Oh Yeah, I Had a Birthday

When I told most people that I would be celebrating my 21st birthday while abroad, the most popular reaction seemed to be, "well, that sucks". Now, we all know the American tradition is to go out and get your first legal drink on your 21st birthday, but having been legally able to drink for the past 2 months, that doesn't quite have the same appeal anymore. That said, that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy my 21st birthday as I please.



I've talked a bit about beer here already, but one thing I don't think i've addressed clearly enough is the different drinking culture that exists in Belgium. I am a college student in the US. I go to a school with thousands of other young people, many of whom drink alcohol weekly, and some who do so excessively. I've found that a lot of my peers have different interests in how to spend a weekend night out. A lot of my peers seem to enjoy going to clubs or large raving parties which is my where my interests tend to diverge from the pack. So far, i have found the nightlife in Brussels more suited to someone with my tastes.

Sure, you can find your share of clubs, raging bars and chaotic nightlife in Brussels, but those are far from the focal point of the social scene here. Belgium has a reputation for its good beer (which I hope I have made clear by this point), and its nightlife furthers this reputation. In Brussels, you will find a wide range of bars and cafes that serve the country's fine beer. Most of these establishments are littered with tables where you and a group of friends can pop a squat and converse with one another over a round or two. The atmosphere in the bars can range from mellow and laid back (Cafe des Halles, Tavernier) to loud and overcrowded (Delirium, Celtica, Le Corbeau), but each offers the chance to bond with a group of people over a quality drink that you can enjoy as opposed to just offering a venue to get drunk and dance. This part of the culture really appeals to me and is something I have enjoyed immensely in my time here. The best nights out I have experienced here have been at typical Belgian bars or cafes with a small group of friends. I've gone to some clubs and cocktail bars but the belgian drinking establishments have been far superior, at least for me personally.

Which brings me to my birthday weekend. With my birthday being the sunday before midterms week, I did most of my celebrating the nights before. There was nothing too extraordinary about the weekend. I went out with some friends and had a good time. We visited some familiar spots. On Saturday, we were able to try out a new place I had not been to before, a Belgian styled cafe aptly named Cafe Belga. Located in Flagey Square, a popular section of Brussels in Ixelles. The area is supposedly very popular during the warmer season as patrons sit on the terrace of their favorite cafes, enjoying the weather and scenery which consists of a small pond and green space across from the largish Flagey Square, which is littered with cafes and bars. Cafe Belga is by far the largest establishment and most popular in Flagey. Despite the cold weather, the place was packed, and luckily our large group was able to get a table. It was here that we rang in my 21st birthday at midnight. The only real difference between this night and others is that plenty of people actually offered to buy me drinks, which never happens.

I was also able to add a few more brews to the list of beers I have sampled during my time here. One of the most available and quality blonde ales I have tried is the Barbar Blonde. Although I've tried it before, I finally tried it in its specific glass for the first time:

Over this weekend, I was also able to try the most interesting beer I have tried so far during my trip. It's called Bacchus

Comes in a 37.5 cl bottle as well

When I say interesting, I do not mean good. This beer has the most conflicting reviews of those I know who have tried it. My friend Kyle loves it, and went and bought his own after trying a sip of it. I personally, am conflicted. To me, Bacchus did not taste like any other beer i have tried. My major grievance with Bacchus was the carbonation you can taste, which is not a sensation i am a fan of. That said, It was sweet almost like champagne, and very nice to drink otherwise. So, i guess your opinion on it will come down to whether you like carbonated drinks or not.

We also were able to snag this pretty swanky menu/record from Cafe Les Halles de St. Gery. We were allowed to take it, provided we shared in on social media so here you go:

I spent most of my actual birthday studying for midterms (yawn). Shoutout to my sisters Kelly and Meghan for the care packages they sent which included homemade brownies, plenty of Reese's peanut butter cups

and a 3 lb pack of gummy bears (which taste a lot better than this 5 lb gummy bear i got for Christmas a few years ago)

Avert your eyes

I was fortunate enough to not have to cook for myself the night of my birthday, which is good because I am sick of my own cooking at this point. A group of friends treated me to dinner at Le fin de Siecle, a traditional brasserie serving up authentic Belgian cuisine. Many of you may not realize that their is an actual Belgian cuisine that consists of more than just frites, chocolate and waffles. I wanted to try rabbit, but they didn't have it on the menu, so I settled for chicon farcis, which is basically some sort of pork wrapped in endives and bacon.

Paired with a Jambe de Bois of course

It was a superb dinner. Having authentic Belgian cuisine for meals is quite the rarity for me, what with living on a college student's budget and all. Shoutout to Molly, Natalie and Kyle for the dinner. I couldn't have asked for better company!

And to the United Airlines pilot for taking the picture

I guess the only bad part of the weekend was when I returned home one night and tried to enter my bedroom when this happened:

As for being 21? What is happening? Every year, I become one year closer to actually being the 40 year old man that everyone said I looked like in high school. The world is ending!

In all seriousness, it does feel a bit weird saying I am 21 now. No longer am I the baby brother that's still a child. I am now that baby brother than can legally drink in the United States. Freaky. Let's reminisce over my lost childhood by looking at this #tbt my sister posted on Instagram not too long ago:

Yes, this is in fact me

What happened to that kid? Anyways, rest assured, this 21 year old is having a blast here, living in Brussels and has plenty more to say about his time here. Cheers.