I lived part of my life in Tijuana, whose name is the short version of Tia Juana, which in Spanish means “Aunt Joanne.” For some odd reason my parents decided to move to San Diego. I guess it was because they preferred the dollar to the peso.
I grew up in a very strict Catholic family and could not go out to party until I turned 18. I thought that was hell.
“Mom, what are you talking about, 18 years of age? Mom, I am 14 and soon I’ll turn 15! Are you kidding me, all of my friends are partying in clubs in Tijuana. I really want to go out to party and go to clubs and bars! Please!”
“I said NO! Noemi Lizette, you’re too young to be crossing the border with your friends to party. What part of NO do you not understand? I said NO and when I say NO you’re not going out!”
I tried my hardest to convince my mom that night. “I’ll promise you that I’ll clean the house and do everything you ask me to do.” I begged and cried, but it didn’t work. I had just wasted a river of tears in front of my mother and it didn’t work.
I couldn’t believe it, but everything changed after graduating from high school.
It was party time! Five years in a row, I spent all of my weekends partying in clubs and bars in Tijuana and downtown San Diego, and I still do when I go visit my parents. I personally prefer to go out to Tijuana because the party never ends at 1 or 2 a.m. It ends at 4, 5 or even 7 in the morning. Clubs and bars in Tijuana are just like fashion: they sometimes go out of style fast or stay in style for several years. Clubs and bars are the number one attraction of Tijuana for college students from Tijuana and San Diego. Every weekend I see hundreds of students crossing the border either walking or driving. I prefer driving my car because I already know Tijuana like the palm of my hand. Knowing Tijuana that well and having a lot of friends who live there, I know exactly what clubs and bars to go party at on weekends.
The hottest club in Tijuana is Balak Discotheque. Everyone talks about that club because it’s in “fashion;” it has the greatest shows before playing the first song of the night at midnight, and has the best DJs in Tijuana.
Before I go out with my friends to party and have fun I need to make the decision whether I want to spend a lot of money or not. Do I want to enjoy dancing the night away at a VIP section in the club, have comfortable leather sofas, a flat-screen TV, have two bartenders for me and my friends, have appetizers at my table, have another waiter or waitress lighting our cigarettes, bringing us ice and serving us beverages every five to ten minutes? If so, I would definitely choose Balak Discotheque.
Yes, Balak Discotheque has all the best commodities that I want, but I would need to spend between $500 and $700 if I wanted these options.
Yes, I have spent that much money with my friends to be able to enjoy a nightclub. I think it’s worth paying that much money when you have your own VIP section without having to deal with other drunken people around you who sometimes bug the hell out of you.
The other option would be to spend between $90 and $200 for a bottle of alcohol in order to get a table for me and my friends. This is the policy of most Tijuana clubs. If you just buy drinks, oh well, you’re out of luck like my friends and I were one night. We had no table and were standing up the whole night. It was 1 a.m. and I was not enjoying the night at all. I wanted to leave, but I couldn’t because my friends were dancing. While waiting for my friends I was getting rubbed by the people who were walking by and stepped on by drunken people. NO! That night was horrible.
I was not enjoying my night so I decided to order another drink at the bar stand. While waiting for my drink, I burst with anger and ended up breaking a bottle of beer over a guy’s head. I was a little bit upset when he walked by me and grabbed my breasts. Yes, I was really disgusted and drunk. I was terrified when I heard the big crack and the guy passing out in the floor. Those few seconds felt like hours. He fell in slow motion to the floor.
Well, my friends and I got kicked out of the club and the police arrived. I thought I was dead! My brain was swamped with my worst fears. I thought that guy was dead, that I was going to prison, that I’d spend the night in an ugly, urine-soaked, uncomfortable jail. I thought of the embarrassment of my family. I was in shock! The police talked to me to investigate what had happened. The two police officers were very nice to me. I was impressed by the way they were talking to me like nothing had happened. So I decided to offer them money so they would let me go. Their immediate response was a big “YES.” I gave both a total of $60 and they left immediately without asking for any information. I was happy, but at the same time worried because the guy was still in the club. My friends and I decided to go back to the club, and the guy whose head I broke the bottle over was up and dancing as if nothing had happened. As it turned out, I didn’t spend the night in a smelly jail.
After that night my friends and I decided that we would always get the VIP section. I hope getting a VIP section will help me stay out of trouble.
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