Oh la l'aventure!

I decided to go on the trip with Les Barricades to meet with les Sans-Noms, the choir of Nancy to sing in a concert knowing that it would lead me to an adventure...I mean how often do you get to go on a coach bus with a revolutionary choir to stay with members of another revolutionary choir. So I dragged Heather along with me so that I wasn't the only one wondering how to say "random" in French. We had a great time but it was interesting being with adults who party more than I do, drinking the whole bus ride to Nancy (les cadeaux!) and tehn arriving at 2am and still wanting to go out to the pub! The pub was packed even after 3am and it was so smoky it was like walking into a cloud, one with blaring music where you can't talk to the person next to you or tell the creepy man who says you need a necklace to go away. The next morning was our concert and to Heather and I's relief we were able to use the lyrics, but I still got nervous when I noticed the French radio reporter's microphone being held next to me as I sang! And then she asked to interview me after the concert. I advised her to ask other more informed members. I then found a love for hot red wine (they add cinnamon and sugar) and then it was off to the train station where it turns out was a manifestation against nuclear energy, because a train with nuclear waste was going to be coming through the station. So we stood there for a while watching a man in a nucelar energy outfit and scream mask put on a show for the news cameras, and then we went with the others for a potluck lunch...and it turns out the French think I'm a gourmande, I can't help that the food is so good here. After going through some of the songs while people raised fists and for some reason one lady started putting up her middle finger, we went to a café across the street from the cathedral with our new French friends where we exchanged tongue twisters and played babyfoot (foosball). By the time we left Chloé, Gilla, and Anne were bourrées (wasted) and they still wanted to drink before the second concert so we met up with someone named Barbara and shared a bottle of wine before singing again under the beautiful archway of the Place Stanislas and having more hot wine. I then was asked a million questions about American politics, its odd realizing you are the only way these people hear these ideas since their reporting only shows that everyone sides with Bush. And then it was to the MJC (a community center) for some chili, more wine, Mirabelle which is extremely stong liquor of the region and made everyone keep repeating oh la la to me- a joke that still didn't cease to end the next morning, and then some dancing. The bus ride home was still even more adventure as we got locked out of the bus for a while since the driver went to load bags underneath and the door shut on him with the bus running! So after someone clinbed through a hole in the side of the bus, more like was pushed through the tiny hole, we were able to get in and then the Nancy choir sang and danced their goodbyes...literally. And then I thought it would be a nice calm ride home since everyone was exhausted, but they kept getting on the mic and talking and singing, even while a movie was on. So in the end when I got home a bit after 9 I was ready for bed and put off lesson planning till the next day.