Last night i decided that lounging in my grubby attic smoking cigarettes and watching trashy french tv was really not what i had envisioned for myself for my year abroad- so i decided to do something. I had been told that the local concert hall type place which is called the Athena was having a sort of opening night, perhaps to mark the start of the theatre season or something? I dolled my face up, backcombed my hair a bit, had a look in the mirror and thought "what will the french make of THIS" Satisfied, i set out alone.
When i got to the Athena, music beckoned me, and lights. I walked into a big sort of school hall. Families were sat round tables which were covered with nibbles and children were throwing baloons around and dancing. Everyone was sat in tight knit familial groups. There was no one else alone who might be engaged in conversation. I left.
Walking through the centre i found a fairly welcoming looking bar, so i decided to wander in. They didn't serve chocolat chaud as i requested, so i went for a rum and coke. Which was more than five euros. However they did just about fill my glass half up with spirit. There were a bunch of locals around the bar on stools chatting with the bar owner. Shy to intrude i went to smoke outside and sit on the chairs looking onto the street. Not a single person walked past. I mused on my isolation somewhat miserably as a melancholic spanish song played. Then things improved when the locals came out for a smoke and some manu chao started to play. They tentatively asked me where i was from and what i was doing, but soon went back to talking amongst themselves in rapid incomprehensible french.
Next, i set out drunkenly for another bar. That one drink was burning my empty stomach and had inebriated me quickly, alcohol in my veins and head.
The next bar i'd walked past many times and noted it's somewhat rowdy eccentric clientele. The door was locked but a man with dark straggly hair came to open it for me. When i entered i was faced by a bar full of pissed french men who turned to stare at me lecherously, but with big friendly smiles all the same. I wandered over to the bar tentativley and perched myself on a stool. The long haired barman asked me in a gruff voice what i wanted, looking at her closer i realised she was infact a very manly woman. On the bar was a giant glass fishbowl-cauldron filled with green liquid with some solids floating in it. I wondered if it was a mythical creature preserved in formaldyhyde, but she told me it was rum with bananas in it. oh right.
I went for another rum and coke and was allowed to smoke- a lock in! I chatted with a very drunk frenchman who told me he worked making something to do with cosmetics, and had recently moved to this town after divorcing his wife (he used to live in a nearby very similar small town).
The only other woman in the bar, a creased up, painted-up, rather mean face who eyed me with poorly concealed dislike. Probably cos her man was making eyes at me and i was beaming back. I didn't realise he was hers until she made a point of dancing against his bar stool and kissing him. He was frightfully ugly.
Then she jumped onto the platform and gave us all a sexy wriggling dance against the pole. I was quite tempted to have a spin round it myself after she left, but thought i should become more of a known face in the town before i started to make such an exhibition of myself on their territory.
After a game of table football, which i lost, i left. I think i shall return though. That cavern of drunkeness and debauchery and genuine human nature is the best place i've seen so far.
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