This weekend was super-full: starting out with Maria's birthday. We had a little party at our house for her Friday night where everyone cooked something, and I had THE BEST cherry chocolate cake of my life that our German friend Maraika made. Pauline's friend from Paris, Mathilde, came in town so we got to see her again. Saturday the weather was gorgeous again: just over 60 degrees and sunny, blue skies. So I put on my big sunglasses (in case I saw any of my students I didn't want them to recognize me), then headed out for a nice stroll to the Pharo park. This park is built around Napoleon III's Pharo Palace that he built next to one of the forts overlooking the ocean and the Vieux Port, but never actually lived in it. So I had every intention of walking up there, reading a book in the sun by the sea, but then I walked past Rue St Ferreol..........[ominous music].....the shopping district.
The huge after-Christmas sales don't start until January 11th here, so everyone is going stir-crazy, waiting for these MEGA---I mean, like -50% everything---sales, then once the 11th hits it is a complete mob scene in this part of town. In french you would say, "c'est le bazaar". So I'm on my way to a tranquil sit by the sea, when the "soldes" start calling my name. It takes me 2 hours to buy 2 t-shirts in Zara, the store is so crowded. Never again, I tell myself.....haha we'll see.
Saturday night we went out again for Maria's birthday, but last night, Sunday, I attended my first OM match! that's Olympique de Marseille, the football team here. I mean soccer...you get it. We scored these tickets from a friend of a friend of....I have no idea, but it turns out our seats are in the "ultra" section. like the super-fans. There's a guy with a microphone in front of us leading songs and chants, at the beginning of the game we all held up different color papers and made the OM symbol on our inzone, and there's CONFETTI. everywhere. With all this confetti and singing going on, I'm curious to see what will happen when someone makes a goal. OM scores and all hell breaks loose: these guys are so happy they start moshing. I mean, head-butting, punching, body-slamming, throwing each other to the ground....then they start singing again and throwing confetti at each other until something else happens. They even had a 2 year old boy with them; conditioning him to be the next microphone guy, I guess.
In the end, OM won and we had a great time (nobody got injured in the mosh, at least). They had a big fireworks show in the stadium after, which made me happy since I didn't get fireworks on New Years. As for the difference between this and an American football game, I can't say I prefer one or the other. I will say, however, that there's something nostalgic about cheerleaders, marching bands, fight songs, and yelling the word "TOUCHDOWN!"
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