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Every fortnight we had a party in someone’s house of course, but not with the parents there. We were older youth, why should the parents stay? And this was a party with whatever we brought. Somebody brought food, somebody else brought wine. And there came our classmates, boys and girls, from school. And we danced whatever was in fashion at the time. Tango, foxtrot. All houses had a gramophone, but I don’t think we had one. But all our friends had records. I never thought of buying a gramophone.
The parties started at 5pm and ended at 8:30-9:00pm, 10pm at the latest. Afterwards, we went home. The girls stayed in the neighborhood, we didn’t escort them. Everybody lived in the neighborhood. In those times, in the Lycée, the youth was flirting, which means couples went out on their own. And the girls’ parents may not have been aware. But it was among friends, within the same society, it wasn’t among strangers. There were youngsters of families that knew one another, sometimes even relatives. And this didn’t go further than a kiss, at the most.
The parties started at 5pm and ended at 8:30-9:00pm, 10pm at the latest. Afterwards, we went home. The girls stayed in the neighborhood, we didn’t escort them. Everybody lived in the neighborhood. In those times, in the Lycée, the youth was flirting, which means couples went out on their own. And the girls’ parents may not have been aware. But it was among friends, within the same society, it wasn’t among strangers. There were youngsters of families that knew one another, sometimes even relatives. And this didn’t go further than a kiss, at the most.
Period
Interview
Nico Saltiel