Just pretend that this is not weeks overdue. I am somewhat disappointed that I haven't gotten to experience the changeover in 'the states' since the inauguration, but on the other hand, the French perception of the inauguration and more generally the new president is interesting, to say the least. Not unlike many Obama supporters chez nous, many Parisians love Barack Obama almost blindly. Last summer, he drew a crowd of over half a million Berliners, and that was no isolated incident. Obviously, this level of enthusiasm is in large part due to the overwhelming dislike for ze late president boosh, but it is also, like Facebook and Gossip Girl, very cool to like Barack. I mean, yeah, the cult of personality is overwhelming and speaks nothing to his ideologies/policies/anything, but nonetheless, for once I actually feel like the masses might not be too far off the mark.
Shuffling back a few weeks... I figured that the most cliché, the most ridiculous place to watch the inauguration would be Harry's Bar, the legendary American bar that has seen the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Humphrey Bogart, and now, Jacob Levi. Yeah, quel cliché. I know.
I was literally the last person allowed in the bar before it was officially 'full.' Needless to say, it was filled to the brim with lush Americans vacationing in Paris. White wine and champagne everywhere. A few Parisians joined in the commotion, seemingly just to take part in the spectacle. Major news networks from France and Germany stuck their cameras in too, if only to get a recognizable backdrop for events taking place across the ocean. If you happen to watch French/German TV on a nightly basis, there is a decent chance you saw my big head of hair in a few shots. 
Sure, Harry's looks like a 20's hangout for ex-pats with Ivy League degrees and a habit for binging. It probably was. Now it's where bougie Americans watch the inauguration. But then again, that is exactly what I expected, and most Americans in Paris are bougie vacationers.
On the other hand, I admit that Obama's opening address as President of the United States was both inspiring and meaningful (eek). I hate to say things like that. But, as many of us will agree, even watching the speech was an experience not soon forgotten.
Of all the 7.50E cocktails I've had at bars around this city, my Martini at Harry's was probably the only drink I actually felt justified paying.
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