Follow the tiger

This year, I decided to celebrate my birthday in two parts. That is, two parts to begin with. Parts number three, four, five and six are set to follow further down the track.

Part number one was last Saturday. It started off with a major clothing crisis. You wouldn't believe it, but I actually had NOTHING TO WEAR. It's interesting how that happens, isn't it? Guys wouldn't understand. As a girl, no matter how many clothes you buy, you regularly end up having "nothing to wear". It's some sick kind of twist that the universe plays on women. Anyway. I ended up racing into my favourite shop ten minutes before I had to go to work on Saturday morning and, thank God, finding this super cool tiger top. I was saved. And subsequently everyone kept on just calling me "the tiger" all night, which was pretty funny. I've got this thing where I sometimes ask people if they'd prefer to be a tiger or a lion and I usually say tiger for myself. I'd like to think it says something about people, but I wouldn't know what. But anyway, I'm getting off the track here.

There was about 25 of us having drinks at our place before we went out and I can tell you what, the place looked well trashed the next morning. I think someone must have poured a couple of litres of liquid over the whole floor and then let a few piglets roll around in it all over the place, before strategically distributing about 150 empty and half-empty bottles everywhere. I brought down five big bags full of garbage the next day. But hell, I had a great time! I remember looking around the room at one stage (and I mentioned this in a soppy emotional e-mail to my friends a couple of days later) and saying to someone who happy I was that everyone was there and how much peace I felt... I know. It's cheesy. But it felt good.

It was just a short stroll from our place to the nightclub, but it was still hard trying not to loose any of the crazy kids. Patricia kept on yelling "Follow the tiger!" to keep everyone together. The rest of the night was equally as funny and it was early morning by the time I got to bed. I remember lots of dancing at the night club, a few group hugs, tequila shots spilled over Mana's top and Dan saying a few times "we are all very fortunate to have met this lady". I think he might have been referring to the tiger.

On Tuesday, my actual birthday, we decided to tone it down a bit. We went out for dinner at the Indian place, which was insanely good. We ate so much that some of us were in pain afterwards- I know I was. We finished off the night with some drinks at the bar next door until they gently removed the last few of us from the premises after we didn't get their "we'd like to close now" hints. Another good night.

I'd like to thank everyone who was there for their beautiful friendship- and also everyone who wasn't. And anytime you see the tiger, you're more than welcome to follow it. But be careful, you might be in for a big night.