amusement park kinda tired

I am about to shower, nap, and then board a train to take a plane and I am so exhausted. Good thing failure is not an option.

Saw the ballet this evening and it was amazing. In other news, I drank too much wine with dinner. Will report back when I am safely at destination. And tell you all about that time that Kieth and I drank 40s at 8am and talked about Pearl Harbor.

Let Me Tell You a Bedtime Story

So, last night a couple of my new found friends and I headed out on the town with the specific intention of not returning to the same pub I had been to the past evenings. The events that followed were something quite amazing.

We picked up a 5th of bourbon each from the tabac on the corner of the metro at Monamarte and walked up two flights of stairs towards Sacre Cour. It was already almost 2 and I was almost positive the bar I had in mind would be closed. We bought an overpriced cocktail at a place we ascertained would be open for at least another hour. The residue of the pride parade that had taken place in the streets earlier had left the dance floor stuck in 1972 and full of gay men, so we decided to keep hoofing it. We briefly entertained two dude while trying to find out where the after hours bar would be in the area when we heard very loud american music coming from down the road. We followed the sound. There was what appeared to be a full on rager taking place in an apartment on the second floor of a building in front of us. Took a swig of my bourbon and marched over to the gate of the building. After a few minutes someone left and we walked through the open door. Veronica knocked hard on the door and a guy answered. In broken French I told him that we liked to dance and raised a eyebrow. He waved us in. We made ourselves a drink in their kitchen and I put Kayne on the stereo. Made friends with a man from Berlin and somehow we killed three hours until the trains started running again. Ronnie and I ate a quiche from the open boulongerie while we waited for the RER B. We sat next to a gay dancer from Iowa. He told us he missed Americans. The sun was up. The man from Berlin had my number. I crashed at the dorms at Cite and woke up around 3pm.

life is juicy?

I picked up a copy of Topic of Cancer at the Shakepeare & Company Bookstore when I was in Paris. I had read it prior, but now I am eating it up like a kid in a candy store. Other than that, all is still well. Dehydrated, tired and in need of a massage. But otherwise very well.

These days I am feeling hyperaware of the fact that there is no one to whom I can communicate even a fraction of my feelings. I went out the other night, got my hair all done. Every drink was bought for me. I told all my best stories and everyone loved me. I haven't ever felt so lonely. It was this little Irish pub in Saint Michael. And when I asked the man keeping me company and refilling my Jack Daniels if that was a wedding band on his finger, he shrugged and replied that it was different in France. I laughed before walking away and said, "No- no it's quite the same."

Everything is so damned lost in translation.

The Irish Are Not Like Us

Bought a ticket to Dublin.

So, I had this crazy dream.

It was one of those super realistic ones.And it was the future. I was at dinner with some people and someone asked me what I did for a living. I told them that I had worked in art administration, and at this museum and that museum but that about five years prior I had written my co-memoirs with my best friend; mostly to get her motivated because she was such an amazing writer and we had so many amazing stories to tell. Well, the book was wildly successful and so I was given a deal to write several other novels, so I did. And I loved it. In this dream, apparently. Because I was using my all gushing and passionate, breathy voice.

Then, today I was speaking to one of my art history professors about my thoughts on Andy Warhol. I saw his exhibition at the Grand Palais (which I loved and will write more on later). Then we got to talking about the Robert Barry exhibition at Yvon Lamert here in Paris; and the long and short of it is that she thinks I need to be writing- that I have a future as a critic.

How about that? An art critic. I hadn't thought of that before. But, I kind of like the ring of it. So, I am going to start working on a writing a book with Corinne. That has been in the making since we were 17, and it's time. But, also, I am going to start thinking seriously about publishing art theory, too. What the hell, right?

Why Stop Now?

Now We're Cooking...

I treated myself to a day completely alone. And man, it was nice. I went to the Centre Pompidou and, well, it was amazing. I haven't enjoyed myself that much at a museum since the Hirshhorn last May. There was an incredible exhibition on Feminist works from the 60's until now and that took me almost 3 hours to get through. I was on my last wind when I wandered upstairs to their permanent modern wings only to be blown away. So that is where all this stuff is! I didn't feel like paying too much money o a cafe, and because I knew i'd have to come back regardless, I look my leave after nearly peeing my pants from seeing a wing of Duchamp. Only when I got outside and sat in the sun (which is finally come back!), staring at the building and listening to these immigrants lead the crowds in a rowdy rendition of Hotel California did I realize I had skipped out on at least another three floors of that place.

So, I love something other than the wine here. The architecture of it was a bit silly, despite what ever the progressives said.

HA.

Last Night

I met Parisan volley ball players who were 7 feet tall and danced with a guy from Brooklyn for two songs before we realized that we were both Amercian.

Best night so far.

Berlin Wall

P1070907, originally uploaded by pam_jean.

Hey Ya'll. Did you know it's been 20 years since that shit came down? I saw this awesome exhibit of work done from pieces of the wall in a park area near the Louve. So far, it was the best thing I'd seen art related in Paris.

PROOF

P1070878, originally uploaded by pam_jean.

I am here.

I slept in today. I think all this moving about has me requiring a level of hydration that I'm not quite use to and that combined with all the wine; the exhaustion in general is having an affect on my engery and overall health.

This is so different than traveling with my friends, a la- bar and bathroom tours and sightseeing secondary to fun. Not complaining, I just don't have an overwhelming interest in most of the sights that everyone else is into. That came out wrong. I am so interested in all of this, I just can't shake my attraction to the 20th Century; cubism, dada, the surreal- the political atmosphere surrounding this city prior to the Spanish Civil War, WW II- Paris in the 60s...

I guess what I'm getting at is I don't want to look at another cathedral or monument. At least not today. So, my plan is then to just hope on a metro and see what happens. This time alone and with abosultely no plan.

Also, my address for the next month is:

Foyer Tolbiac
Room 425
234, rue de Tolbiac
75013 Paris

So, write me here. I'm dropping some letters and postcards in the mail today.

Vaux le Vicomte

Today I took a bus out to Vaux Le Vicomte. The long and short of it is that this is a chateau of this rich dude who really got Louis the XIV's panties in a twist and so after a while of him all trying to deal with his penis envy issues and what not, he had him (Nicolas Fouquet) imprisoned for life. A lot of people believe him to be The Man in the Iron Mask, which is a legend in addition to being that movie with Leonardo DiCaprio where he had unattractively long hair. The chateau is considered to be a model for Versaille and is really, really big. The gardens are amazing and so perfect and they light up the place by candles in the evening. It was a full moon and I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is. There was a little cafe on the grounds and so I ordered a cup of coffee and a small bottle of J&B and made an Irish coffee to keep me warm on this brisk evening.

Now I am back and my room and more than exhausted after my long day considering the evening I had prior, exploring the Parisian night life- which, incidentally, is more hoping than even New York City. I am bellying up to my desk to write a few letters before retiring for the evening.

For those of you who don't know, check out my pictures as they are uploaded by clicking the les fotos link to the right. I will try and keep them as current as possible.


<3<3<3

June 4th...

Last night i explored Montmare (Martyr's Mound), which used to be a Roman temple that was dedicated to Mercury and Mars. In 8C, Saint Denis, preist Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius were tourtured there. The were brought to the top on the mount to be decapitated. Local legend claims that Saint Denis picked up his gory head and marched on to the area that is now named after him, ST-Denis. There is a statue there of a dude missing a head.

The area is full of tourists during the day. I know this because I can spot my own kind. There are lots of little cafes and what not; stores selling bags that are all covered in Eiffel Towers and other such propaganda. At night though, certain places around the area are very bohemian and full of young parisans. I plan on heading back that way when I feel like going out at night. I really wish I spoke French but I've decided to learn and so in the future, I would really like to come back to study the language.

At the top of Montmartre, there is the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur, which was built after the Franco-Prussian war in 1870ish. It's big and it's white and it has an amazing view of the city. I drank in the veiw and a couple beers on the steps. You can drink outside here. It's pretty great.

Today I took the metro to Place de la Concorde. The Obelisk is right there as you come out of the metro, like a huge fallic symbol to the gods. The Obelisk came from the ruins of the temple at Luxor. It was 'given' to France in 1831 by Mohammed Ali. I honestly don't really know what the policitcal situation is/was with France and Egypt; it was never the focus of any of my academic research, but I raise an eyebrow at any thing that European countries had a hand in in the past 500 years. Especially involving Africa.

Regardless, it was 'erected' (lol) in the centre in 1836. The thing is tall, and covered in hieroglphics. Aparently the roseta stone had already been discovered at this time and the French incoporated the inscriptions into the location of the city, meaning the wording specific to the significance of art faces the Louve, politics faces their parliament building, etc. From this magnificent cross roads, you can see the Arc de Triomphe and straight down Champs-Elysees. I wandered from here down to the Louve. I didn't go in, but looked around the outisde. It's really overwhelming.

I kept going and came across this huge old cathedral, which had these super tall ceilings. I couldn't read most of the infromation on it, since I don't speak French. It was definatly gothic type architechture.

I found a Metro and took the 7 all the wall to Tolbiac and walked the 15 minutes to my dorm. I picked up a basket of cherries from a market and a tomato. Apparently you are supposed to get a little sticker for your produce if it isn't packaged, which I didn't know but the lady at the counter showed me and so I will remember next time. Back at my room, I made a cheese and tomato sandwich from the leftover baggette and hunk of swiss I had. Then I took my sandwhich, cherries and books and headed to the park close to Cite University, where I am now. I've been napping and eating and soaking in the sun, which is gentler than Florida, for hours. There is a nice breeze and I've already forgotten what day it is.

I had no idea how dead inside I had become, or how alive I could feel until today.

Today I Got Lost in Paris

I've met this girl, Rachel. And she's pretty awesome so today we decided to get lost on the metro. We ended up in the 18th Arrondissement and discovered gardens that were built on top of the old aqurifer. I have never seen roses so big! And the honey suckle smelled so sweet. It was amazing. I am really feeling at home here. Comfortable, even.

I have a new plan. I am going to live a new place every year. I figure I probably have at least 30 years, so that's thirty places. I either need to be able to work completely remotely. Or else, I need to be able to have a career that is useful to many countries...however, whatever, I'll make it work. Cause I am having SO MUCH FUN. It's only been 3 days and I already don't want to leave.

<3<3<3

ps- Comment with your address and I'll send you a postcard.

New Digs!

Here I am at my dorm and I'm getting all settled in. I love it. A room of my own!The only frustration being that the wifi is a bit shotty, but oh well. I just returned from a trip to the local market where I purchased un baggette, some water, an apple, a hunk of cheese and a very cheap bottle of white wine. Now that I'm all unpacked, I plan on making myself a little sandwich and reading a bit before a group of us from the program all go out to eat at a local pizzaria. There are six others from the class staying in my building and that all seem sweet, but young. Pretty much as I expected, but- well, they are young.

Paris is so much more beautiful than I remembered. And the men are much cuter, too. Not to mention fufilling all appropriate stereotypes but no complaints here. I spent last night wandering around with a guy who spoke even less english than I do, and we would just point to things and say them in our respective languages. I'm beginning to think that being in the country, really is the best way to learn. I feel like a little sponge, soaking everything up so thirstyly.

I am so unbelievably happy.

<3

au revoir!