St Paddy's

Headed out for St Patrick's day last night, luckily enough it was of course on a Thursday and I took today off all the better to celebrate it! It was nuts, I've never seen so many people out. Thursday is 'students' night' plus St Patrick's on top of that = chaos. The first bar we went to had a crowd of people all around outside (probably illegally, you're only meant to go a certain distance from the bar with drinks I think) and then inside it was absolutely rammed, especially around the bar. I really thought at one point I was going to be pushed down the stairs - on the edge of a staircase is not a good place to be with that many people pushing to get to the bar! After that, things got a bit calmer at the next two places we went, but there were still people everywhere wearing Guinness hats and falling over, dropping drinks, throwing up etc. Once again, don't believe everything you hear about the French not drinking! The streets were just covered in litter by the time the bars closed at 2. Anyway, fun times had by all, it was nice to have some cider for a change as well!



The park looks prety wintry here, but...



Spring is springing!(Typically today, day off = wet and cold. Should be getting a bit sunnier although still quite cold over the next few days)




Sorry I couldn't get a better picture of this! Apparently in France, Eden Park = chic! Kinda confused about what the Eiffel Tower's doing in the picture though! At first I thought the guy on the right was in blackface pretending to be Maori or something, but on further reflection I'm not too sure... His hands seem to match his face, so I might just be getting thrown off by the weird make-up going on around his eyes. I might have to take a closer look (it's on my way home from work) and report back on its inappropriateness level. I also like how the guy on the left is just totally into the guy on the right.



Me and Géraldine outside the bar. On at least half a dozen occasions French people found it necessary to tug on my tinsel pigtails and inform me that 'It's St Patrick's Day, not Christmas!' Discussed this with Géraldine, who was also on "Team Tinsel Is For Christmas!" Silly French people and their regimented ways...



I am so in love with this little biscuit boy that I'm trying to become him. Unfortunately it got cut off in the photo, but I've made my cardi into a cape and am holding a 'basket' handbag. Didn't manage to replicate the spiffy shorts and knee socks combo though! The French slogan says 'We always say yes!" which I enjoy with the saucy expression he's sporting!



The girls - me, Géraldine, Sara and Liz




I DRANK A BEER! We were at a speciality beer bar and I had no choice, especially since the barman was very nice about giving me tasting samples and then putting up with me being all "ew gross, I don't want it!" This is Kriek cherry beer, and it's actually not too bad, although afterwards I thought there was a bit of that unpleasant beery aftertaste (and I'm blaming it for the fact that I woke up feeling a bit queasy despite only having 2 pints of cider and a half of beer over the course of the evening).