Sunday, January 17, 2010

A great hen’s night

Yesterday we celebrated my friend N.’s Hen’s Night (Junggesellinnen-Abschied in German). It was something I really looked forward to, because I have never been to one here down under.

In Germany this tradition is relatively new so there are less strict rules on whether you do a girl’s night like that at all. And you are also pretty free to choose what you do on that night. So my hen’s night in Berlin included all the things I love: Thai food, dramatic eye make-up, Audrey-Hepburn-gloves, fake pearl necklaces, champagne, singing in the car, lots of giggles, my favourite cocktail bar, French fries at midnight, lots of dancing and my dearest friends. A wonderful night out with the girls!


I have to say, I heard horrible things about hen’s nights in the UK, USA and Australia. About brides and their friends going really crazy. Getting absolutely smashed. Kissing every boy they can get their lips on. Wearing embarrassing pink things – especially the poor bride. Showing their boobs. Playing ridiculous drinking games and then throwing up on the sidewalk/ in the taxi/ on each other. Horror! Especially if you have to stay sober because you are 5 months pregnant.

Maybe all these rumours are wrong. Or I was lucky and N. and her friends are a wonderful exception of the rule. Anyway, I had a great night!

We started with champagne, sausage rolls and meat pies at her maid of honour’s house in the early afternoon. We chatted, got to know each other and soon the giggling starting – even without alcohol.

Then we went to Pole Divas to get some pole dancing lessons. You cannot believe how much fun that was. 15 girls of all ages, shapes and sizes and the preggie girl (that’s me) swinging around our poles for an hour. Trying to imitate all the sexy moves the teacher showed us and smile at the same time. It was hilarious!

So many new pole dancing talents!

Afterwards it was time for some drinks (more champagne and lemon-lime-and-bitter for me), nibbles and gossip at Gertrude’s Brown Couch, a lovely and a bit run-down place in Melbourne’s hip Fitzroy district. A few fun but nor embarrassing games were played, the bride collected quite some money for her Girls Night Out fund with the newly learned dance moves and there was a lot of excitement about the upcoming wedding in Fiji. And some well-deserved jealousy by those, who cannot make it to the amazing sunset ceremony – including me ;-(

"Okay, one Cowboy shot and then I am ready to collect some money."

On the way to our last destination for the night, a few traffic lights and lamp poles were used as training equipment to refine our new dancing skill, but otherwise everybody behaved very well and we were still in good shape. A Bar called Barry is a classic for hen’s nights in Melbourne. The music is great (80s every Saturday all night long), the dance floor is always full, the drinks are great (and cheap), the barkeepers are friendly (and quick), there are always heaps of other birthday and hen’s and buck’s night groups, it is pretty dark (and therefore no proper photos of this place exist),the floor is sticky but who cares and there is even a karaoke bar upstairs. And that is where every party ends ;-)


I danced until midnight and my little one obviously loved it, because she was all quite and the minute I sat in the taxi, she started her dance routine in my tummy. Her first girls night out ;-)

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