Many of you have heard the shouts: "Midnight means bar time!"
Like a mass exodus, people leave the house parties or their pre-gaming (which can turn into the game depending on how much one drinks) and go to this overcrowded bar, which is more like a club than an actual bar.
McMurray's is not typically my kind of party scene: I'm not a huge dancer unless it's for comical purposes, and it's very overcrowded -- and sticky (I'm not going to elaborate here). There is some pretty awful Top 40 music played and if you're there sober, let me tell you: it's not fun.
Don't get me wrong, I love beer. I love friends. But I like pubs a helluva lot better. Yes, pubs -- originating from the term "public house," where people go to sit with friends, shoot the breeze, and talk about things that matter -- all while enjoying a pint of beer and listening to some good folky music.
I just described a typical pub in Ireland. Two summers ago I studied abroad there and what struck me was how friendly everyone was; sure the alcohol helped with the extraverted-ness, but the atmosphere of the pub was so... relaxed yet extremely fun.
I wish Wittenberg had more of a pub scene; one where friends can go, listen to some good music (not just the newest Katy Perry song), sit at a table with friends and de-stress from the week. Not just a place that's actually stressful to go to and where you pretty much have to be drunk to even tolerate walking through the door.
Now, not all McMurray's-type of bars are bad. Actually they are quite fun to go to while bar hopping -- but that's just it, there's one place to choose from instead of a "bar district" commonplace in most downtowns. (I'm not going to include Station in this, because you can get into McMurray's underage with a cover).
What I'm trying to say is this: I like the company of others and drinking with friends -- which can lead to perhaps getting drunk along the way. But, I think it's important to savor the drink and the times you spend with friends.
Thus, I enjoy drinking but not exclusively to get drunk.
Here is a picture of my study abroad group's first drinks in Dublin, Ireland, summer of 2011:
See, that actually sounds kind of fun. I don't go to McMurray's for the very reasons you stated. I think it'd be interesting to find out if other students would prefer the pub scene more as well.
ReplyDelete