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I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in December of 1991, and that following February I went to stay with my friend, Marla, in Paris, who was there on a study-abroad program. I got to stay in her dorm for ten bucks a day. VERY CHEAP!!!
I was there from February 2 to the 9th. While in Paris, I celebrated my 23rd birthday (on the 8th). That day, Marla, another friend, and I went to Versaiiles for the day to see the palace. It was fantastic!!!
When we got back to the city that night we picked a club out of a tourist guide to go to. The club was called Les Bains (The Baths). The tourist guide said that it was a supermodel hangout, so we decided to try it out. We dress to the "T" and headed out.
It just happened to be one of those doorman-pick-and-choose places where if you don't look right, you DO NOT get in. We were lucky. The doormen have attitudes. They just stand there pretending not to notice you while you stand there with pleading, begging eyes [thinking], "Please let me in Mr. Jug Head!" Well, after about twenty minutes, he decided to look at our ID's (passports) and waved us in.
As we were walking in, Danny Glover and his wife walked out. Pretty cool! So we thought, "OK, this might not be so bad." The cover was twenty-eight bucks a piece. We paid and went downstairs. The place was packed. We walked around a while and met a few people. You would be amazed at all the Americans who were actually there. We then looked in this corner that looked "exclusive" and thought, "Hmmm, that looks like Naomi Campbell, and that blonde looks like Claudia Schiffer."
Well, we never really got close enough to that group to confirm, but they both came out on the dance floor with a couple of guys and were dancing no less than 4 feet from me!! Needless to say, I was secretly scrutinizing them to the hilt. They were both actually pretty plain looking, not much makeup and hair up in pony tail. I didn't speak to either of them, but now I am wishing That I'd had my picture taken with them since it was my birthday.
So that was my big night, hangin' with the beautiful people on my 23rd birthday in Paris.
———Stacy Bakri, Houston, 07-25-98