The tram party

I attended my first big party in Krakow on Thursday night.

The party included all of the usual elements - dancing, drinking, lots of new people - with one major twist - it was on a tram (or streetcar for those of you more familiar with the Toronto public transportation system). And not just some old show tram, but a normal part of the Krakow fleet, following a normal route.

So full of anticipation and carrying a bag of unopened alcohol, I waited at a nearby tram stop with a few of my colleagues. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the tram pulled up, lights darkened, music blaring. The conductor jumped off the tram, ushered us on, punched our tickets, presented us with a plastic glass, and a shot of vodka.

Thus the night began.

I quickly discovered that the Poles really only drink vodka, and that they drink it straight, one shot after another. Everyone was so generous, constantly refilling my tiny glass, that at one point I had to start emptying it out the tram window instead of drinking it. Using my Canadian citizenship as an excuse ("I am Canadian, I am not used to drinking shots of vodka straight for hours") didn't seem to work on them, so I had to get even more creative in my non-drinking strategies in order to remain standing for the rest of the night.

Aside from the vodka, the party had many other attractions, including a DJ at the back of the tram, which led to a modified form of dancing in the aisles and on the seats, and some sort of athletic activity that was a cross between dancing and doing chin ups on the hand rails.

And since there were well over a 100 people crammed into the tram, I couldn't help but meet new people. I have no idea who many of them were, and will most likely ever never see most of them again, but all were very friendly.

Several hours later, after driving through areas of Krakow I had never before seen, the tram stopped and we all piled out.