Old years night (tout en anglais)

Cirque Bouglione

Someone is excited hehe

      

Tigers and big cat turns in general are impressive in my opinion, but I can't not think that these savage animals live in cages, and are trained, maybe beaten. We can tell that they are almost crazy, like something goes wrong with them. Could you imagine such a life?
You sleep and live in a very small box, when your specie is used to big spaces, plants, nature, running, hunting. You get orders and lashes to do things that you absolutely do not understand but which another type of Beings seem to enjoy, like jumping from a bench to another one, turning around yourself, raising a leg... why? and sometimes, you do the same thing, but in a bigger cage, in the dark, with color lights, and hundreds of other Beings, similar to the ones who train you are watching you, and making sometimes a strange noise all at the same time, probably with their hands...

I'm sorry, it may be my human feelings, empathy, compassion but I find they eyes sad.

I enjoyed this show (see below). Diabolo in french, not sure about the english.
The guy failed his turn at least 4 times, but he kept trying until he succeeded.
In french we say : " Au Cirque, quand on rate, on recommence" ( " in Circus, when you fail, you start agin" ). I like this idea, for life in general by the way.
And in such a perfect show, I think we usually remember more the ones that had a little glitch and showed determination and passion at fixing it, rather than the perfect ones.
And I liked the light scenography.

      

OK, the show ended, the race starts.

Organizing old year's night was a real challenge.

I personally wanted to enjoy myself, ok but my concerns were really more complicated than that.
I had my Barbadian love to impress !!! No, but seriously, I wanted him to have a blast as well. Because I want him to be happy in life lol, because he paid an expansive flight ticket to come, so I wanted it to be worth it, and because I want him to come back to France sometimes, so showing him how AMAZING France is was THE problematic of this vacation.

When he asked me somes weeks ago what I wanted for my birthday, I said, as people usually answer I guess :" I don't know". Then I thought of it, I saw nothing that could make me happier that him coming to France with me. But... naahhh it was crazy.. I couldn't tell him that. He would have found it cute maybe but just too much and not reasonable at all.
I still decided to tell him, but more as a dream, not something I really expected to happen , just some idealistic idea I found sweet to share.

He said : " Yes, ok, I can come"
...
Wh..wh..a.. wha.. whaaatttttt???
Someone pinches me please !!

The following days he had to sort things out to see if he could make it, but I still didn't believe he said Yes, and he was actually starting to organise the trip.
That was the most beautiful gift I could have wished, ever !
So I really wanted to organise the best vacation possible for him.
Old year's night was an important part of it.

So, the ingredients needed for a nice time were obviously: nice place, nice atmosphere, nice people, and people who could speak english.
You will have understood that after the flight tickets, we both were pretty broke. So all these nice stuff just mentioned for cheap !
- Big parties for Old year's are extremely expansive, like nothing under 75 euros, and for what in concrete terms?
A buffet that is ruined in the first 30minutes anyway, champagne, and breakfast if you stay after 6am, yes you may get some industrial frozen pastries.
But, the beauty of a Parisian prestigious night Club has is seducing aspects and no language is required.
- An appartment lime in Paris would be a typical parisian experience, I got some nice friends, really fun and speaking english. But all of them are chain smokers and I've been sick of spending time with tens of them if tiny flats. So.... Plus they haven't answered any of my Old Year's night requests. I want Rohan to have fun yes but if possible with people I care about and who care about me as well. You see how intricate is the problematic?
- A restaurant, on a boat in Paris? Budget problem.
- A simple bar? friends choice problem.
- By my parents, with my uncles for example, they can speak english. But they certainly have plans already and I'm not sure it would be the funnest for Rohan.
I was initially thinking of doing something with my parents as well, because the purpose of this time in France is them, my family.
But they are more a "couche tot" ("sleep early") type and they don't feel comfortable enough with english to hold a conversation without feeling embarassed. So...
- By a friend's house? but which kind?
- With who now? As I said, I want a quality time, I'm in France twice a year, I don't want to waste time not seeing my really loved ones. Shirley is working. Cecile Sc has plans. Fabien has plans. Stephane isn't sure.
Stephanie had plans, but they seem to be canceled now. Livio is having a party, but would Stephanie enjoy it? I want her to have a good time too. Caroline !! But she needs an answer quite quick to organise something else with other friends if needed, which I understand. But I haven't decided yet what I will do, and I can't keep her waiting on my plan if it's to tell her at then end : sorry, i'm staying with my family. Same thing for Cecile Sa & Alan.

Can you feel the pressure?

Oh this message from Michael !! Him and his friends were with me in High School, I haven't seen them almost since then. A party at his house, in St Germain-lès-Corbeil. With a theme. We have to bring food and drinks, sounds fair.
Ok !! Here is the idea: Going by Michael first, and then Livio. With Steph and Caro. We can adjust how long we want to spend in each.
It would be half-half, 2 drastically different types of parties. A big house, wealthy people, mostly white french people, smoking and drinking a lot, while liming or having fun crazily, listening to international pop music. And a smaller place, in what people would call a " ghetto", mostly black with different origins people, dancing on afro-caribbean tunes. He lives very close to my parents house, Livio is one of the sweetest friends I have, always there to support and laugh.

I think I have it !!! My plan !! Everybody would be pleased, have fun, and experience things that change from what they are used to. And Rohan would see 2 different aspects of my France. And I would be with people I really want to be with.
ALLEEELUUIIAAAA !!

So, after leaving the Circus, as I was saying: the race !
We have to:
- get home (Ris-Orangis from Paris, 3e.)
- get ready for the parties ( yes, "ies")
- go to pick Caroline up in Juvisy
- Stephanie in Evry
- be at the 1st place in St Germain, before 12.
If you have no idea what those places are, it's like going from Animal Flower Cave to.... Miami Beach, then back to St lucy, then and back to Miami. Knowing that we don't know exaclty where are the actual meeting places. In 2 hours. Sounds possible to you?
Let's see if I made it !

We were late to pick Stephanie up. We got lost in Juvisy. Poor Caroline had to wait for us alone in the dark outside this scary suburb train station...
I was driving crazy, taking the risk to traumatize Rohan, I ran a stoplight... We got Caro !
We have 23 minutes to get St Germain before 12.
The last thing I want is my friends to spend the "3...2...1... Bonne Année !" in a car, plus, it's what was my "Happy New Year" last year, in a car.
The police can't arrest people for speed excess at a quarter to 12 on december 31st.
11:53, we are in Michael's Gap. Which house is it??
11:58, we found it !!!! No where to park... aaaaaAAAHAhaahAHhhHHHHHHH

Let's park badly, just run inside, scream Bonne Année and take care of the car afterwards.
2...1... BOOOONNNNEEE AANNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!
We did it !!!!!!!!!!!!
Ouf.... I can breath... I can't believe I made it, I can relax now and have fun.

     

We had special party mates that night.
Did you spot Bob the Sponge and Mona Lisa in those pics?

le 31 décembre 2011 ( all french)

Cirque Bouglione

Quelqu'un est excité héhé

     

Les tigres et tous les tours de fauves en général sont impressionant, mais, personellement, je ne peux pas ne pas penser que ces animaux sauvages vivent dans des cages, et sont dressés, peut-etre battus. On dirait qu'ils sont fous, comme s'il y avait quelque chose qui clochait.
Vous imaginez une vie pareille ?
Tu dors et vis dans une petite boite alors wue ton espèce est fait pour de grands espaces, de la végétation, la nature, courir, chasser. Tu te prends des ordres et des coups de cravache pour faire des trucs que tu comprends absolument pas mais qu'un autre type d'Etres a l'air d'apprécier, comme sauter d'une planche à une autre, tourner sur toi-meme, lever une patte.... Pourquoi? et des fois, tu fais la meme chose, mais dans une cage plus grande, avec des lumières colorées bizarres, c'est sombre, et des centaines d'etres, du mem genre que ceux qui te dressent te regardent, et de temps en temps font un bruit étrange, tous en meme temps, probablement avec leurs pattes supérieures....

Je suis désolée, c'est peut-etre ma vision humaines, pitié, compassion,
mais je trouve qu'ils ont les yeux tristes.

J'ai particulièrement aimé ce numéro de diabolo ( en-dessous).
Le jeune homme a raté son tour au moins 4 fois, mais il a continué à essayer jusqu'à ce qu'il réussisse.
 " Au Cirque, quand on rate, on recommence" .
J'aime bien cette idée, dans la vie en générale d'ailleurs
Et dans un spectacle parfait comme ca, je trouve qu'on se souvient généralement plus de ceux qui on eu un petit pépin et qui ont montré de la détermination pour le corriger, que ceux qui étaient parfaits. Et j'ai bien aimé les jeux de lumière.

      

OK, le spectacle est fini, la course commence.

Organiser le  nouvel an fut un vrai défi.

Je voulais personellement passer un bon moment, d'accord, mais mes contraintes étaient beaucoup plus compliquées que ca.
J'avais mon amour Barbadien à impressionner !!! Non, serieusement, je voulais qu'il passe un super moment aussi. Parce que je veux qu'il soit heureux dans la vie en général, parce qu'il a payé un billet d'avion bien cher pour venir, donc je voulais que ca vaille le coup et parce que je veux qu'il revienne en France un jour, alors lui montrer combien la France est géniiiale était LA problématique de ces vacances.

Quand il m'a demandé ce que je voulais pour mon anniversaire, j'ai dit, comme tout le monde dit en général: "je sais pas". Après j'ai repensé à la question, et je n'ai rien trouvé qui pourrait  me faire plus plaisir que le fait qu'il vienne en France avec moi. Mais... noonnn. c'était fou... Je ne pouvais pas lui dire ca. Il aurait trouvé ca mignon peut-etre mais juste "trop" et  pas raisonable du tout.
J'ai quand meme décidé de lui dire, mais plus comme un reve, pas quelque chose dont je m'attendais vraiment à ce que ca arrive, juste comme une idée idéale que je trouvais sympa à partager.

Il a dit:  " Yes, ok, I can come" ( oui, d'accord, je peux venir)
...
Qu..qu..q.. quo.. quoiiiiii???
Que quelqu'un me pince s'il vous plait !!

Les jours qui ont suivi il lui fallait organiser un peu pour voir s'il pouvait vraiemnt venir, je ne croayais toujours pas qu'il avait dit Oui, et qu'il était vraiemnt en train de préparer le voyage.
C'était le plus beau cadeau que j'aurais jamais souhaité.
Donc je voulais vraiment organiser les meilleures vacances possibles pour lui.
Et le Nouvel An était un point très important.

Donc les ingrédients requis pour un bon moment étaient évidemment: un bon endroit, une bonne ambiance, des gens sympa, et des gens qui parlent  anglais.
Vous aurez compris qu'après les billets d'avion on était tous les 2 plutot fauchés. Donc toutes ces choses sympathique que j'ai mentionnée, oui, mais pas cher !
- Les grosses soirées  pour le Nouvel An sont extremement cheres, rien en dessous de  75 euros, et pour quoi concretement?
Un buffet qui est détruit dans les 30 premières minutes de toutes facons, champagne, et petit déjeuner si tu restes après 6h du matin, oui tu peux avoir quelques vienoiserie industrielles surgelées.
Mais, la beauté des grandes boites parisiennes a ses aspects séduisants, et pas besoin de quelconque langues.
- Une soirée "apart' " dans Paris serait une expérience parisienne typique, j'ai quelques amis cool, très marrants et qui parlent anglais. Mais ils fument tous comme des pompiers et j'ai été malade plus d'une fois à passer des soirées avec 10 fumeurs dans des appartements minuscules. Donc... Et puis, ils n'ont répondu à aucun de mes messages à propos du Nouvel An. Je veux que Rohan s'amuse, oui, mais si possible avec des gens qui comptent pour moi et pour qui je compte aussi.
Vous voyez comment la problématique est intriquée?
- Un restaurant, sur un bateau à Paris? Problème de Budget.
- Un simple bar? Problème de choix des amis.
- Chez mes parents, avec mes oncles par exemple, ils parlent anglais. Mais ils ont certaiement déjà des plans et je suis pas sure que ca serait le plus marrant pour Rohan.
Je pensais à la base faire un truc avec mes parents, parce que la raison de ce voyage en France c'est eux, ma famille.
Mais ils sont plutot d'un genre  "couche tot" ("sleep early") pour le Nouvel An et ne se sentent pas assez à l'aise avec l'anglais comfortable  pour tenir une conversation sans se sentir embarassé donc....
- Dans une maison chez quelqu'un? mais quel genre?
- Avec qui? Comme je disais, je veux un moment de qualité, je suis en France 2 fois par an, je ne evux pas perdre du temps à ne pas voir les gens que j'aime vraiment. Shirley travaille. Cécile Sc a déjà quelque chose de prévu. Fabien aussi. Stéphane ne sait pas.
Stéphanie avait un truc mais ca a l'air d'etre annulé. Livio organise une fete, mais est ce que Stéphanie aimerait? Je veux qu'elle passe un bon moment aussi.
Caroline !! Mais elle a besoin d'un réponse vite pour organiser quelque chose d'autre si besoin, ce que je comprends. Mais j'ai pas encore décidé ce qu'on allait faire et je peux pas la garder en attente et à la fin lui dire : " ah non désolée, finalement je reste avec ma famille". Meme chose pour  Cecile Sa & Alan. ils veulent une réponse.

Vous sentez la pression?

Oh un message de Michael !! J'étais avec lui au lycée, et avec les autres amis, je ne les ai pas revu depuis. Une fete dans sa maison, à St Germain-lès-Corbeil. Avec un thème. On doit apporter à manger et à boire, ca me parait bon.
Ok !! Voila l'idée : Aller chez Michael en premier, et après Livio. Avec Stéphanie et Caro. On vera comment on ajuste le temps qu'on veut passer dans l'une et l'autre soirée.
Ca serait moitié-moitié, 2 types de soirées drastiquement différents. - Une grande maison, gens aisés, essentiellement francais blancs, fumant et buvant beaucoup et délirant et écoutant de la musique pop-rock-variété francaise-internationale.
- Et, une maison plus petite, dans ce qu'on appelle un " ghetto", essentiellement noirs de différentes origines, dansant sur des musiques afro-caribeennes. Il habite juste a coté de chez mes parents. , Livio est l'un des plus adorables amis que j'ai, toujours la pour soutenir et rire.

Je pense que je le tiens !!! Mon plan !! Tout le monde serait satisfait, s'amuserait, et découvrirait des ambiances auxquelles ils ne sont pas forcément habitués. Et Rohan vérait 2 aspects différent de ma France, et je serais avec les gens avec qui j'ai vraiment envie d'etre.
ALLEEELUUIIAAAA !!

Donc, après le Cirque, je disais: la course !
On doit :We have to:
- rentrer à la maison (Ris-Orangis depuis Paris, 3e.)
- se préparer pour les fetes
- aller chercher Caro à Juvisy
- Stephanie à Evry
- etre à la prmière maison à St Germain, avant minuit.
Si vous avez une idée de la localisation de ces villes, en 2heures, ca vous parait possible?
Voyons si on a réussi !

On était en retard pour Stef. On s'est perdu dans Juvisy. La pauvre Caro a du nous attendre toute seule dans le noir et le froid devant cette gare de banlieue pas rassurante...
J'ai conduit comme une tarée, prenant le risque de traumatiser Rohan, j'ai grillé un feu....
On a pris Caro !
On a 23 minutes pour arriver à St Germain avant minuit.
La dernière chose que je veux c'est que mes amis passent le  "3...2...1... Bonne Année !" dans une voiture, et puis, c'est déjà comme ca que je l'ai passé l'année dernière.
La police ne peut pas arreter des gens pour excès de vitesse a minuit moins le quart le soir du 31 décember quand meme.
23h53, on est dans la rue de Michael. C'est quelle maison??
23h58, on a trouvé !!!! On peut pas se garer... aaaaaAAAHAhaahAHhhHHHHHHH

Aller c'est pas grave je me gare n'importe comment, on court à l'intérieur crier  Bonne Année et on vera pour la voiture plus tard.
2...1... BOOOONNNNEEE AANNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!
On a réussit !!!!!!!!!!!!
Ouf.... Je peux respirer.. J'arrive pas à croire qu'on l'a fait, je peux me détendre, je l'ai fait, c'est parti pour s'amuser !!

     

On a eu des amis de soirée très spéciaux,
Vous avez trouvé Bob l'Eponge and Mona Lisa sur les photos?

Tourists in Paris ( tout en anglais)

 After the Christmas crazyness and before the old year's one let's have a nice quiet and healthy walk on the riverbank of La Seine.
I was prepared for the cold that time, over prepared. But this december is really not cold, I mean 10 degres isn't normal for this season in France. I'm not complaning, just very surprised. I would have liked to get some snow. This is the hottest winter I've ever had in France.
But, not traumatizing Rohan for his first trip here is a good point, lucky him !

I asked some walker to take a picture of us.
Yes I officially started to be a Tourist in France !!! It's sounds like fun though, I've always found tourists ridiculous, especially in places I go to everyday, but I will play the role for 2 weeks.
I thought a lot of all that is to be seen and done in Paris and around.
My list has enough excursions to fill up a 2 months full time trip. So, I have to think even more, choose what's the best to do, some amazing things, some resting ones, some walking ones, driving ones, culturing ones, fun ones, a lot to discover, friends to see, family to meet,
things to try, to taste.....
Let me try to organise the outings by geography. Paris' centre, north, Eiffel Tower area, Versailles, l'Essonne...

Ok, I have a semblance of plan. But it's an open, modifiable one. I would love to do everything but I don't want to be in a race, and Rohan and myself seem to have a particular very serious disease that doesn't allow you to get up in the morning. We tried a lot of treatments and technics but no significant results. So we have to deal with that, and it's not easy for us, I mean being late isn't necessary cool, when people are waiting for you, people you really don't want to be upset, because they are nice persons, you know, and you really really love them ( Stephanie yes this is a personal subliminal message, Chike, Neysa, this can work for you too ) and you really make an effort to be less late the next time but.... illness is illness. If someone finds the cure, let me know please. Thank you.

So the plan for today, friday 30th December 2011, is: the Tocadero ice rink, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Marché de Noel, Concorde, Jardin des Tuileries, rue de Rivoli, Chatelet les Halles.
I need this :

Well, just me and that book won't be enough... I want Rohan to have the best time possible, so not get lost, not miss important things, and have fun... so what I really need is this :

Stephanie is the Best !!!!

The guy in the left bottom corner agrees:
Rohan: Relax ! this isn't worse than a van and Yes You Are a tourist so PICTURES !

Here she is La Tour Eiffel !!!

Yes french readers you can lauch at me for those pics, i know what you think lol.

Ice skating... mmmm how to say.... It's haaaarrrrrdd !!!!!
Well I personally really suck at it.
I was sooo hot from the efforts I made not to fall down. I remembered that feeling of being outside in the cold, feeling the icy air on your face skin but being sweating under all your clothes.... bwerrrrrrrrgghhh...

Marché de Noel des Champs Elysees. Artcraft and traditional french food from every french country sides, directly from the farms. Really pretty and christmassy but, of course, expansive. I had a Foie Gras sandwich ( very small, 6 euros ), not very good, and a soup ( a regular plastic cup, 3 euros ). Stephanie got a ham sandwich and Rohan... a Donut...

La grande Roue de la Place de La Concorde.

I marked a point at the Musee du Louvre on the following map, but we actually just had a walk in the shopping arcade around the Museum. Tea store, apple store... really nice designed shop windows (that made me think again that Barbados has a looot of work to be done in terms of visual merchandising improvement).
And we had the biggest bathroom surprise ever: 1,50 euro. The place looks like a store, but when you look at the items more carefully you realise they are only toilet paper rolls. Different colors, patterns, materials. The cashier is at a modern well designed counter and looks very nice, wearing a pretty suit, fitted-carpet on the floor, chairs for the accompanyists to wait for the users... Unbelievable !!

I have to admit that not going to the Museum was a choice. I'm sorry for what i'm going to say, it's a personal opinion: this Museum is the classical, conventional type, the paintings are realistics and old, all the art work is old school and boring. And I studied Art. The Museum is huge, it's crowded and tiring. After one room in the Gallery you are usually done, if you are not keen on this kind of art. To me, for Rohan, and for me, it would have been a waste of time. As I said earlier we have a lot to see, and missing it isn't a real big deal.
Yes I'm actually kind of apologizing for not having taken my guest to one of the most famous place in Paris, maybe even in Europe ( maybe in the world),
I'm so sorry O God of Art, please forgive me, please don't punish me by taking away from me my art skills, I didn't really betray you, I still believe in you and still love Art.

( The first orange section was in the subway )

We stopped for dinner, in a Japanese restaurant. Yes I know, not typical, but I was missing japanese food soooo baaaad. Fortunately they had chicken in the buffet, whew Rohan could eat.
Belly full, legs rested and toes warmed up. Let's go to Saint-Michel now, thru la cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris.

Notre Dame de Paris:

I guess the 2 next pictures are good examples of why people find Paris romantic, the old bridges, the Bateaux-Mouches, the lights... I admit it's pretty.

Saint-Michel is area that could be compared with Saint Lawrence Gap. So you see the Gap, multiply it by 10 and you have Saint-Michel. Bars, restaurants, night clubs, souvenirs, travelling artcraft sellers, street performances...