Thursday, August 23, 2007

It's Mah Birthday!

After one turns 30, any expectation of celebrating one’s birthday in some mad frenzy ie. partying till dawn is quite low. Especially when it falls on a Monday and Hurricane Dean is smashing its way across the American continent. So when the celebrations started from last week, it was a special treat to see many of my friends actually show up at the happy hour at the basement lounge of Saint Ex, a nice downtown bar/restaurant. The DJ was not in the house but the bartender promised to play my ipod playlist. And with hardly any other patrons downstairs, it somehow managed to become our own private space. That had a lot to do with the insane amount of fun we all had. If you don’t count the amount of alcohol consumed.
My road to intoxification began with two quick glasses of white wine, followed by an amaretto sour, a whiskey and tequila shot and generous sips of gin and vodka tonic from whoever was standing next to me. I think I kept saying in my head – must not puke, pass out or make out with anyone. As long as I stuck to that credo, I considered myself pretty sober! But, of course, I was sloshed. Sample behavior:
1. Dancing to “Big In Japan” at least 5 times.
2. Waving a chainsaw-type knife that was going to be used to cut the cake.
3. Saying “I love you” or “I’ve known you for 5 years” to anyone who cared to listen.
4. Singing Spanish songs – without knowing all the words, of course.
5. Stumbling out of the loo, and getting asked if I needed help climbing down 1 step.
6. Taking off my heels, sitting on the sidewalk to eat pizza. New black dress be damned.
7. Telling some random redhead that she was so “brave to carry off those streaks.”
8. Trying very hard to read some menu card on a display window.
Phew! It’s another year… and it’s already off to a brilliant start with news of friends getting engaged, expecting babies and what not. The celebrations continue this weekend on the beach.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOL. There is no better way to celebrate a birthday! Be glad that you didn't do anything outrageous :P

Mosilager said...

Hey, happy birthday. Mine was the 24th.

Anonymous said...

Gracias!!! yes i know i stayed out of trouble... well, most of the time!
mosi: happy birthday to you, too! :)

Unknown said...

yo shilpa...long time...saw the bday pics...you were a good girl nah! I must come to DC soon...when's the next post?

Anonymous said...

Yeh it's humbling (and serendipitous) how 30-something old fogies like us make light of each passing birthday, and yet our lives and faces light up when we fleetingly reconnect to our time-honored teen/twenties traditions - bailar et booze!

I have a feeling I know you from Delhi or PU Shilpa... -SG

Anonymous said...

probably delhi, am guessing.. if you reveal ur full name it might be helpful!

Anonymous said...

Delhi's possible, but unlikely since I keep in touch with most of the DPS gang. Errm if you post an email address somewhere on your blog I promise to get in touch. After a bout with identity theft last year I've become paranoid about comment fields... -S

Anonymous said...

ok done!