|
Bowling Green High School
|
|||||
|
||||||
The New Year's Eve Party
Sunday, December 31 @ 10:00 pm - from Peg McClanahan Most of the kids became exhausted once again today, but that hasn't prevented their plans for an enjoyable New Year's Eve. They seem eager to celebrate. The day started early with breakfast and the distribution of uniforms and instruments. They dressed in their uniforms and headed off to the quaint village of Chantilly (pronounced Shon-tee). It was quite cold and most of them were happy to have their raincoats even though it was sunny and a beautiful day for a parade. The travelers spent the morning hours wandering the main street of Chantilly, looking in lace, porcelain, and perfume shops. However, the most frequented stores were the bakeries that sold French pastries. The shops are small and due to the fact that it's a smaller town, many of the residents didn't speak English. This gave the students a more realistic view of communicating with others who don't speak their language. The students ate lunch at a local school that had a huge cafeteria and could surprisingly handle feeding not only our band, but all of the others which were in the parade. Lunch consisted of chicken and noodles, clementines, yogurt, and bread. After lunch, the students assembled in their band formation and prepared to start the approximately 2 1/2 mile parade route. While the marchers were not able to witness it because of their position at the end of the parade, the Grande Parade de Chantilly is an amazing event. The main street of the village was literally lined with people all the way. The employees in the shops all stood at their open doors so they could watch since no one was entering the stores. The mood was festive and it would be hard to find a happier people than those watching the parade. In talking with one spectator, I found that people come long distances to attend this parade and that they love the marching bands with their music and bright colors. In addition, the streets are littered with confetti. The spectators come prepared with large bags to throw at the parade participants and vice versa. It's an amazing and beautiful sight to behold. As the parade ended in town, those watching followed along the street and up the hill until bands and spectators alike ended at the beautiful huge castle where a concert was held, with each band performing one number for the assembled crowd. The Bobcat Band was by far the largest and as they marched along the "track" to approach the arena area, they were an impressive sight as they stretched on and on. By the time they got back on the busses, the students were cold and tired, as they hadn't worn their raincoats while marching. It was a beautiful day for a parade though, with clear sunny skies. Although the weather forecast before we left the United States predicted rain every day we'd be here, it has only rained once while they've been in Paris, and that was just a light sprinkle one evening. When they returned to the hotel, most students showered to warm up, had some snacks and prepared for the New Year's Eve party that started at 8:00. Each student was given a small pizza (chicken again!) and pop for dinner, but once again many of the students weren't fond of the French food. The party will continue until the New Year and then students must be in their rooms by 12:30 am. Many of the students are planning to watch the fireworks and lighting of the Eiffel Tower from some of the 16th floor rooms as they welcome the year 2001. Bonne Annee!
Band Booster Executive Board members
|
