet frightening about having a half naked woman pour Jagermeister down your throat. MY favorite ares was the folk songs area. In both clubs... there was a floor and several bars devoted to songs that everyone (except me) knew the lyrics to. So I'd be out on the floor with a bunch of people I did not necessarily know, shouting "YA"! when they did as we all drank excessively. It was fantastic. I don't know what most of the words were, but they made everyone else happy as hell, and so I was also happy.

I did not party EVERY night, but I did go out three times. I had a blast every time. Except maybe the end of the last night in Berlin, when I had to act as a shepherd for a whole herd of drunken and disgruntled people and get them back home safe at 6 in the morning. Yes. I partied right through the night and came out of the club with the sun in my eyes. I scratched that one off my bucket list. I have never actually seen that movie, but I think that I have the concept right. Even the fact that a member of our group peed right in the middle of the street in the rising daylight cannot make me feel less proud of myself for that.