Obamapalooza and La Nuit Americaine

In Chicago, friends and neighbors piled into Grant Park, all shouting and some sobbing, amidst a glorious skyline, listening to Barack Obama's first speech as President of the United States. In New York, friends and fellow students marched into Broadway, flags waving, partying with the citizens, policemen, and professors alike.

In Paris, both French and American piled into the Opera quarter bars and watched the election numbers light up one by one, screaming and dancing and singing until 6 AM.

It was magnificent.

6 hours behind Eastern Standard Time, the troupe and I arrived somewhere around 11:45 PM. Harry's Bar was the place to be, advertised in all journaux as the best place to watch the election. Which meant: no way in hell were we going to get in. For the first hour or two we wandered around simply looking for a place to plop down, have a few drinks, and stare at a television until the new president was announced. Meanwhile, there were people to meet. The street was packed with journalists; I was interviewed in both Russian and English. Cameras abounded, flags unfurled, faces said OBAMA! USA! There was an excitement I had never seen before. Finally after many lines, many rejections, and a steadily increasing tension (I had been unable to sleep for days), we got into a packed bar right across from Harry's.

Soon, almost everyone from Reid Hall arrived, and in what seemed to be seconds the bar was full of us. Everyone surrounding the television was American, and specifically from Reid Hall. We were taking over.

And the numbers began lighting up. We threw caution... and money... to the wind. We danced and sung, time passed almost without notice. One minute it was 2:20 AM, the next it was 3:30 and Obama had an 100-electoral vote lead. Every time the screen showed Obama winning we yelled until we could yell no more. We had shot-inspired political discussions. We took photos. We drew on each other's faces with eyeliner. (My face said: "I WANT BARACK'S BABY." Or at least that's what they tell me it said)

And then it was 4:45 AM, and the bar was closing. We piled into the streets, glued to the TV set up just inside Harry's, nowhere near sleep and our hearts pounding wildly. And then, 5:15 AM, and I see, as a flash of light: "OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT." And everyone goes wild. There was a feeling of camaraderie rarely felt before, Americans from all over the world rejoicing, gathering in Paris at the breaking of dawn, shitfaced and pumping our fists in the air. We hugged people we had never met before. I cried. We sung the Star-Spangled Banner, got everyone at Reid Hall to join in. We couldn't stop smiling.

It was 6:15 AM when I piled into bed, accidentally missing my only class of the day 3 hours later. I had never been so happy.