Thursday, 7.8: A Balthazar Prom

Although every night is party night in Greece, for some reason, Thursday nights are super super popular. I can understand in college, if you don't have Friday classes, or if you've just finished a super hard-to-study for midterm or something that Thursday night might just be the perfect going out night. [Aside: I can even better understand Wednesday night dance parties at Toads because you know what Wednesday is...Hump Day] But for everyone else who has to work on Fridays, it doesn't seem to be a great night to let loose.

Anyways, all the Bulldogs in Athens were invited on a Thursday night to Balthazar, a fancy-ish place to meet with/eat with the former and current presidents of the Yale Athens Club, alumni, and prefrosh from Athens. We dressed up all fancy and arrived at around 9:15 (the Greeks eat late and party hard, apparently) and had the most delicious meal. The appetizers and wine was flowing and there were meatballs and french fries (big in Greece) and little fillets of fish and salad and delicious bread and then! The actual food arrives. Salmon with sweet and sour sauce with a salted brown rice to balance it out. And then dessert!! So much dessert! It was a sampling of little things, notably a chocolate mousse cake, a strawberries and cream thing, coffee ice cream, and a selection of fruits. I didn't think of taking food pr0n pictures while I was there because it was a sort of a fancy place with fancy people, but maaaan was it delicious.

The conversation was also as great as the food. Alex, the former president of the Yale Athens Club was there and we had extensive conversations about conversations, meeting people, joining senior societies, doing what you love in the world, and where you want to go in life. And while the "do what you love" bit is a little corny, he said it in such a sincere way that it didn't seem that way. We also met Phil, a prefrosh going to Yale. Super excited about that. :D

All in all it was a great dinner night, although the conversation didn't stop flowing until close to 1 AM. This was a little problematic for the archeological students who had to get up at 5 AM and for me who, though I had to get up at 8, was still recovering from sleep deprivation in Rome (totally worth it). But all in all, it was a good night to remember. So good in fact, that we took prom style pics in our getups. :D