After already having been out in Oslo a couple times now, last night was the first time that counts. Why? Because I think, what I've experienced yesterday, was a glimpse of the 'real' nightlife here – at least in one part of town. So far I've been to a hip-hop party and a reggae-bar, but this time my roomies Magnus, Frederica, Øystein and me went out to a typical Oslo bar/club. Not without having the obligatory Norwegian 'Vorspiel' (yes, that's what it's called here...) with lots of friends, beer and vodka at our place beforehand of course. The place we went to was a relatively posh live-DJ bar in the center called 'Nichol & Son'. The music mostly crap, the venue a bit too expensive for my taste and the people without exception beautiful. What started as a mellow bar night, ended in a mad craze of happy, drunken, dancing bodies. And Magnus almost landing a mother-daughter-threesome...

Things I've learned last night:

• you need your ID almost everywhere
• the minimum age for some clubs here is 26 (no shit!), meaning we couldn't get in...
• the party folk here is 60% Norwegian and 40% Swedish, the latter infamously dubbed 'The Party Sverige'
• the main goal for the night for most of these people is to get laid – that goes for the guys just as well as the girls
• that also means, they'd rather go to a place where the vibe/atmosphere sucks but the people are hot, than where music and surroundings are killer and the crowd 'normal'
• that on the other hand, they ARE very open and getting into conversations goes insanely fast
• Gentleman enjoys great popularity as party music here
• I can still be shocked by the domestic prices – one beer = 7,50€
• Oslo rain sucks ass
• my party smoking habit has gotten out of hand
• two restrooms for 200 people just ain't enough
• at 3 a.m. the lights go on and the party's over
• there's something called 'Nachspiel', usually at someone's home, to compensate for the short opening hours
• there's a lot of inner-flatshare partner exchange going on in my apartment

• oh, and that I very much like having my ass grabbed by beautiful Swedish blondes... :D

In that sense, takk for i aften!