Paris, etc, part 7
It’s been quite a few days since I wrote in here. Things have just been too busy. We had the show opening at the gallery, which was a big success; wall-to-wall people. I met a lot of people I’ve known online for years in person for the first time. Hanging out with the other Burn My Eye members and just chatting has been a blast.
Paris is…well, it’s Paris. Either everyone has the same style beard or a man who can change his height and age but not his beard style is following me everywhere. We climbed to the top of Notre Dam just as the weather cleared in a rare moment of sunlight. French people really do carry loaves of bread around with them. Wifi is not as hard to find as it is in Japan.
It’s been raining a lot of the time. We went to a dessert place that sports 300 years of history, and there I had real creme brule for the first time. Well, I didn’t have it there; there were no seats, so we snuck our snacks into a nearby Starbucks where the bathroom required a code.
I joined Fred, Jack and Justin for a workshop on Sunday. It rained all day. We got soaked, but it was fun to watch the others shoot and give advice to students. Justin got bar mitzvahed on the street, and mixed it up with a stylish gentleman before we headed back to review the shots.
The collective show and videos were last night, and I talked with Richard Bram a bit. I’ve been getting some good advice from a lot of people on various projects. I missed Paris Photo because I’d thought it would last for more than a few days. Oh, well. I also missed meeting quite a few people I’d hoped to meet. Again: Oh, well. The price of travelling with a group, as always.
Today we went to the Louvre. It was brilliant, of course. I found some paintings I’ve always loved, and it was nice to be able to examine them up close. Chenbl and Carlos got lost, of course, but we eventually found each other again. Afterwards, outside, I looked back as we walked up the street by the park to see Chenbl and Carlos in conversation with a stranger who was apparently asking directions. I was on my way over to tell them to cut it out when two “policemen” appeared flashing badges. They wanted to see passports, and Chenbl handed them over before I could say anything. Then they wanted wallets. “Don’t give them anything,” I said in Chinese.
“Hey!” shouted one of them supposed cops. “Speak English!”
“You want English?” I said. “How’s this? I’ll speak whatever damn language I want with them. How’s that?”
The “cops” got friendly and sent us on our way  after that. But I was in a bad mood the whole night as a result. Tomorrow we’re going to Versailles, I guess.
Dystopian city from the sound of it.
Comment by Aaron A. — December 2, 2014 @ 10:38 am