What even happened last week? Pt. 1

I have gone from doing absolutely nothing with my time to doing everything and seeing everyone and being everywhere. I think I need a serious day-long siesta.

Tuesday night everyone rocked up in my gritty ol' neighbourhood for a nice dinner and drinks for my birthday and I brought them all back after the overly-decent cheap feed to my place, where we opened a bottle of Bordeaux rouge and served it around the loungeroom with plastic cups. Ah the student life.

I had a warm, loved and happy feeling in my heart and body that night (though it could have been just the wine alone doing that to me...) and slipped into bed, about to experience one of the greatest, undisturbed sleeps of my life. The next day I put off going to University until 6pm and then disappeared as soon as I could after class had finished to Pigalle to meet with a friend. We walked up a side street and in through a side door into a music school turned underground open mic night, and I was immersed into the night life of the french in a way I never thought I would be. These young people were seriously talented, it was like being in high school all over again watching all my musical friends during band and choir practice candidly belting it out and I was home. We went for drinks after and just talked shit and giggled and had warm cheeks after only one glass and it was the nicest feeling.

Thursday followed with class and cafeteria lunch then we all retreated back to our responsibilities and would meet up again later that evening. Le Dame de Canton is an old boat moored along the seine near Quai de la Gare and is home to many cheap entry shows presenting up and coming bands nearly every night of the week. Thursday nights is rock/indie night and we didn't really know what to expect. Nathan and I arrived and found ourselves halfway through the set of the first band "No Money Kids" who were actually really good. The vibe of the venue was perfect - small like a boat, with the upper deck quarters hosting inside a bar and down the steps the stage and standing area. It was very intimate and warm. The boat swayed gently from side to side along with the audience to the music and it was a nice, unusual way to spend the evening. Kristiana turned up later with Guillaume and we all enjoyed the last band "In The Canopy" who had the vibe of Jinja Safari, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead and José Gonzalez all rolled into one. The frontman was a french Alexander Supertramp, flailing his arms noncommittally as the notes met new heights.

I later wished a warm farewell to mes amis and boarded the metro to Nation where I planned to switch back towards Pigalle and then change again for line 12. Got to Nation and GUESS WHAT!? Metro had finished for the night. So instead of getting home at 12:30am to pack and sneak in a cheeky nap before leaving early the next morning for Amsterdam, I got home at 3:30am after waiting almost an hour and a half for buses and traveling across the city back to my place. And then, 4 hours later, I was on a bus to Amsterdam.

To be continued...