A Locomotive Night Out
Thursday, April 01, 2004
We had the first of what I hope will be many alumni meetings to really get the AIESEC France alumni network moving. I got to meet and have a heated discussion with Jean Choplin, one of the founding members.
Very cool and humbling experience. We also had a free cocktail bar for the event so after drinking too many Johnie Walker's I went out with some of the members from one of my Local Bureau's, ISC.
First stop was at an apartment of one the members - highlight of this stopover was the full size mirror hung on the door in his toilette. I don't know why this is there, and felt better to not ask!
Finally after about 2.5 hours of deciding to go to a club, we finally got in the car and left - this is a common occurrence in France - most of the evening is spent deciding where to go; arriving, only to have an hour or so of actually staying at the venue before heading home!
So we went to the La Locomotive, a club that reminded me of my raver days. Bad lighting, a lot of wasted people and thumping base. Downstairs in the club was an open bar party, where if you have never heard of this before, is a party hosted by one of the schools where everyone pays an entry fee and drinks as much as they want for free until they fall over. We got in for free but arriving so late, it was a bit of a drunken orgy mess with couples scattered everywhere all over each other - I would love to be in their classes today when they turn up only to have their friends inform them of how they spent their evenings, memory loss, I am sure to be huge!
The whole reason for this entry, has to be the drive home! Telling my driver that I live in Boulogne Billancourt, he thought this would be an opertune voyage to travel through the forests of Boulogne, where all the prositutes hang out. I have never seen anything like this before! Women (and men dressed as women) line the streets in their underwear! The ultimate in window shopping!
Well I arrived home about 5 am this morning, it was a challenge getting to the office, but a memorable evening as one of my last as an official Parisian. Waiting on a work permit, but soon I will be living over the Swiss border and starting my own AIESEC Internship!
Cheers
B
