Darcy's Paris Blog

Another new park and a night with my French friends

Today I had my first pangs of homesickness. I talked to Neil today when he was finishing lunch on the first day of the MS150, and I could tell he was having a blast, and I knew that I would've been there with him. That ride was the one thing that I really feel like I'm missing out on, and I really wished I'd been there. Not that I'd trade my Parisian experience for it, but you know me, I try to find a way to have my cake and eat it too.

Anyway, it was a beautiful day, and I headed out to do some shopping on the C-E and the Left Bank. I wasn't quite done with my errands in the mid-afternoon when I got a call from Majid, one of the metro guys, whose call I'd been expecting to hear the evening plans. He told me that everyone was meeting at Cyrille's and then maybe going out afterwards, but that he was headed to the Parc de la Villete (a huge park near the city outskirts,) and did I want to come? At first I declined, since I wanted to finish my errands and head home to change before going to Cyrille's. But then I rethought it, since Majid told me that it's a place that he really wanted to show me -- which meant he'd thought about it, and factored me in, thinking of places to take me. So I called him back and told him I'd meet him -- the errands can wait. When it's a beautiful day and a nice cute guy tells you there's a park he wants to show you, you go. He showed me all of his favorite places there, since he's been coming for years. We walked past groups of drummers in a bamboo forest and over to a huge green lawn by a canal, where people were playing guitar, playing football, or just laying out and enjoying the first really warm and sunny day we've had. Majid was close and charming and fun, and I actually wished that we didn't have to go to Cyrille's as early as we did. But when the time came, he drove me there with him, telling me that I looked fine and didn't need to go home and change first (despite the fact that I was wearing sneakers -- not discotheque-appropriate.) At Cyrille's (in St. Ouen) we drank and barbeque'd on his little patio -- his place is not nearly big enough to hold all of us. Majid took a lot of pictures, although he's actually in one -- Loic took one of Lizette, Fabrice, Majid, and me. I guess Majid and I were flirting, although with some of these guys it's hard to tell -- I get the sense, though, that it's not Majid's nature, as it it Loic's. (For example, Loic playfully asked if things between Majid and I were serious.) When it got cold and late we headed to a soiree -- not a discotheque, but a professionally planned party that feels just like a disco except the drinks are included with a big cover and the locations are never the same. The place was nice, but I was definitely underdressed (apparently sneakers are against the dress code for guys, but for women they let it slide -- thank goodness) and also a little bored. When the French guys meet up with other friends there, and it's so loud you can't make out any words even if you could understand them, it doesn't lend itself to great conversation. I did, though, get the "Majid's a really nice guy" talk from one of the girls in the group. Majid and I left early (which means about 2, I think) -- although we'd made a pack to go together, we hadn't agreed to leave together, and in fact when we were there we didn't spent a lot of time together -- but he was nice enough to drive me home. Bottom line: Majid is a really nice, sweet guy I'd like to spend more time with. Who knows, we'll see -- again, all part of the adventure.

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posted by Darcy @ 11:55 PM