After our huge, delicious dinner, Kelsey and I were both exhausted and knew we needed a bit of a pick-me-up pre-game, hence the reason we put on pot of coffee.  For these after-dinner drinks, we put a bit of Bailey’s in our coffee, we were feeling rejuvenated and ready to roll.  Simone joined us, and Melanie and her cousin came, too.  After a while of catching up, we eventually we set out for the club.

“Le Back-Up,” the club where the “gala” was located, was about 20 minute away by Metro.  We got there and waited on a bit of a long line to check our coats, finally making our way to the dance floor after 15 more minutes.  We danced to some old American music (because that’s what the French are obsessed with), and then used our drink vouchers to obtain some drinks.  I met a couple of guys from the Columbia team, and they loved Paris.

And so that basically summarizes the night; a bit of dancing, a bit of drinking, a bit of broken conversation.  It wasn’t too crazy or eventful, but it was fun.

Clubbing’s just not really my thing; I prefer going to a pub and having a pint with my friends, rather than sweaty dancing with strangers.  But hey, I gave it a shot.

After we ordered our first round of drinks, we went downstairs and started a bit of a dance party.  It was really fun, until a few interloping males in the Latin fashion (as Myriam would say) attempted to join us.  After several attempts, our boys shooed them away.  As Mike said, he’s “6′ 2″ and a buck eighty;” few guys would mess with that; he has essentially filled the role of ‘champion blocker.’

After the bars closed at 2, we tried to get into a club called the Social Club, which would be open until 5am.  When we got there, they only let two of our boys in because there was apparently a dress code (nice shoes and jackets).  In addition to this minor problem, they were also charging an exorbitant cover that didn’t quite seem worth it.

After much deliberation, we decided to head home.  The metros close at 1:30 on the weekends, so we got on line at a taxi stand.  Unfortunately, hailing a taxi between 2 and 3 is an absolute cauchemar (nightmare), because all of the bars in the city close at 2, meaning that all of the people in the city are trying to hail cabs.  After waiting outside in the freezing cold and the snow flurries, Melanie managed to chase a cab (quite literally and quite a distance) and we decided to split it and take it back to my apartment.

Our cab driver turned out to be the nicest French man ever!  Melanie and I had a great chat with him as he maneuvered his way around the taxi-filled streets of Paris.  He pointed out the Louvre and a few other monuments, all the while explaining why it was so difficult to hail taxis between 2 and 3; we were both ecstatic to have carried on a long, real conversation with this man.  Already in a good mood, we were pleased to see that the ten-minute ride cost less than 10 euros.  We were also pleased to find a loaf of bread, jam and cheese waiting for us when we finally reached my apartment up on the 5th floor.

On a less alcoholic note.  I met up with Melanie and her roommate Ivie, and we decided to go to the Eiffel tower.  I guess in retrospect, Saturdays aren’t the best days to go; it was SO CROWDED, and the lines were insanely long.  Since it was so cold, we decided not to climb it, so we just took some pictures, walked around, and froze a few fingers off (no big).  I went back to their place afterward, and we watched some high quality television in French…MTV!  We ended up watching an episode of Next and one of Made, both of which helped me pick up some useful French slang.  On my way home, I stopped by Melanie’s local boulangerie (bakery) to pick up a fresh baguette.  I’ve tried a LOT of baguettes in the past two weeks, and this was by far the BEST I have tasted thus far!  It was so doughy and egg-y and delicious, I couldn’t keep my hands off of it.  If any of you come to visit, I’m certainly taking you there, unless I find a better place…

Speaking of bread…I’m gonna go fetch some and lather it up with some fresh confiture (jam).

It probably would have taken several months to discover these if it weren’t for Marina, who has been here for a semester already.  She actually recommended that I avoid them at all costs because of their absolute deliciousness, but of course I did not take her advice and bought one at the first chance I got (which happened to be today after lunch).  I don’t even now what’s going to happen now as a result.

We had an excellent dinner last night at La Petite Chaise.  I tried the foie gras for an appetizer, and it was pretty good.  Although I’m really glad I tried it, I don’t think I have the heart to order it again, however, since the geese used to make it are treated so cruelly.  For my dinner, I ordered two fish served over a bed of the best sauerkraut I’ve ever tasted, and it was in a delicious white sauce.  The chocolate cake for dessert was delicious, as well.  Thanks, BC, for a delicious dinner.

Tonight we’re planning on going to a club called Wagg to meet up with other international kids and the Sciences Po kids organized it.  It should be pretty fun, and I’m looking forward to it.  I should probably go pick up a bottle or two of wine…