It all started during Organizational Behavior class when I complained to the person on the seat next to me about having a hard time finding a study lamp (I was Nerdy McNerdy back then) when the girl in front of me turned and offered me her previous roommate’s IKEA lamp.
“It’s green”, she warned me. In the next class, she really brought the lamp, in a highlighter green colour.
Fast forward a couple of weeks; she invited me for drinks. I said yes, not fully knowing what I was getting myself into. On the day, I was ready by 6 PM with my faded Goth getup (and way too white concealer), waiting for her call. She called two hours later and asked me to meet by 10 PM. So I got my first party girls’ lesson: almost midnight is when the happening people go out.
We met up at Wala Wala. Her choice. The place was already crowded, especially on the second floor; there was no empty table, so we shared the table with others. She ordered her beer like a pro and asked me what I wanted. I told her I didn’t know and that I never had drunk beer before, waiting for her to give me a judging look or, even worse, what if she regretted asking a beer virgin to hang out? She didn’t. Instead, she ordered the same for me and told me I would love it.
The beer came, and I remembered having second, third and fourth thoughts about it. Then, finally, she said cheers, and I was in the must-drink-the-beer-must-impress-new-friend pressure. So I sipped it and thought, “Well, it’s not so bad; I could finish half of the glass before we go home“.
The band playing that night was terrific. My friend had a crush on the guitarist, and I was amazed by the lady singer’s husky voice. She told us to befriend strangers and add each other on Facebook. I didn’t have Facebook back then, but I made a mental note to create an account later. We requested some songs and danced some moves.
Eight empty pints later, we went home. Drunk. I didn’t remember how I reached my room and woke up, fully clothed and still in high heels. When I finally managed to drag myself into the bathroom, sat in the shower to cleanse the awful beer smell off of my skin and downed a complete set of chicken rice, I texted my friend to check how’s she doing.
She invited me for a meal before the class the next day. “How about sushi lunch?” she asked. Got me a new BFF that day. Also, I created a Facebook account.
We have been to Wala Wala countless times after that. I have brought family and friends, including the guys I dated and adjusted my likeness based on how they liked the place. Even though I am no longer a regular patron there, the number of laughs and good times we had could fill an era. And I have Fia, the green Ikea lamp girl, to thank for that.
Follow me on Instagram @KultureKween for more recent updates.
[…] “Irasshaimase!” and a bow. We bowed back and sat on a long stool in front of an actual beer barrel used as a table. She brought us the menu, said something in Japanese, and left us to tend to […]