Happy Birthday!

So I celebrated my birthday in Pristina on the 9th, and let me tell you - nothing could have prepared me for it.  This was unlike any birthday I have ever had, and for those of you who celebrated my 21st with me, I don't ever think I'll have two birthdays in a row like those ever again.  After our day trip to the lake Shley and I headed back to her apartment to relax a little and get ready for dinner.  After eating we headed to a place called Maroon Bar, which of course, is purple.  There was supposed to be a live band playing, and it seemed like a good place to meet all her friends.  Once at the bar I met a few more people, Vigan - who is from Kosovo and works as an IT consultant for a Dutch Bank (I think), Peter (number 2) who is from Pennsylvania and is working with peace keeping groups in the area and Julia, who is from Utah and home schooling her brother's kids while he is on a Fulbright here.  Of course we met up with Aviel, Juliana and Peter (number 1) who we had gone on a road trip with earlier in the day.  We all chatted for a while had a few drinks and listened to the band.  The band, by the way, was a cover band and very very good.  Around 11:30 Shley and I decided that we should do a shot at midnight for my birthday, (don't worry this story doesn't get sloppy), so we ordered two kamikaze shots.  All of the other people were driving home, and besides I just wanted to have a good time and meet new people regardless.  All of a sudden it’s midnight, the band strikes up "Happy Birthday" and everyone in the entire bar is singing me happy birthday.  Then it is demanded that I stand up and take my shot, which I do, and then get pushed/dragged to the stage where the singer of the band asks me if he had sung the song correctly.  And then proceeds to sing to me again - believe me by this point I am beet red - while looking at me for ques.  I say that he sang it perfectly, that I like his version and start to head back to my table.  Only to be told that I have to come up to the mic and say a few words about where I'm from and how old I am.  Now I'm nervous because, you know, not everyone really likes the US now, especially since we, I don't know, bombed this country in the last ten years..... But I go up and say I'm from New York.... and then the ENTIRE BAR begins to chant "U.S.A. U.S.A.!!"  I swear I could have been at a stadium that's how loud they sounded.  I was, and still am stunned.  Who knew?  Kosovo loves the US!  Now as great as the birthday serenade and chanting was, I start to head back to my seat.  But again I am stopped by Vigan who wants to dance.  By the way, I cannot dance.  As the song ends, and I think I'll finally be able to head back to my seat, Vigan decides to dip me.  I thought that I was going to die.  My face was thiiiiiiiiiiiis close to the floor.  Well, maybe not but it felt like it.  We make our way back to our table, and I finally sit down.  After an hour most of our party leaves and it is just Shley and I in the bar with lots of locals.  We decide after an hour to leave, and as we are leaving a group of three men at the door, who don't speak English very well, decide to serenade me again.  It was fabulous.  I can't say enough about this country.  They are some of the kindest and most genuine people I have met traveling so far.  I would have never thought that my birthday would have been such a party, and I would have been happy with much less.  However, I can't say a big enough thank you to the people of Kosovo, and to Shley, who made it one that I will never ever forget.