Un petit week-end

I had a pleasant week-end and I’d thought I’d share the happenings. On Friday Amy headed off to visit her friend in Berlin and I was contemplating just staying in and getting ahead on schoolwork and soaking up some me time. I went to the market and got some of that brebis cheese I like so much and a baguette, and some strawberries. Strawberries with melted nutella’s my new favorite treat. I had a very me meal which requires no cooking but lots of grazing snacking. As I was engorging myself with savory things spread out on a cutting board in front of a simpsons episode I had never seen (which is a rare phenomenon) that had French voiceovers, I heard a knock at the door, which revealed Kristina, who was angrily sick with boredom.
I immediately got to work on the internet because I always keep notes on what I want to do around town but it can be a chore to get people to come with me, and you can only do so many things alone.

Here was some of our options:
There’s a film festival going on right now called CineRail (which caught my attention because it had the notorious image of Melies’ “Trip to the Moon” on the advertising posters in the metro)
A free world music concert
Fleche D’Or music venue
Museums are open late on Fridays
An exhibit on the body with real bodies that are pumped with plastic type stuff!

I forgot how much of a city girl I am. Imagine I circled Fleche D’Or. I'm a music junkie. There were 4 incredible bands that night, the last one had this platinum blonde singer with hair to her butt and a flapper dress and a tambourine that she made a show out of. It was mesmerizing. It’s about the only place in Paris with interesting looking guys, but if I got so much as a half second eye contact I was flying high.

On Saturday we did the fabric shopping thing and then went to le Marais district where I had that tasty meal with the honey melty crusted cheese.

That night, Kristina and I went to a language speaking club. It was really helpful. It was in a place called “Café Livre” and the place was brimming with people in the club. It was packed and I even had to sit in people’s laps in order to get where I wanted to go. They have different tables for different languages, but it ends up all just mixing together. I talked to two French people, one who was really good with me and the other one went waaay too fast and kinda spit on me a lot so I was more focusing on when he would turn his head so I could wipe my face versus focusing on what he was saying. I also talked to a Brazilian, and then a sweaty Italian guy who speaks French but wanted to practice English. So he spoke English to me and I spoke French to him. We had a lesson on the difference between the pronunciation of “cut” and “cat”. I would say, “cat” and he would motion scissors and I’d shake my head and say, “no, that’s cuuuuht” and then he’d meow. It went on for a long time like this before we got it down. I felt like I was in an Abbot and Costello skit, …”Who’s on first!” -“That’s what I’m asking you, who’s on first?”

I had to once again turn down this girl that I’ve been trying to meet for weeks that Rhea stayed with when she was in Paris in order to go to a club called La Loco mostly for the benefit of our friend Otmara, who had family in town and wanted to take them out. She never even showed up. Summation of that place: I paid 24 euro to watch a really good break dancer and listen to some American music, and then get harassed more than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I was pushing guys hard and saying “No, leave me alone” (if you can ever imagine me doing this you know how bad it was), and I’d walk around to the other side of the room and seriously 30 seconds later they’d be right by my side doing the same thing. I had to juggle… 6 of these guys, all the same game. French girls really curse themselves when they say “no” when they mean “yes”. Lesson learned.

Sunday I spent the whole day cleaning the studio and when Amy got back from Berlin we went on a droopy eyed dreamy light lazy sunny Sunday walk. Paris is a completely different city in the sunshine. I got a crepe with feta, spinach, egg, tomatoes, and various spices at our favorite stand behind the Sorbonne and Amy and I ate as we made our way to the Seine, where we grazed the metal stands lining the river that sell souvenirs and retro prints. She bought a poster. I opted out of bringing money because it inevitably burns a hole in my pocket.

So yeah, un petit week-end. That’s about how it is. Can't wait to share it a whole week plus with ma mamie et mon papie. If only Erik could come too!! :(