Photo by Florence Richburg
Parler Paris Nouvellettre®
Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Wednesday, June 9, 2010 • Paris, France
Staff member Florence Richburg came around the corner at rue de Saintonge and rue de Bretagne, like she's done a zillion times, but stopped short when she saw the new drawing. Cleverly wedged between a machine selling condoms on the wall of the pharmacy and a sign noting "zone expérimentale," she saw the humor in the juxtaposition of the drawing of the lovers embracing and the framework of the surrounding elements, including a poster for Vichy brand "Celludestock" in the pharmacy window.
How many times have I passed the same corner and never noticed it? Or was it fresh off the painter's brush? Isn't it just like us to become so accustomed to our immediate surroundings that we miss seeing the evolution of change, or even the beauty or fascination our environment provides? It's so easy to become jaded when it's all around you all the time, encouraging one to become complacent with things we should appreciate more.
Living in Los Angeles, one can easily forget that most of the rest of the world doesn't wake up every morning to sunshine and moderate temperatures. Once you move to "Gray Paree," you learn to appreciate the sun and ache for an opportunity to catch a few rays, like the terrace I worked to achieve for almost five years.
Once when walking along avenue de la Motte-Picquet at the base of the Champ de Mars and in front of the Ecole Militaire, the view of the Eiffel Tower was stunning as a tall elegant silhouette against a pink and yellow streaked sundown sky. A man walking adjacent to me never once looked up to take in the beauty of the site and it impressed me to think how jaded one can become, missing life as it passes us by. I vowed at that time never to take Paris for granted...never.
My own little "hood" (as I affectionately call Le Marais) is changing so rapidly it's tough to keep up. The "rétoucheurs" (tailors), "grossistes" (wholesalers) and "petites uzines" (little factories) have given way to designer boutiques, art galleries and chic little bistrots. I can't afford to shop in these stores, but the windows are well worth "faire du lèche-vitrine" (literally "window licking," but meaning window shopping) and there is no question that what was once a slum, later turned scruffy little neighborhood, is now one of the city's chicest and hippest spots thanks to these changes.
Have I noticed? Not always. It happened so naturally, like the lines that appear on one's face year after year getting just a little deeper. Would we notice if we don't take a serious look in the mirror? And so Paris changes in much the same way.
The City Hall has a marketing campaign titled "Paris Bouge" (Paris Moves). The city's newly renovated Web site at www.paris.fr claims it had a face lift "parce que Paris bouge" -- because the Web evolves and Paris evolves in all dimensions: socially, politically, professionally, practically, and in a myriad of ways.
The new site, in French and English(!), is a fantastic way to get to know the city...virtually. Even if you can't be here to witness the evolution as it takes place, the site will help you stay up on what's new and what's not, so there's no chance of becoming jaded or complacent with our environment.
The monthly city magazine, "à Paris" can either come to your mailbox (free) or you can view or download your own copy just by visiting www.paris.fr/portail/publications/ Do you know of an American or any other kind of city that monthly publishes a four-color magazine exclusively for its residents that promotes all the city has to offer? I don't! This isn't a "for profit" private enterprise that uses the city's name for its own editorial and ad revenue gain. This is published by and for the city with a message from the mayor, an agenda for each arrondissement and space for each political party to express their views.
The latest issue, No. 35, outlines all there is to do in the city over the summer months. The interactive online version is a click away at www.nxtbook.fr/newpress/mairie-de-paris/ Practice up on your French so you can make your plans to miss as little as possible!
Paris IS a "zone expérimentale" -- ever moving, changing, growing, maturing...and we must pay attention to the nuances of its evolution so that we never, never, never become jaded, bored or blasé. Would it be even possible?
A la prochaine...
Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
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P.S. At yesterday's "Parler Paris Après Midi," we had a host of creative and talented people from all over the globe stop in and share news of their latest projects. Be sure to read all about it and see the photos by visiting parlerparis/apresmidi.html then mark your calendar to attend the next gathering in July on the 13th (my mother's 93rd birthday!).
P.P.S. Congratulations to the Young Patrons Circle (YPC) of the American Friends of the Louvre (AFL) in New York City on the success of their Annual Spring Benefit, the “Soirée au Louvre” June 3rd, when a handsome crowd of up-and-coming New York society filled the ballroom of the fabled Payne Whitney Mansion, in raising funds for the Musée
du Louvre’s 18th-century decorative arts wing. A silent auction included a selection of painting, sculpture, and photography from KiptonART by emerging talents, such as (our own staff member) Erica Simone, Simone Lourenco, Vincent Edmond Louis, Andrew Matusik, Diane Detalle, and Serge Strosberg. For more information, visit www.aflouvre.org/
