　おいしい！

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Was at a loss how to spend the New Year countdown. Think I’m really overaged for countdowns but a little part of me just wanted to mix with the happy New Year crowd to usher in the New Year. Thus came the unfortunate decision to go down to Sacre Cœur at Montmarte and the Champs Elysées. It must have been one of the suckiest, blandest new year countdown of my life. Although you know how they say that it’s not the place where you are in, but rather the people with whom you are with that counts. But however true that is, the place plays an important role as well. Frankly, the Parisian countdown of 2008 is just blah. Nondescript. Of course that’s for someone gian ben like me who would not fork out 500 euros per pax for a romantic dinner along the Seine River and a private chauffeur to drive you around in a limousine for a soirée privée around Paris. Evidently, if you are like Paris Hilton with all the money to splurge, you could go to Lido and enjoy a joyous evening with free champagne, hot sizzling Brazillian babes dancing in front of you, complete with foie gras and escargots or any of the top exclusive clubs for their private parties. Alas alas. Tong ren bu tong ming. No money = sucky new year ? Yeah, I guess that seems to be a sad fact of life.

I was looking forward to see fireworks and that explains the hike up Sacre Cœur. The ludicrous English websites REALLY need updating as Paris hasn’t had fireworks for her New Year countdown for the last few years ! It’s evil to raise people’s hopes and bulldoze them all over. There is no fireworks in Paris at all ! If you are talking about the sirens of the police, the ambulances or the fire engines to have some « light », sure you have them. Which country celebrates New Year without fireworks ?! Which one, which one eh ?

I know they hike up prices during this kind of occasion. That’s THE commercial gimmick that is set up to do us consumers in. I thought the Christmas menu was bad enough but for St Sylvestre (the 31st Dec is St Sylvestre in France), the menu is hiked up four to five folds ! « Pitié » One might say. Why couldn’t we enjoy a nice, gourmet meal for a reasonable price ? Why must we be left bleeding dry just because we would like to eat slightly better fare ? Around the Sacred Cœur area, the cheapest bowl of onion soup costs 6.50€ ! Most of the St Sylvestre menu are 150€ and above. We did find others that are cheaper but what’s the point. I would not bend my principles and play into the hands of the evil restaurateurs and commerçants ! Anyway, as Kiba says, I’m never hungry. Haha. Thus I left the poor guy famished for the most part as I marched around looking purposefully for the hot wine stands I never found.

It is written on those misleading not-updated-for-a-million-years-website, that there would be stands selling champagne and hot wine that are as cheap as water. Yeah. Like real there were. I kept my eyes peeled, zooming in on any semblance of a wine stand to no avail ! There were no wine stands at all ! Alas alas. Why do they want to cheat my feelings ? My feeling plunged as the night wore on.

Utterly disappointed with Sacre Cœur, I decided to change venue and make our way to the Champs Elysées. Kiba nudged me asking if I want some crêpes or waffles and I shook my head. Poor him ! He wanted to share them with me and yet I let him starve. I’m already blogged down by a full stomach of disappointment, how could I stomach anything else ?

On the metro on the way to Champs Elysées, there were the youngsters who were already tipsy at 9pm. Of course too much alcohol is not good. There were a few people here and there wielding their own bottles of champagne and red wine, swaying precariously with their wine glasses in hand. There was this young lad, too drunk for his own good who tried to hit on the girl standing beside me. « Here, for you !» he cooed, extending his arm reaching out to hand the rose to the girl. With a « Non, merci.» the girl rejected him curtly before turning back to her friend. Ho la ! At this point, a splash of champagne towards the girl’s front, with the rest of it dripping over her bag and shoes. The french girl yelled and stormed out of the metro soon after with the prankster giving chase. Sigh, was this for real ? People ! Give me a break.

Had to squeeze with the huge horde of people at Charles de Gaulle Etoile station and it really was a nightmare. Note to self : Never go out for countdowns EVER !
Finally made my way out onto the grand boulevard on the Champs Elysées and saw the beautiful, twinkling, bluish-white lights that were hung on the trees. It’s funny how barren trees could look beautiful like that. But was there any New Year atmosphere ? Apart from the fact that there were many, many, MANY people, the sad truth is, no. Zilch. Nada. It just feels like any typical December evenings since the lights were put up. Beautiful ? Yes. Joyous ? Atmospheric ? Not really.

My hot wine radar went into action, scanning, scanning and always scanning. I just need one glass to lift my spirits. But then, tidak ada. Zen zen nai ! Rien ! Zero. Kiba tapped the shoulder of a nearby gendarme asking if he knew there would be any hot wine or champagne stands. He gave a smirk saying he’d be very surprised indeed if there were, as alcohol was prohibited on the Champs that night. What…………. ?!

The end of the evening saw the two of us hunching, shoulders down with disappointment (mine more exactly as Kiba doesn’t drink) as we made our way home. Great. Simply great. What a great way to end 2008 eh ?

Post note : But Kiba made it alright again ! He made HOT WINE specially for me as you can see from the entry below ! My baby is the best !

Labels: new year countdown

12:37 am　うまい！Y