Big night out

It really does amuse me to find what I see as big night out now a days. Many people will smirk at a 29 year old thinking about the good old days. However my first big night out was around 12 year ago so I figure I am starting to gain just a little right to.

When I was 18 a big night out was synonymous with alcohol. If there was brandy there was a party, something that didn't change much by the time I got to 23 when my taste shifted to rum (I since went back to brandy). Rum is an essential drink for a guy trying to pick up girls, since I found the brandy made me mellow, whiskey made you forget. Rum made you brave! Nothing like a bit of Dutch courage when approaching a girl surrounded by her friends each one looking at you as if you are just another bottom feeder trying to score. I would like to think I was just honestly looking for someone and just lacking the courage initially. A theory that eventually bore fruit for me as I met my lovely wife in such a night.

By the time I reached 25 a big night out usually involved a braai (BBQ), still involving drink but now it was quality we were after. One or Two premium branded drinks were all we needed, sometimes a bit more but the goal of the night was to chill with the very friends you met while having way to much to drink when you were just 3 or 4 years younger.

Last night at the age of 29 out big night out started with dinner, followed by going to a pub and having a drink there (we had a rebellious moment and bought a shot of sours each) We actually even went to a second pub where we could dance a bit. However most of the time was spent shaking our heads as the younger less domesticated crowd was checking each other out, trying to look intimidating and the occasional girl in the short skirt trying to shove infront of you to try and display there dominance over basically everybody else (Couldn't help notice that the fabric of some of their dresses looked just like my grand mothers old curtains... recycling I guess?). Sign... nothing has changed in 12 years... except the girls didn't wear old curtains.

I guess a big night out is one you can smile about afterwards, have laugh about. The difference is that as with everything, the experience of previous big nights outs, will teach you how to get through one without making a complete idiot of yourself.

Train delay theory

On Monday we very proudly managed to walk out of our house very proud of the fact that we left a full 5 minutes before our train was due. We only need a minute to walk there so we would have plenty of time to get to the station, get our metro and align ourselves with where the train door would be in order do get a seat when the door opens.

We were thus surprised to see the train arriving just as we stepped out of the parking area of our block of flats. But no worries! We're used to doing this, we bolted my wife with high heels and me with laptop bag swinging around wildly. The old lady living at the cute cottage probably shaking her head in her morning observations as the van Heerden's came rushing past again. Can just imagine her shaking her head thinking the youth of today has no sense of time.

Alas however, we didn't make the train. As we rounded to corner onto the platform the doors closed in that dramatic way only train door can, with a dramatic fooop that makes it seem like they are about to embark on an interstellar journey.

Seeing as we had some time to kill now, we realized that it was actually the previous train running late that we missed but that our train was also delayed by 25 minutes. Since it is January in London and frigid, our minds immediately went to coffee. We weren't the only ones either, the little coffee shop on the platform suddenly had more customers than he has in a good week. One of our fellow coffee drinkers mentioned that it was a person running over the rails. I think that possibly next Monday we will again be in the coffee shop only this time our helper behind the coffee counter will red in the face and puffing at us "£2.50 for your latte please!".