Soiree Camping

So yesterday was interesting. I woke up at around 11:30, which was early for me since I've been here. I had some fruit and yogurt for breakfast (I miss cereal!) and then my mom and I took the bus to Denfert-Rochereau because Bibiane told us there were a few good shops there. I got a cute coat at Zara, which doubles as a raincoat and has a removable hood which I'm thinking will come in handy since it's already rained twice since I've been here. Also, we passed a store I think is pretty entertaining. It's an underwear store called "Undiz." So clever. Then we found this really cute little shop down a random street, and we went in because they had wallets on display and I needed a new one because mine is a) broken and b) doesn't have a big enough pocket for coins (of which I now have a lot because of euros). It was owned by the cutest married couple and they couldn't have been nicer. They spoke nice and slowly so I could understand a bit, and told me to come back if I wanted to get any gifts for anyone and they'd love to help. Then we took the bus back towards La Vache Noir, but ended up getting off pretty quickly because it was so full and walking the rest of the way. We went to H&M again and I got a warm sweater and leggings which was good because this house is always freezing cold. Then we came back to the house (bested by that damn lock AGAIN!...good thing the housekeeper was here to let us in...) and dropped off our stuff so we could go pick up the 35 baguettes for the party. Normally, you would think "Oh, 35 baguettes, who has a car to help me go get them?" But here, you just walk and carry everything and it's no big deal. I think having a car would be more of a hassle than anything, especially since the lights are super confusing to me. The stoplights aren't above the street across the intersection. They're hidden off in the corner and I guess if you're used to looking there it's ok, but I'm used to it being blatantly obvious haha. Anyway, we headed towards the boulangerie right down the street, passing the little gift shop I keep forgetting to write about. If anyone wants an "I <3 Montrouge" t-shirt, let me know. Also, they have noodles (like for the pool) in a cardboard box with a drawing of a crab on it for 3 euro. It's kind of the most random thing ever. So we got the baguettes and carried two huge paper bags full back to the house. They smelled AMAZING and were still warm. We passed a guy on the way back and he saw all the bread and wished us "Bon anniversaire" (Happy birthday haha). Back at the house, everyone was busy getting ready for the huge party. I didn't really get the theme until people started showing up, but basically if you think of the tackiest American camping trip meets Jersey Shore, I think you'll be pretty close to understanding. A lot of people were wearing bathing suits under tanks with cut-off jeans. Some guys came dressed as girls, and some people came in bicycle racing gear. Needless to say, I'm not sure I understand. I originally was wearing a new outfit that I think is really cute (and warm since it was sooo cold) but I came downstairs and it was not the theme at all so I came back upstairs to change and ended up wearing a tank top over a bathing suit top, shorts, and sunglasses and flip flops. Who knows.... The music was pretty entertaining. It was a combination of tacky French songs that everyone knows and loves but doesn't take seriously and 80s American rock music. The American stuff was really fun because I actually could sing along. It's really great listening to French people sing along phonetically to American music. And they love it. It took me awhile (and a few glasses of champagne...) to get comfortable enough to dance with everyone, but when I finally did it ended up being really fun. I danced with Agathe and her friends for most of the night, and around 3:30am I was one of the first people to leave. (And by leave I mean go up to my room and put in earplugs and try and fall asleep to the blasting music.) I woke up this morning around 12:30, and everything was already cleaned up for the most part. You would never know there were 150 people here last night. Also, apparently 25 glasses were broken over the course of the night. I came downstairs and realized I hadn't really eaten anything since around 3pm yesterday and all I had then was a very small salad. So I had bread and cheese for breakfast, like we have for every meal it seems like. All the neighbors were over helping clean up and everything, and then everyone went outside to the patio and started smoking, so I went up to my room because I seriously can't handle it. I just don't understand how literally everyone smokes here. I need to start carrying around a gas mask or something. Today my mom and I are going to get a baby gift for Guillemette (the one who just had the baby) and I need to get a flat iron since mine, even with the adapter and converter, got SUPER hot and burned my bangs. Which now look super great, by the way. I've realized we plug a crazy amount of things into the walls and never think twice about it. Whose idea was it to have different voltages and outlets across the globe, anyway? Makes no sense to me. Anyway, so tomorrow the whole family is coming over for lunch, so I think we're going to try to prepare everything today so we can go do something tomorrow since my mom leaves on Monday. And then I finally start school on Thursday! Agathe is going out again tonight and invited me, but I don't know if I'm going to go because I'm sooo tired from last night, and as all of you are well aware I'm not exactly the type to go out and party every night, and I'm trying to ease myself into it haha. Also I should probably sleep early if I'm going to have to get up and go to Musée D'Orsay or the Grand Palais or something tomorrow.
A bientot :)