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Published: August 7th 2007
March 8th
girls night out at PolitburoOnce again, I am trying to remember everything that has happened in the last month or so, I should really get a bit more organized with this blog. According to the date of the last post (March 7th), I can start with my International Women's Day, March 8th, for those of you not aware of this beautiful holiday. First of all, why is it so important to me? well, I am a woman 😊 and a very international one, I believe. It is one of the major holidays in Russia, so I feel like it is my duty to spread the tradition wherever I go. Then, with this holiday, I have some very nice memories, some really amazing celebrations have been organized in the past. I did not try to repeat the past (impossible without the same people) it was also impossible to do what we did in Russia for February 23 or Valentine's Day, but that is the cool thing about spending a year in another country, a celebration unlike any other. I got my closest dozen girlfriends in a bar, Politburo (the name and some drinks is the only russian part of it that remained), it was quite an
Marcha 8th
girls night out international crowd - Russians, Germans, Brazilian, French, Polish, Swiss, and American. Then around midnight, Ania and I (my Polish friend) headed over for another party, organized by Samovar, a russian org at Sciences Po. We got there towards the end, and only had time to say hello to everyone, drink a couple shots of vodka and chat with a couple guys. Just as we decided it was time to dance, the music was turned off, and the bar started to close (already 2AM) Fortunately, the guys we were talking to did not feel like going back either, so we started our tour around Paris, in search of a club or a bar where we could dance. Even though we didn't find anything of the sort (in each bar something was missing), we stopped at one, talked, joked around and passed a very nice evening. I got home at 6AM rather happy and tired, and felt like mission was accomplished.
The following week it was simply beautiful in Paris, sunshine and all, I remember being outside a lot and just enjoying the weather and warm air around me. It felt like spring was finally there and my heart started beating faster,
Some night
Just another Wednesday night expecting something amazing. In vain.
That weekend we went to Brussels with Camila, her b-friend, his brother and his g-friend. Yes, two couples and me. It wasn't that bad though. We didn't get very lucky with the weather, it was sad and gray, and we found the town a bit ugly. But then after Paris, it is really hard to be amazed. We enjoyed ourselves as much as we could though, taking nice beer breaks in between sightseeing. I really enjoyed the comics museum, and huge paintings on buildings, Brussels takes the whole thing very seriously 😊 Of course we tried some culinary specials, like mussels and fries, belgian waffles, and lots of bear! I really liked Belgian beer, mots of it is light and fruity, you hardly feel drunk after it and it drinks so easily. I will try to post some pics from the trip, we took a lot! or maybe I will just give a facebook link, that makes things a bit easier for me.
Well, after we got back to Paris, I had tons of work to do, and weather went back to horrible, and the mood with it. My weeks, i don't remember them too
Passages
the smallest street in Paris :) much, I have to look in my personal journal, but I don't think much happened. The weekend, on the other hand was more than fun. Ania had a Polish friend visiting her from Berlin, a very extravagant Radek, jazz and opera singer, and quite a diva! His goal was to see Paris like someone who lives there, so basically, we went out every night. Oh, before I talk about the going out, I have to talk about 2 other things. Friday was a crazy day! First, Camila and I did a little tour of strange passages of Paris, these are little streets connecting big boulevard in the northern part of Paris (St Denis) That district is rather poor, with lots of immigrants, so it has a very interesting ambiance. Well, in some of the passages, there are ethnic stores and restaurants, in others, prostitutes and drug dealers. Sometimes it was really scary (and we went during the day!). We didn't miss our chance to look at the ladies of the night - old, not pretty, and dressed, well, like the prostitutes. I don't know what I expected, I guess I just had ideas a bit different, but then, you don't
Catherine Deneuve
Attending a showing of Demoiselles de Rochefort and an interview with Catherine Deneuve! become a prostitute because of a good life (unless you are Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour). About Catherine Deneuve, I saw her that same evening! No, not on blvd St Denis, but at a showing of her film, Demoiselles de Rochefort in Cinematheque. We went there with Aude, my french friend I knew back in ATL, Catherine gave an interview and was simply amazing! The film was a lot of fun as well, with lots of dancing and singing and the message was so cute and touching (like love is out there, and one will find it, simply by chance).
So, now about the going out part. After the movie, I met up with Ania and her friend, Radek and we went on a bar hopping tour of Oberkampf until 6 in the morning. Radek was simply amazing, I never met a cooler guy. Sometimes he would break out singing, we danced a lot, and it was just a lot of fun to be with him. Our last stop was quite interesting - it was a tiny bar full of Serbian guys, they greeted us with a collective hug and then one of them sang "Podmoskovnie Vechera" to me
Oberkampf
NIght out with Ania and Radek, hew super cool friend in Russian, another read a poem of Pushkin in Serbia (BEAUTIFUL) and I just chatted a lot wit all of them. Then the next day, after I got up and got myself together, we met up with the same people plus Camila and Josh at this jazz bar we all like, listened to some music and just chilled. Then Ania Radek and I went to discover a gay bar in the Marais (a beautiful district in Paris that is famous for its gar bar scence). Radek showed us this super cool bar, Amnesie, where we first chilled, and then danced with about 20 gay men, all stuffed into this tiny little room used as a dance floor. I never had this much fun dancing to Abba and Madonna, we just let go, since the guys were not looking at us (some were, and we even danced with a couple). We then met a couple americans studying in Paris, and spent the rest of the night with them.
Well, the post is getting long, but I am almost done. The monday after that weekend, I got sick, I guess someone up there was punishing me for my sinful behavior 😊 It
Oberkampf
Some serbian guys with randomly met at 5AM was a very unfortunate time, as I had 2 exposes to prepare for Wed and Thu, one of them in Arabic! I was freaking out, the nurse at Sciences Po was out sick as well, so it was hard to get excused from my classes. Camila did something extremely nice, Tuesday night she took me over to her place (my heater broke and it is too cold chez moi), she took care of me all night and I felt whole lot better afterwards. I succeeded with my presentations and got better soon after, just in time for the weekend. It was a much calmer one, no all-nighters, just some evenings with friends. Well, no, Saturday, I did stay up until 6 again, but it was at Camilla's and we were playing War all night 😊 I didn't have as much energy and my mood was fluctuating so much, that I am afraid i pissed a couple people off, but I hope they will forgive me. Last night(Monday) was Ania's birthday, we celebrated with a huge group of people in a couple of bars, including this gay bar we just love. The dance floor was closed, but we got our own
So french!
Radek with his beret and a cigarette started and had a LOT of fun. I think the guys that were with us felt a little weird but for the girls it was just perfect. I came back extremely happy and not even that tired (and that is at 3am, I am not used to that during the week) Tonight is my other friend's birthday, Italian Fede. She is amazing so that should be a fun party as well. I feel like my weekend never ended, and that is a very nice feeling. Plans for the nearest future, this Friday Camila and I we will go to Cluny (this midieval village) on a wine tour of Burgundy and then to Lyon, all that for our spring break. It should be a lot of fun, a nice break from school and Paris. Well, until the next time, or a la prochaine, as the french would say it.
P.S. I miss everyone like crazy! I often think about my friends and family, and it kinda of hurts that some people seem to have forgotten me, but I guess that is life, and I accept it, since I haven't been on top of things either.
All (almost) pics from Brussels
Marais
Ania and Radek, super cool! http://git.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2068369&l=17849&id=12800335
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Amanda
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We still love you
Have a Happy Easter! Eat something French for me...