I wandered up and down the street outside a few times, looking for the correct number, before popping into an apartment block to ask the doorman where on earth this place might be. He directed me to reception, where they gave me a knowing glance and said, "Oh yes, you must be looking for Barts."
Up a short flight of stairs, to a door that looked completely unremarkable and which I would have missed, if it hadn't been for the security guard standing outside and the small brass plaque next to it.
I happened to be arriving at the same time as one of the guys I'd been playing polo with on Saturday, and we were both ushered beyond the invisible door into a small holding area, about the size of a closet. The walls were all done up in cartoons, and we stood there together in this super-small area, wondering, "What do we do now?"
The only thing of note in the room was a small light switch, so my companion pressed it. Then a tiny window opened, a little eye-slot like in the old-fashioned speakeasies of the 1920's. We gave the passcode ("You seem to have forgotten your violin"), and the window slid shut, and the man behind it opened the door for us.
Once inside, it was a tiny, one-room little place, with low-lighting and tons of funky decor. We spotted the Blonde Dutchman near the back, and he instantly greeted us, introduced us around, and made sure we had glasses of champagne in short order. I stood there and chatted to the chap I'd inadvertently arrived with, who turned out to be Swedish and we had a really interesting discussion about the social obligations of governments to provide for their most vulnerable citizens. You know, standard party chatter.
Eventually he decided to head home, and so I found myself talking with some random Belgian guy. Nice enough, although annoying when he left to go have a cigarette. Smoking is so gross, you know? I also talked quite a bit with a girl he'd arrived with, who turned out to have a degree in the area I used to work in, and was very interested in getting into it, but totally kept shooting herself in the foot by talking about how hard it was to find jobs and how it wasn't even worth applying to anything. I wanted to shake this girl and say, "Don't you understand how networking works?" But in truth, she was so negative that by the end of our conversation, even though I knew of quite a few things I could potentially put her forward for with people I used to work with, I wouldn't have done so anyway.
Eventually I just found myself chatting with Sophie and one of the guys we'd been playing polo with last weekend. Turns out he'd just bought a ring for his girlfriend, although then they'd had a massive blow-up fight, and so now he wasn't sure he wanted to propose any more. Kind of interesting drama, really.
There certainly was enough drama to hear about when I talked to the Lovely Dutch Girl, who seems to finally have had the strength to properly break up with her (now ex) fiancée, although he still wants to do something for Valentine's. And he's also harassing her because she's now dating other people... She really just needs to cut that guy off and have nothing more to do with him, but seems to struggle with having the backbone to really do it.
I then found myself in conversation with the guy that I'd taken to the Olympics, who I can never quite figure out. Nice guy (instantly bought me a drink when he saw me), always seems eager to see me, but we never properly seem to "click".
At last, towards the end of the evening, I found myself in conversation with two young boys (I think they were both 22) who kept making me laugh and giving me kisses because it was Valentine's Day tomorrow. Classic young boys with impossibly perfect bodies, but the adorableness of puppies... Nothing you would ever seriously consider, but they were so tremendously amusing, saying, "Forget Valentine's, and just be with us!" It cracked me up.
Finally, given that it was nearly midnight, when a friend of mine was leaving, I took the opportunity to go with her. How funny, in that I'd been so tired when heading out that I was sure I would stay for one drink and then head home. So much for that plan!
Once inside, it was a tiny, one-room little place, with low-lighting and tons of funky decor. We spotted the Blonde Dutchman near the back, and he instantly greeted us, introduced us around, and made sure we had glasses of champagne in short order. I stood there and chatted to the chap I'd inadvertently arrived with, who turned out to be Swedish and we had a really interesting discussion about the social obligations of governments to provide for their most vulnerable citizens. You know, standard party chatter.
Eventually he decided to head home, and so I found myself talking with some random Belgian guy. Nice enough, although annoying when he left to go have a cigarette. Smoking is so gross, you know? I also talked quite a bit with a girl he'd arrived with, who turned out to have a degree in the area I used to work in, and was very interested in getting into it, but totally kept shooting herself in the foot by talking about how hard it was to find jobs and how it wasn't even worth applying to anything. I wanted to shake this girl and say, "Don't you understand how networking works?" But in truth, she was so negative that by the end of our conversation, even though I knew of quite a few things I could potentially put her forward for with people I used to work with, I wouldn't have done so anyway.
Eventually I just found myself chatting with Sophie and one of the guys we'd been playing polo with last weekend. Turns out he'd just bought a ring for his girlfriend, although then they'd had a massive blow-up fight, and so now he wasn't sure he wanted to propose any more. Kind of interesting drama, really.
There certainly was enough drama to hear about when I talked to the Lovely Dutch Girl, who seems to finally have had the strength to properly break up with her (now ex) fiancée, although he still wants to do something for Valentine's. And he's also harassing her because she's now dating other people... She really just needs to cut that guy off and have nothing more to do with him, but seems to struggle with having the backbone to really do it.
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| The funky interior |
At last, towards the end of the evening, I found myself in conversation with two young boys (I think they were both 22) who kept making me laugh and giving me kisses because it was Valentine's Day tomorrow. Classic young boys with impossibly perfect bodies, but the adorableness of puppies... Nothing you would ever seriously consider, but they were so tremendously amusing, saying, "Forget Valentine's, and just be with us!" It cracked me up.
Finally, given that it was nearly midnight, when a friend of mine was leaving, I took the opportunity to go with her. How funny, in that I'd been so tired when heading out that I was sure I would stay for one drink and then head home. So much for that plan!
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