An American Girl in Avignon

April 29

Your birthday only comes once a year, so live it up. It’s an occasion to celebrate that you made it through another year of life’s struggles, triumphs, and heartaches. Hopefully you are another year wiser as well as being another ear older. It’s an occasion to celebrate all you have become and the many years ahead of you…and when in Rome, or in Avignon, in our case, do as the French do: go clubbing and invite your friends along for the ride!! :) So of course, I had to go shopping for the occasion. It was a double occasion: Nina and Sakinah’s birthday. Double the reason to go out and buy something snazzy, right? Well, to quote the Kid Cudi song that I can’t seem to get out of my head, the day and night were both interesting indeed.

Kristina, Kyle, and I were the first ones to arrive at the birthday bash. The club was a lot more crowded than the last night (it was Tuesday, the equivalent to OU’s Thursday nights), so we spent a good 25 minutes searching in the huddled masses for people we knew. After several text messages and French creeper dodging, we found our group’s table in the back of the club sans the two most important people: Sakinah and Nina. Well, it was the French who made being late à la mode. They wanted to make a grand entrance, and boy, did they ever.
Sakinah was dressed to the hilt, ensemble completed with a white flower in her hair. Feeling the need to let EVERYONE in the club know it was her birthday, she walked around the room shouting, “C’est mon anniversaire!!!!” to anyone and everyone within an earshot. Pretty sure everyone knew who the birthday girl was that night. If only I had a euro for every person she told…

There are perks with hanging with the evening’s VIP. Thankfully, I stuck with birthday girl number one most of the night, so I was able to get a free beverage. Oh Sakinah…probably one of the funniest, most entertaining people I know. She’s always ready for a good time and will try anything. Most of her pictures from the evening are pictures of her and me on the dance floor. Some of them are pretty frightening and “untag” worthy though.

As mentioned before, the French and their dancing are really quite amusing. They stand in the middle of the dance floor and just kind of bop around. Never thought I’d meet people who made my dancing look halfway decent. The music was of course, a mix of UK’s top 40 European techno and American club hits. The song I have noticed that the French get most excited for is “Show Me Love” by Steve Angello. I probably hear this song at least three times every time we go out. It’s very catchy, as well as UK’s other top 40. Check it out!

We closed the club down that night. Clubs in France close earlier in the United States. I don’t know if this as just a weekday thing, but the lights came on and the bouncers told everyone to get out by 1:30. I thought this was so early, but again, maybe it’s only on weekdays that it closes this early. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.