le 13 et le 14 juillet: Bastille Day

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

So on the 13th of July I really wanted to go to a Pompier ball. The firestations all have dance parties the night before Bastille Day. Everyone that we hang out with and a few more people were planning on meeting for dinner then going to the ball. I stayed in to eat at my home-stay. I forgot to write down what we had and they days get all mixed up for me. But I do remember we had a cucumber and cheese salade. It was an interesting combination but it was good. I would have liked it with a little less cheese though I think.

Brittany didn't eat with us because her friend who is an Au Pair (nanny) in Versailles invited her to come down and spend the night at her house then attend the festivities of the morning there. I really wish I would have gone with her.

The people we were going to meet flaked out and decided to pre-game before the dance. Me, Christy, Courtney, Christina, Tinfang, and Amanda didn't want to but we were really stupid and didn't write the address of the pompier station down so we couldn't find it. I don't know why we didn't just ask someone.

But Courtney remembered there was one near a larger metro station that we were all familiar with so we went there. We found the station but the line to get in was gigantic. It was well over ten feet wide in places and wrapped around the block. We stood in it for a second and it was moving fairly fast so we thought we might make it. Unfortunately, Courtney had to go home to close the shutters because she couldn't figure out how to do it before she came. That sounds like a really dumb excuse but her host lady is insane and would flip out on her about it if she didn't. Christina and Tianfang were walking home with her that night so they left with her. Christy and Amanda and I stayed but they were like o this is lame now because now there are only three of us. Ugh.

So we went to the metro station closest to the dorms because the metros were closing soon and we didn't want to take a taxi. Christy thought there was a station near that metro stop and in fact there was one not too far away but of course we didn't have the address and it wasn't like right in front of us so we couldn't find it.

We thought about just going to a cafe to get drinks so we sat down at one but it was very expensive so we just got up to leave. There was an older man there who asked if we were Italien lol we were so confused for a second. But we told him we were Americans and he was like oh, I would have never guessed and then told us how he thinks all Americans are, which was a pretty backed up stereotype. They hang out in big groups of at least 10 (yep, we do it a lot and I hate it lol. It just doesn't work, smaller groups are much better unless you really know what you are doing.), they wear sneakers and tee shirts and jeans and they talk loudly and a bunch of other stuff. He said we looked nice and refined or something. Christy was mad lol because he didn't say one good thing about being an American.

I was thinking about it later and thinking of all the things I like about America. Being here has given me a whole new perspective on life and culture. I think there is a lot that we could learn from Paris as Americans but I think that Parisiens could learn some things from Americans as well.

Anyways, we went back to Christy's dorm room. Amanda was smart and brought a bag of her stuff but unfortunately it was in one of the rooms of a girl that flaked out so they were who knows where and she couldn't get any of it. I was completely unprepared. Christy laid a blanket on the floor and let Amanda and I borrow a pillow. We slept using our jackets as covering. It was the hardest floor of my life lol but I actually slept ok. The night was just really disappointing.

I got up early the next day and went back home. I showered and ate a leisurely breakfast while watching the pre-parade TV specials. Then I went out to meet Christina and Courtney on the Champs-Elysees to watch the parade.

They had metro stations close to it blocked off so I had to get out early and walk for about half an hour but I found them easily. I just followed the crowd until I came to the street then found the store they were in front of.

We didn't have a great view but it wasn't terrible. The coolest part of the parade was the very beginning. Nine small jets flew over the Champs-Elysees with blue, white, and red smoke coming out the back so that they made a French flag across the sky.

The parade was very different than our parades. It was comparatively boring. They had a bunch of planes fly overhead and then there were a buch of soldiers and public service men. There were soldiers from other countries specially invited to march and then they had different branches of the French army. They also had a lot of police troops and firemen. They then had all these fire trucks and military vehicles and like tanks. No candy or waving though. Just stern poses and marching. The French cheered for the policemen and firemen but that was like the only excitement lol. The parade ended with helicopters flying over the street and then dropping parachgliders who had the French flag on their parasailes or whatever they are called.

Walking out of the parade was so crowded. People were all pushing and mashed together so we got out as quickly as possible and planned on eating lunch somwhere a bit farther away from the action. We met up with our friend Christy and went to a French sort of subway. We ate in Luxembourg gardens like we enjoy and I bought some potato chips in the Monoprix that made me think of my six girlfriends (especially Sarah, watch the slideshow and you'll know what I'm talking about).

After lunch, we walked around a bit and began preparing for a picnic at the Eiffel tower (which reminds me I still owe Christy 2 euro for that...) We bought a baguette, cheese, and grapes and I bought a pear and a big old bottle of water. And my friends bought some wine. We got to the Eiffel Tower around 4 pm and there were already lots of people but we found a great spot in front of the urban peace memorial structure at one end of the Eiffel tower. It was perfect for seeing the fireworks.

We didn't have a blanket to sit on at first though and the ground was really gross and covered with cigarette butts so Courtney and Christina went to their home stay to pick up a blanket, wine opener, and knife. Christy and I stayed and held our spot but people starting coming in and encroaching on it. We were scared we might lose it. One group of people even like sat down basically on my camera bag and just like moved it towards me. I was like uh... no. But I Just let it slide because I didn't want to get into an argument in French.

There were two concerts before the fireworks so that was really fun to pass the time. The first performers where Christophe Mae, a contemporary French band that sounds kind of like Jason Mraz. They were a fun band and had some hippie songs about changing the world and what not. Then Johnny Halliday performed. He is like an old rock star of France. He is 75 and put on a great show. Everyone was getting into his songs and singing along. I recognized some songs that he had translated into French from English. They sang a few songs in English even. There is a lot of American influence in the media here. They watch a lot of our TV shows and listen to a lot of our music. Madame's favorite television show is Desparate Housewives.

The final act from Johnny Halliday was spectacular. There was a great big stage set up at the base of the Eiffel tower and then speakers and screens set in intervals over the lawn so that people back where we were could see and hear. The final song ended with small fireworks and flames shooting up off the two lower levels of the Eiffel tower.

Then the lights all went out and the only thing slightly lit up was the Eiffel tower. It looked a tint of green and then seemed to twist. Then it turned red and elements of white and blue came in. Then they projected Lady Liberty Leading the People and other patriotic paintings of that style on the tower. They moved to music and fireworks began shooting up behind the tower.

Then the tower looked like it was being built piece by piece as little parts of it seemed to fall out of the sky and fireworks came off the tower itself. It was simply amazing. Years were projected onto the base of the tower, i.e. 1921 and then music would set the tone and there would be a light display on the tower and fireworks coming out. My favorites were this one with morse code and little dashes and dots moved up the tower and when the hit the top, fireworks shooted up as if the dash continued to go into the air. I also really liked the display representing the world wars. A globe spun around the base as bombs fell from the top of the tower onto the earth and fireworks and flames danced around it. The 1960s display was also quite amazing. Brightly colored flowers fell from the top and filled the tower then grew and spun around until it was just one flower spinning on its center and rainbow colored fireworks shot out behind the tower and out of it horizontally. Hopefully some of my pictures can demonstrate. I also took a bunch of video but can't get it to work on this computer, and it didn't show up well anyways but I'll put some up when I get home.

The 1990s started with the tower like shaking it's hips and lifting its feet, it was so cute and fun. The years just kept going up until 1999 when a countdown started and everyone counted down like at New Year's and then the tower lit up in white sparkles and big fireworks came out the top as everyone cheered. It was really fun. The ending show had a tribute to Gustave Eiffel and the other engineers. It is the 120th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower so the end was like the tower was a birthday cake or something and the flames on the levels were lit up like candles. It was THE most amazing fireworks show I have ever seen. It was beautiful.

Getting home was disgusting and scary lol. Beaucoup de monde was taking the metro home and I pushed and snuck my way there quickly because the metro closes at twelve thirty and it was like twelve by time the fireworks show was over. They closed the metro stops closest to the tower probably because it would create such a big jam. It was already hard to walk anywhere with them closed. People litterally filled the streets, sidewalks, and any space inbetween. The doors to get into the metro had masses of people smashed up against them. It was like getting scary how smashed people were together and like some people were pushing. It was like being stuck in an out of control mosh pit almost. Not quite but almost.

The metro car smelled SOOOO bad I like almost threw up but I was just happy to make it home safe. I usually have Brittany to walk with so it was a bit scary walking home alone but our neighborhood isn't bad. Although recently Brittany and I have had some people walk creepily close to us and some others slow down when they were in front of us. We try to be very aware of what is going on around us.

It was so fun to see Brittany again after not seeing her for a few days lol. It is crazy how well we know each other already and how well we get along. She is really cute and telling me how well we're going to keep in touch. I think I will visit her for spring break this year, hopefully over Mardi Gras but my spring break is always crazy so I will probably be too early for it.