Chapter 5: Are these string beans?

So after taking the metro to my room, almost locking myself out of the building and sleeping sporadically throughout the night I woke up around 2pm the next day feeling pretty good. Things were getting better for sure. I went across the street and bought some fruit for myself (I had consumed one meal the entire 2 days since I boarded the plane) and a bottle of wine for Murielle to thank her for being so nice. I used my extensive knowledge of French wines that I learned through Trader Joe's to pick out the perfect bottle: Cotes Du Rhone. Always a winner. Even figuring out how to cross the street was a task in itself - I impeded a cluster (dare I say gang?) of motorcyclists who cussed at me in French. I really should've learned all the swear words before traveling. Isn't that protocol? I remember thinking how weird it was that people just do whatever they want, or rather that the laws of everyday life seemed so much more liberal. Took a bit of getting used to. Somewhere after those events (and the blank spot in my head following them) I ended up hanging out with Lotfi who was kind enough to put me up for the undetermined amount of time that was my visit. I cannot thank him enough for his hospitality. There's always a couch in America for you buddy. We went to the supermarket around 5-ish to get groceries before the concert we were scheduled to go to. He was right in saying that eating at home is the way to go; Paris is not cheap at all. The market was a few blocks away. I really liked that. I liked how everything was close: fruit stands - fresh fruit stands - cafes on every corner, all so walkable. I miss that lifestyle.

Inside the Champion (market) I found an overload of things I'd never seen before: so many different fruits, vegetables, sauces, snacks - you name it - and not just the packaging lacking English. I found a different approach to many things we did have in the states, but with a French twist to them. So rad! I love eating! I brought my camera (I am such a fucking tourist!) but felt a bit out of place taking pictures of giant beets and cabbages so I put it away. This might seem weird, but there was a certain smell to the air inside also - crisp and different, kind of funky too. There were these giant string beans over a foot long. Strange. Anyway we got home, ate a bit of randomness (cooking later) and headed for the metro.

It was really cool: I was going to see Me First and the Gimme Gimmies for the first time - in Paris! I'm really glad I got to see a punk show in Paris, and it being who it was made it even cooler. If you're not familiar with Me First (especially in concert) think of your favorite pop hit (the cheesier the better) redone as a satirical, hilarious punk song. We got in on the guest list since Lotfi was longtime friends with the opening band Useless ID. That made me feel a bit like a rock star. I have such a long way to go haha... We went outside to socialize in-between bands and I met some really nice people one of which was their old guitar player, Saul. I guess it could have been awkward for someone else, but I was pretty excited. We had a cool conversation and he told me how to order a beer since I'd forgotten already (some use those flash cards I studied back home turned out to be!) I promptly went inside and busted out the skills. I don't know if it was the trip or what, but I swear to this day that the Heineken in Europe tastes way better than in America. Hooray for capitalism right?

Since Lotfi and I got lost wandering through the park on our way to the show (for some reason the venue was a big bright red building, just like the other six big red buildings scattered throughout the park space) we got there too late to see Useless ID play. I did enjoy the wandering though. Paris is beautiful beyond description. At least when Me First came on stage they were dressed to the nines: stark white slacks and shoes, berets and bright red Hawaiian shirts (no relation to said venue.) I have to give to Fat Mike: he's got his own style. Then they cut right into it. Great tunes. Great show. Somehow a little different from the shows back home. Not just that the crowd was smaller - around 300 fans tops - and I can't really put my finger on why, but it was different, it was cool. They played a lot of songs I knew which (to be honest) was a bit weird since I hadn't been following their discography all that much recently: "Country Roads", "Down By The Schoolyard" and "I Believe I Can Fly" were a few. The energy was relaxed, yet direct and powerful. They were very comfortable on stage and enjoying every moment of it. I had a surprisingly great time that night. I didn't want anything more than what was right then and there.

After the show we hung out back for a bit since Leivan wanted to say hi to the guys. I found it odd that even though the venue had been closed for 45 minutes or so we still had beers in our hands (well Leivan did) and that hanging out in the parking lot in the middle of the night was no big deal to anyone. Yes, Europe is rad alright. We walked to this mini-mart afterward and got these really good pre-made sandwiches and ate them by this old opera hall that looked kind of like a train station. The ground was entirely cobblestone and the breeze was clean and cold, but not to me. I loved that night.