Slap Happy Hour

Hey Again!

I hope everyone’s weekend is going well so far! I guess I can start off where I left off – last night. Last night was decent, we waited a while to go out and it was probably 11:30 by the time we actually left FIAP. We went to the Bastille area, which seems to be where a lot of good bars and night life is (on the weekends anyways). I think the bar we went to was called l’in Fini (im not sure though – it wasn’t bad, I think we’ll go back sometime). Thinking of going back I just want to mention how fast this wintersession is going by; just yesterday in crit we were talking about how we only have 2 more weeks of class! Its really been going quickly! Anyway, the real highlight of the night wasn’t the bar (oh let me mention before I get to the metro ride home, the food!) So before we got to the bar we stopped into a little pizza and burger joint next to the bastille. OK so maybe were just not finding the right places but so far our experience has been that the idea of “fast food” never properly translated into French culture! In America, fast food is an easy substitute for real food, its fast, full of MSG and pretty good for the most part – especially when your under the influence. In France, the only thing fast food is, is fast. And even that is debatable. It took sometime for them to get 2 slices of pizza (for bret) and a cheese burger (for myself). And neither of us could finish them! The pizza in France is actually just awful! The pizza idea never translated also. But the burger, was just awful! But anyways we know now…

Now to the real drama of the evening: A Friday night at the Bastille, there is bound to be some violence and police and whatnot. We were standing on the platform waiting for our metro (it was pretty crowded on our side, not so much on the other) and suddenly we see 4 or 5 cops running in a line on the other side all the way down the platform toward what wasn’t really visable but looked like a brawl. And without even breaking anything up the cops joined right in and started to break the people arepart and beat up on the others. We wernt very sure who was good or who was bad or what was happening because just as the cops started in our train pulled up and blocked the view ☹. But then just as we got onto our train car on one end (we were in the middle) were these 3 or 4 guys all playing kinda rough and then 2 of them started to really kick the shit out of eachother – right as the doors were closing!! The one getting off was caught in the doors and kept slapping the others head and they were shouting in french and the one not caught was making fun of the other or something. He finally got out of the door but then they were fighting through the windows smashing there bottles on the train and whatnot!! It was pretty crazy and it was clear that they were drunk. So all this happens and were just like W O W. Then the guy in the train (who looks like he wants to be irish, but still clearly French) starts just drunkingly rambling on and making a scene in the car. Finally he starts talking to a random man standing near us and they seem to think alike and embrace. A couple minutes later the drunk is still babbling and we think that he said something racist or offensive (the non drunk random man was black) and the other guy just walks over and starts to slap and pucnh and yell at the drunk! Like even more than the other guy! And then they really go at it and other people get invoilved and restrain them, fyi this is all happening like 2 feet from me. Im like somewhere between excited and afraid of what might ensue! So after several minutes of this the train comes into the next stop (Place D’Italie) I think and the black man gets off and is still antagonizing the drunk to come fight him. The doors close and the drunk stays on the train. So Im sure that is sufficiently confusing for everyone but we had a lot of fun watching it and it was defiantly the most interesting part of our night!

So then We just came home and went to bed around 2 I think. TODAY! Bleh! Today was fine, but kinda rainy and cold. I really wanted to make some work so I sent out – just with the digital, I hate using the 4x5 in the rain and cold. Its suppose to get better tomorrow so I’ll shoot film tomorrow I hope! Anyways went out today with the plan of going back to the place behind FIAP. Or atleast just in that direction. I walked a found HUGE park and wandered around there for a while, which was really peaceful. Passed by some local college student smoking buds – it was so obvious, made me smile ☺. To be honest I cant really remember what I thought about in the park. Hmmmmm. Well It was wet out, but not too rainy – and I love shooting in that kind of weather because the light just works beautifully in the wet streets. And other than that not too much happened today. I really enjoy the way Ive been working – with no goal in mind and not really trying to take it seriously but really trying to have fun. And honestly Im having the most fun when Im by myself and just wandering around. And I guess I work that way anyways but at RISD theres so much more pressure to be producing new and good work all the time that Im enjoying the break. And because I don’t have that pressure to make work Im actually producing more work than I do under that pressure. But I will be ready for second semester. As nice as this all is I cant wait to get back into the swing of things at RISD. And Springtime, Its gotten to that point in the winter that I hate the weather unless its sunny. I didn’t get to do any winter things this year which sucked but now Im over it and just want spring and second semester.

Hmmmm well I bettr go figure out dinner and stuff. We might be going to this club tonight or not, Im not sure yet and Im going to try and rest before anything happens anyways.

See you all soon!!