Just tell me where the white rabbit is, okay.

.: Image from here :.

Ah Paris, the city of lurv, a city of thespians and artists, the city where I had the single most surreal experience of my life, somewhat akin to questioning whether my name had in fact changed to Alice and I had followed that darn white rabbit down a very long hole.

It was New Years Eve and a night of endless festivities had been planned. Well I use the word 'planned' rather loosely, unless purchasing a train ticket counts as planning. I met up with a fellow Australian Au Pair, Miss Sassy Britches, and we hopped on the train bound for Paris, giggling and excited as any other couple of young foreigners.

From the get go there was a certainty that this was going to be an evening unlike any other I had experienced in my rather pleasant and sheltered upbringing. Nothing gets the adrenaline flowing quite like being surrounded by a large gang of teenage boys for a forty minute train ride. Me ? I avoid confrontation like the plague, I'm a walk the other way or cross the street kind of gal. Miss Sassy Britches, she had a more forward, take the bull by the horns approach. Suffice to say that the situation soon became rather heated, but interestingly enough, not one other person on the fairly crowded train came to our assistance.

It was only on my return home that I learnt from Le Idjut that these teenage gangs were quite a large problem and no one would intervene for fear of being injured. Sure, I can appreciate that a knife wound would be a serious dampener on your planned New Years Eve activities, but sheesh, turn a blind eye and hope the two young girls can sort it out themselves, a little harsh I must say.

Anyhoo, as luck would have it we pulled into St Lazare station just as the language barrier was being broken with a colourful exchange of expletives, and we quickly scurried away and hid in the throng of passengers milling around the platforms. The heart was racing and nervous energy was coursing through me in continuous waves. Miss Sassy Britches grabbed my hand and turned to look at me with an enormous grin on her face and her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Wasn't that insane ?" she laughed "Let's get out of here, where shall we go first ?"

Good grief, clearly I was in the company of a slightly deranged thrill seeker *gulp*, and it was only late afternoon, what on earth was I in for ?

To be continued.....'cause I'm cruel.....and you may have other thing you want to get done today. Sometimes I have to be cruel to be kind.