Square Trees

Kind of amazing that the majority of the work to do this is done by hand. There is a big hedge trimmer for the sides. 

Why do I feel like this some days?

April Fools!

Ha ha. You thought I was going to post something for the entire month. Right!


Actually it was absurdly busy at work, though that isn't an excuse, just a statement of fact. El Jeffe came to visit and brought along some of his carriages so we had to spic and span the place, and turn it into a palais faux royale. To those concerned, please see below the shots from April. It is kind of insane, but kind of good that I get to bombard you with an entire month's novelty (well, at least to me) all at once.

 Spring has sprung and so have the tulips. The french are ruthless though. Once they get to that sprawled open stage, as opposed to letting them just fall, off with their heads. I guess Marie Antoinette was just a symbol of what the gardening establishment was up to. Cut off the youth before it grows ugly.

 This brilliant parking job made me just laugh. This intersection is for cars going in 2 directions. You turn to the right or if you are coming from behind the truck you turn left. Only thing concerning is that there is only about a foot between the end of the truck and the sidewalk poles.

 I think I may have posted this but I love how France is the kind of Lorax for the trees. How great.

 More spring flowers, but dark. I love it. Gothic spring.

 Mirror, mirror; how awesome is this mirror? It echoes the awning beneath it to the right. So graphic and dadaist in a way.

 This day was amazing. It got to about 85 and almost sunburn-y. Here at the canal there were ducklings everywhere and they were so so excruciatingly cute. The canal is Paris' equivalent of McCarren Park in Williamsburg, and all are equally clothed in american apparel style or drippy hipstery.

 Yeah its so spring...we just rake our petals like garbage or unwanted leaves.

 This pile probably weighs about 5 pounds. Its like seeing feathers in comparison with lead; its so voluminous and the smell is incredible, not that lead smells much, unless its molten. It tastes good...err.

 Why fix it, just prop it up? Hammer some 2x4s together and keep him standing. (wall is masculine)

 Gothic garden again, which is situated behind Notre Dame surrounding the fountain.

 I love the new bi-colored leaves. The pale side is almost silver.

 The moon, the moon, the pascal moon. Easter is the next Sunday. This one happened on Good Friday.; which is kind of nice when it works out that way. 

 Did I mention its enormity?

 Yes huge. For those of you have ever tried to take a picture of the moon you realize this is huge for it to show up this size, plus it wasn't even the once in every 19 years super moon.

 C'est pas du bois, c'est faux bois.

 What a pastoral sunset looking from the pont du Carrousel. That's Musee d'Orsay to the left.

 These colorful demons were at the flower market. I didn't know they had birds too. Its too bad the colors are so washed out, but these birds were so brilliant, I almost would like one....

...stuffed.

One year and a day…

Please, no applause, its been a feat, but not that difficult of one. Here are some photos from the past year that haven't been posted, mostly because I started this little archive of time here after I had already been here for three months.

Its a strange place this Paris land. There are seemingly odd customs even though they we are all of the "western culture" Nothing happens here without a Bonjour, bonsoir, monsieur, madam, or a bow/nod of the head. It is quite old school in its manners.

Architecture is amazing, everything is cared for seemingly and restored with tremendous care, but it could also be because there isn't a real motivation to finish quickly either. Oh and there is also the art, which easily is fantastic! Lots of it, everywhere, of all levels, and the galleries, be they small or large, seem to be undying, plentiful, and full of daring do.

The l o n g e s t dinner in the world.

Last night I had planned to meet up with Bri and Aud for dinner after they had finished in their yoga class in nearby Beijing (they told me to take the metro to a place that I had never been before) which turned out to be the cute part just on the hill below the Sacre Cour. All places here sound like they could be near Beijing as I know where that is better so everywhere feels farther away than it really is. When getting off at this stop there was a charming sign that warned, you can take the stairs but be careful, there are a lot of them.

I climbed them and I ascended again all the way up the hill to meet with them I received a call telling me that I was completely in the wrong place, which to me was kind of funny. I had to just turned around and walked down the hill, stairs and road.

They were there at the bottom with Fad and Mo and then to dinner we went, trying a cute place just around the corner but after deciding they didn't want to eat pasta because it would ruin the two hours of ab work they had done at yoga (Mo is the prof.) Vietnamese was decided.  Mo knows a great place called “fall fall” (the translation into English) which upon arrival we had to wait 15 minutes to sit. It is a tiny yellow hole in the wall kind of place which was decorated with the kind of Vietnamese trinks you'd find at a tourists' garage tag sales. The waitress a nice Vietnamese lady who had about 20 tables to serve clean and sit herself, with folks constantly coming in. Seeing this made me think that it had to be a great place, and the food would be mind blowing…which I now think was a guise. We waited 10 minutes to get our menus, another ten to place our order, 5 minutes for our drinks (non alcoholic or mixing needing) which included a bottle of Sanpelligrino, Coke Light, 2 green teas and a carafe of water. Then the wait began. 45 minutes until our appetizers and an hour till our main course. Our dishes were great, really delicious, but this perception I think was partially aided by our near starvation. We sat at 9:15 and left at midnight. It was amazing to see how the place ran. Apparently it is owned by an 80 year old Vietnamese lady (who is the chef) and speaks a little french, her assistant who is Korean and doesn't speak Vietnamese or French and  waited by this other Vietnamese woman. Together they are the dream team because they run this restaurant, and not into the ground. People are waiting outside the entire time.

I sadly have to say I didn't even describe the half of it. I didn't tell you about the french revolutionary, Fads outburst and Mo's working experience. Oh, yeah, and we all had noodles; so much for no pasta and I got home at 1:30.

Dot those lines

 This afternoon I was on the way to pick up a TV and phone for my apartment and I don't know what created this curious dot pattern but it stopped at the corner of my block. I am in love with it. Is is primitive as well as completely serendipitous. I have to think there was two things dripping and one running, but they came out create even if only by chance.

Incredible right? Maybe I am over reacting, but it is so fun.