soiree!

tonight i attended my first parisian soiree.

it was just a couple blocks off the champs-elysees, at my host-sister's fiancee's cousin's apartment. everyone there already knew each other because they were all either friends or cousins, so my host-sister, angelique, and i were both in the same awkward place, not knowing anyone. the music was exactly a playlist i could have chosen myself (nelly furtado, shakira, etc.). they served good french wine, some '99 merlots, and served chips and cheese&tomato on toothpicks. the people there were very nice, especially when they found out i was "russo-american", as they called me, and complimented me on my french. yeah right. it was hard to follow most of their conversations, both because it was noisy and because they spoke so rapidly, but it was a good experience altogether. lots of french cheek-kissing.

so PDA is well-known in paris, as it is in all big cities, really. (PDA = public displays of affection). what amazed me tonight was how freely my host-sister and her fiancee hugged and kissed and lovingly spoke to each other in front of me as we were heading to the soiree. i mean, it's sweet and all, but every 5 seconds it was "mon coeur" this and "mon amour" that. i guess they barely see each other, seeing as how they work so much. so anyways.

tomorrow, versailles!