Nuit Blanche

Saturday night was Nuit Blanche in Paris which translates to "White Night" or "Sleepless Night."  Cities all over the world organize nights like this and in Paris it is the first Saturday in October.  It is a completely free event that runs from 7pm Saturday night to 7am Sunday morning.  I was only hoping to get invited to the private dinner at Place de la Concorde or the completely white martini party on top of the Arc de Triomphe, but I don't know the right people who know the right people I suppose.  ;)  There are exhibitions set up all over the city from artists all around the world.  Paris chose 3 main locations to showcase the exhibitions.  Le Marais/Hotel de Ville, Batignolles, and Montmartre.  Lines 12 and 14 ran all night long without stop.  14 runs horizontal throughout the city and 12 runs vertical so you could get pretty close to your destination if need be.  We started at Hotel de Ville around midnight.  We figured if we started any earlier we wouldn't have much gumption by 4am.  There were SO many people out and about.  The plaza at Hotel de Ville was packed with Nuit Blanche goers.  People flooded the sidewalks and metros looking to make the most of their 12 hours of free art exhibitions!  

After everyone in our group finally arrived, some waited in line at Quick for about an hour for a less than mediocre hamburger, and we figured out what plan of action we were going to take, we reached the "Purple Rain" exhibit around 2am.  

You were suppose to be transported as the song was played into his version of what "Purple Rain" would be.  Okay, obviously this was the most popular place to be because the line was forever long.  It did look very cool though so we decided to wait.  A few of us decided that we should split, half should go to the restaurant around the corner and have a drink and the rest should wait in line and then we could switch off.  So, I volunteered to go and come back.  Well, this would have been an excellent plan of action except for we couldn't hear our phones when the other group was calling us to say that the line was moving very fast and they were almost to the exhibition.  So, whatd'ya know, I missed it.  I have a couple of friends who happened to get in though....there was no way we were waiting in that line again. As you can see it was a courtyard in the middle of Le Marais which was closed off and bright purple lights shone through.  There was a rain machine dripping light drops of water...but enough for them to have to give you an umbrella.  

Laura, Flora, and Esmee

Just a portion of the line at Purple Rain

Wasn't required to wear white but I decided to wear my white pants in honor of Nuit Blanche.  

Taylor, Rozy and Pierre

After Purple Rain and a couple of other random artsy things in the streets, we decided to make our way up to Montmartre...little did we know it would take 2 hours.  Our group of 20 had now disintegrated into about 10 (thank goodness) and we walked from Le Marais to Chatelet to catch the line 14.  After we stopped for a bathroom break.  After we stopped for a crêpe.  And after we walked around the entire Chatelet area only to find one of the entrances open.  If anyone knows just how big Chatelet metro station is...they can tell you that having just one of the 15 entrances open is ridiculous.  

Anywho, we changed to line 12 at Madeleine and rode up to Pigalle.  Pigalle is a bit sketchy at 3am so it was good we were with a group.  We were going to a "silent disco."  I had never heard of this concept ever before in my life so I was in for a real treat.  We walked into a courtyard filled with people dancing and twinkle lights strung from the trees.  Looked like a scene from Footloose.  But oddly enough, it was silent.  You could only hear the snapping of people's fingers and the shuffling of their feet as they danced the night away to American pop music from the 1960's, 70's and 80's.  We traded in our ID's for a snazzy pair of black headphones and got down to such hits as Brown Eyed Girl, Maneater, and My Sharona.  

Alison and Rozy getting down.

Such a great atmosphere!  

The headphones were an interesting concept for me as I kept singing aloud.  (You all that know me, know that singing is not the greatest gift God has given me.)  Not necessarily the headphones because I listen to my headphones every day on the metro, but the fact that it was in a place so open and so happenin' I just wanted to shout out, "Watch out boy she'll chew you up!"  So the fact that I was one of the few people there who knew all the words and was singing them aloud made me stand out of the crowd probably a little bit too much.  But....I didn't care! We were jammin'!! 

Rozy and Susanna

At 6:15 I gave in and headed home.  We didn't get very much accomplished, but we weren't very prepared.  I felt as if I had walked 20 miles that night, and my feet were just worn to little nubs.  I got home around 7am, and couldn't go to sleep for another hour due to my throbbing feetsies.  It was also a strange concept to be coming home just as people were getting up and going to work.  I passed the woman who lives down the hall on the stairs and didn't know whether to say hello or bury my face in my jacket with embarrassment. 

Taylor crashed at my place that night (morning?) as he had come home just an hour or so before I did.  The good news for a long night out?  We felt as if we deserved a little American treat.  So, that we did.  I took Taylor and Laura on their maiden voyage to Breakfast In America.  

This time I got a chocolate milkshake and boy was it yummy.  Totally worth the $6 I paid for it.  

Also in other big news....my sister Laine PLEDGED PI PHI!!!! Sorority was such a huge part of my life and I'm so excited for Laine to share in my experiences.  I tried not to pressure her too much during recruitment and wanted her to make her own choices, but deep down I knew I wanted her to go Pi Phi.  I hated not being there and sharing in the moment, but I know there will be so many more to come.  

Laine and Mary Dilworth, my friend Margaret Dilworth's little sister who is a senior!

Laine and her halo!  Heard we got an excellent pledge class of new baby angels!   127 girls...now I'm wondering how sit down dinner will work tonight!?  

Pi Phi house looking great as usual.  Love the balloon arch...cute idea!  

So proud of her and the decisions she has made thus far.  I can only hope that this only enriches her experiences at Ole Miss and that she can make lifelong friends that are just as wonderful as mine!!! 

May 2009 Bid Day

Laura's bachelorette party...obviously.