Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Thinking outside the box...


Today's theme day is "yellow". I thought of photographing a garbage can with a yellow top, where we put the paper we wish to recycle, but it was not really aesthetic. Instead I chose to show you something very French: a public mailbox. I've looked everywhere, but I have been unable to find out how many of them, there are in Paris. The only thing I can tell you is that they have not always been yellow; before 1952 they were blue (I'm sure very few French people know that!). Of course, as always, click here to view thumbnails for all participants in this theme day.

56 comments:

  1. This photo just pops out at you!! I like the use of color and how the yellow is so bright.Against the gray column it's on? It's been forever since I've made a comment here.I still do come here everday & see what photo you've posted Eric:)

    [PS.This is Cristy or 'golightly']

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  2. I actually remember seeing this in Paris.But I didn't ever really pay much attention to them or what they actually said. So how has all the PDP'ers been doing ?? Has it been a good 2009 so far for everyone??

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  3. I don't think I saw any when I was in Paris. It kind of looks like a face. The 'eyes' really stare at you. Looks like it is in good shape as well.

    (When did the time change occur?)

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  4. This is very cheerful and quaint looking, Eric, and beautifully French. Thank you for a sunny start to the day.

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  5. Wow, that sure is yellow! Look how the yellow reflects onto the column. Beautiful.

    Bonjour, Cristy!

    Is it April Fool's Day in Paris?

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  6. Such a bright yellow! Our post boxes are mostly blue, I wish we had the fun with color that Britain and France do with the post!

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  7. he he what a bright colour and a great photo Eric. Hectic life at the moment means i've totally forgotten theme day. Doh. Ours are red of course, to match the phone boxes. lol.

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  8. "before 1952 they were blue" you're right, I didn't know that! Too young, probably! I like the colour effect.

    Just for you to know, I met someone great last nite. I was at the pub, drinking a beer with my roomie and a woman asked for my name because she was sure she knew me: it was SUE!! The PDP Sue! What a nice surprise! We had a great nite drinking together with Vinny (don't know how to spell it...) and my own friends.

    I LOVE PDP for that kind of thing, it's always such a great pleasure to meet people that you didn't know "for real" before.
    I love you Eric! ;) (God, did I say it?!)

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  9. Hi Eric ... great choice, artistic, and very French ... happy theme day

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  10. That is such a strong primary colour. It wasn't until I saw this images I recalled this bright yellow post boxes. Anything French is never mundane in my eyes.

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  11. I'm always intrigued by yellow letter boxes - we follow British red here.
    Sydney Daily Photo

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  12. As Sally says, we have red mail boxes here as standard issue. And if you want it to go faster, we have yellow mail boxes for Express Post. {Yet red cars are supposed to go faster than the other colours ...}

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  13. What a wonderful jolt of color. This reminds me a little of Wall-E.
    Thanks, Eric.

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  14. hee hee Wall-E!! That looked like such a cute movie;)

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  15. And thanks for the Congrats on GF! For those how have said it :D
    It shall be yellow and very French.

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  16. "I thought of photographing a garbage can with a yellow top, where we put the paper we wish to recycle, but it was not really aesthetic. "

    Nasty Tomate Farcie was going to say something about that, but on second thoughts, er.. better wait for a brown theme day and see what happens then! ;) (Well, in all fairness, Eric, you did show us once something found on the sidewalk of Paris that wasn't very aesthetic ;)

    Love the yellow mailbox. And this is kind of an older one, too. It reminds me of what it was like when receiving mail meant waiting to hear from friends or family out of reach. We didn't phone, didn't text, didn't email; we wrote each other. Thanks for the memories!

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  17. I meant "when receiving mail meant hearing from friends or family .. " oh boy, better step away from the computer!

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  18. Good for you, Cristy!

    {You are so sweet, Guille. And if we are making true confessions, I love Wall*E. Ssshhh. No-one tell my hubby.}

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  19. Great choice for theme day, Eric. Like Tomate, also makes me think of back when, and writing home every week.
    Congrats to you, GF Cristy! Enjoy your bright yellow crown today.
    Guille -- that's such a cool thing that Sue walked into your pub and knew who you were! You, too, are becoming internationally famous.

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  20. Cute little yellow box.


    Guille this is more than a good surprise this is amazing! Did you really met by accident?

    Hi Sue hope you had a good time in Paris.
    Silly me, of course you did.

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  21. HAPPY B'DAY EIFFEL TOWER!!
    HAPPY B'DAY EIFFEL TOWER!!
    HAPPY B'DAY EIFFEL TOWER!!


    Sorry Suzy for stealing your line, it's just that I've just read it was Eiffel Tower's 120 birthday yesterday!!!


    Eric I believe this calls for yet-another-photo-of-the-tower.

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  22. Delightful and bright, and I love the peeling paint behind it. I love you, too, Eric! I'm so grateful. I love all of you, it's a delight to share this this forum with friends around the world.

    I can't wait to come strolling into your pub, Guille! I would recognize you anywhere. Guille and Sue, how wonderful!

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  23. I don"t know where I saw the picture of this particular mailbox but Wren got it right. The photo I saw made you see the 2 slots on the top as eyes, the long rectangle for a mouth, and a graffiti artist drew a big wide smile under it all! Duchamp would have been proud.

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  24. sorry, long rectangle for a nose.

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  25. who knew? I did not realize the post boxes were all yellow. great choice.

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  26. Aww... that is such a lovely bright colour.

    I guess this ensures you will never ever miss it!And it might also remind you to drop the letters.

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  27. Happy theme day:) Quelle belle photo. C'est tres attirant:)

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  28. Great choice. It is amazing how things have changed over the years. Yellow was probably easiser to spot.

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  29. And what is so good is that the post office vans echo that same yellow colour. You can't miss a mail box in France. Great choice Eric. Nice to see it in context on the base of that lovely pillar.

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  30. Thanks, Eric. Funny how things go. It seems there have been so many mailbox posts in recent days.

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  31. So the G20 happens today here in the UK. Apparently Sarkozy is wary, even though the whole meeting was his idea. He says that if he doesn't get what he wants, he will storm out of it. This, according to reports. Newsreaders say he has already said he doesn't want to be associated with ANYbody yet and his views are not the same. British reporters are saying he's throwing his toys out of his pram. Oops. The French-English rivalry is back? Oh dear. Well at least it doesn't extend to you and me Eric - we are bestest friends aren't we? :) xxxxxxxx !!

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  32. This goes very nicely with your PDP Zazzel stamp post from the other day, Eric.

    The yellow of the post boxes is very cheerful, and since Paris weather is very much like our in Seattle, they must brighten up their little corners and out of the way places in the drearier months.
    -Kim

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  33. Just remembered: we do indeed have yellow letter boxes: the Express mail ones, which often stand alongside the red ones.

    Must be the epicentre of anglo-francais rapprochement!

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  34. Interesting. Don't believe I've ever seen a yellow mailbox...that makes it easy to spot. Most of our are either black or silver.

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  35. Today I'll drop letters and photos in the mailbox for my sponsored children in Mississippi, Malawi and Sudan.Will also write a letter to my BIL in Baltimore who is recovering from surgery. Love to write letters. Love receiving them. Wish we had yellow boxes instead of boring blue.

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  36. Et pas même un petit poisson d'avril pour la route ? Ah si, les boites bleues...

    Moi j'ai mieux. Pour garder du sable entre les orteils, je t'invite à Avignon Plage.

    Cheers,

    Nathalie

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  37. It was a sort of coincidence that Guille & I met. I had asked her if she was working as I was due to be in Paris for a couple of days. She wasn't working but I went in to her bar anyway with a friend because we'd eaten at a nearby restaurant, and lo & behold! who was shaking her thang but Guille!! (I literally bumped into her). I recognized her immediately! It was amazing, and brilliant. It was so good to meet, what a wonderful thing PDP is. Cheers Eric!

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  38. Hi Monica, yes I had a wonderful time, made all the nicer for meeting dear Guille! Madame was a sweetie too lol.

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  39. Madame being Hotel Cujas Pantheon Madame, as Monica will know!

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  40. Phx: I think you saw it on PDP, the 1st of April, 2007!

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  41. Good photograph, Eric. I wouldn't have thought of a mailbox being this way - they are red pillars where I am!

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  42. We are used to red ones here so this is a revelation! Great yellow choice!

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  43. Guille Guille Guille, you may be too young to remember the blue mailboxes but are you also too young to remember that today is April fool's day???
    LOL

    (the meeting with Sue is just wonderful!)

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  44. So Nathalie...it was a JOKE?! I honestly trusted Eric. Ce qu'il dit, c'est du pain béni! LOL

    Sue, I was not shaking my thang!! I was shaking...my arms? LOL

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  45. Sue that´s so cool, bumping into Guille like that!

    About Madame, am really curious to meet her now :)

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  46. Well I for one am willing to believe Sue's description of you shaking your thang, Guille. ;)

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  47. Oh, I just read yesterday's posts: what fun that Sue met Guille.

    Shakin' her thang?
    Doin' the bump?

    "We need the funk,
    Give us the funk, oh
    We want the funk,
    Got to have the funk."

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  48. I always loved European mailboxes. This bright yellow one brings back fond childhood memories.

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  49. Guille, you were shaking your thang!! you were salsa dancing. One has to shake one's thang when salsa dancing!

    Monica, please don't be put off by Madame's dour expression, she's sweet really!

    Alexa, Petrea,Jeff & Nathalie - yes it was wonderful & great fun :)
    Lynn - it WAS her thang, she's a great little mover!

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  50. The one i've spotted (no longer functional):
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bebulaki/352108069/

    seems quite old

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  51. Perfect theme day post! And so informative. I don't think we have public mailboxes in Manila anymore. At least not in my part of it. To post a letter which already has a stamp, I still have to go to the post office.

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