PETIT PAUME

This is the “Life Guide” to Lyon.  It is a book given out for free, only a couple times a year.  The 2010 version was released mid-October and there was a whole day of celebration and entertainment that came with it.  It took place at Place Bellecour.  Even the mayor was present.  This year’s theme is Rock and Roll so they had people dressed up as Elvis and Marilyn Monroe.  They had different stands that had cotton candy and other themed activities.  There was a countdown and everything for the actual distribution of the books.  So I met up with three friends to pick up our Petit Paume and fine out what this whole day was about.  We arrived early (the give-away was schedule for 1:30).  Of course, this being France and all, they didn’t end up started the countdown until around 2pm.  We had a pretty good spot in the crowd (we were all surrounding a type of stage where volunteers were standing in front of a HUGE pile of the books.  The countdown began, we got ready, and the frenzy began!  People were reaching up, pushing, yelling, screaming, it was insanity!  Each person was allowed max 5.  I wanted to get some for my flatmates so I squeezed my way to the front after my friend had gotten their books.  I was reaching up with my fingers spread signally FIVE as I yelled out CINQ,CINQ, CINQ!!!  All of a sudden I feel a pretty hard kick.  I thought nothing of it because there were so many people but it happened TWO MORE TIMES!  I was getting abused while trying to get five of these little books.  I went to look and see who it was and there was this creepy older man who caught my gave but turned away quickly after (I’m pretty sure it was him).  So I got my five books, pushed my way out of the crowd, and met my friends on the periphery of the crowd.  My legs was covered in sand and they were all confused as to what happened.  Between my expression and my filthy leg we all started laughing.  It turns out not 20 minutes later there were a ton of books left and now crowd around them…Totally could have waited but then we wouldn’t have gotten that rush.  What a ridiculous experience.