Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A slice of ISS life: Prins aka Aula C

Aula B is quite known for being the first gathering place of most new ISS students especially for their orientation. Aula B + Aula A = dread. Because it means the student has exams, and ISS exams has always been nerve-wracking.

After having been oriented or disoriented, the student's instinct will be to move on to Aula C, or known to the general public and non-ISS person as the Prins Bar.

My first trip to the Prins after the CYS Welcome. Alem from DS joins fellow CYSers Mel and John.

It is not unusual to find ISS students hanging out at the Prins. Just a stone's throw away from the building and the biggest dorm, going home pissed drunk from Jupiler (or orange juice for my case) is not to difficult for most. A student can just crawl the pedestrian lane while leaving a trail of puke and get to Dorus in less than 20 minutes. If sober enough, five.

Prins Bar has witnessed many birthdays, despedidas and spontaneous get-togethers among ISS students. It bid its first good-bye to Katsuya, with the second floor almost packed to the brim bidding our favorite Japanse boy good-bye. And what a celebration, with four goals achieved the day before his flight.

It has seen ISS women talk Vagina dialogues (the monologues were done in Aula B) with Astha getting a free us girls a free drink from a smitten waiter. The band may have had their best night of audience participation then.

I remember pushing my knee to the limits dancing to Michael Jackson hits with my dear Ethiopian boys Eyob and Zola. But the sight to behold that night was the showdown between Cesarito and Zola. Latin America vs. Africa in dancing. You just don't know who to bet on!

With the Rebel Girls, rebelling against the terrible music playing Graduation Night. Give us our hip-hop, MJ hits and 90's R&B and we give you a show. (photos c/o Vina)

It is often that Prins would have to turn the lights on to shoo away ISS students who refuse to admit the reality that school work are waiting on their desks and that Moodle is waiting for a submission. 2AM is still too early in the night (not the morning) that people find another bar to hang out.

Prins has witnessed friendships blossom over bottles of beer and plates of fries. It has witnessed separations of which no one knows when the reunion will happen. We said "hi" to Prins as strangers and students. Prins bid us goodbye as friends and Masters.

Prins is the true place for "Drink and be merry, for tomorrow we Moodle."

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

You really do capture the sentiment, Anj, with an ever so eloquent closing remark! :)

It'll be interesting for me to write a Prins memoir at the end of my ISS year and see how it complements yours.