Look at the sky....

In 2 weeks we are going to vote to elect - or possibly reelect - a new President of the Republic, and even though there are pretty strict rules in terms of access to the media (all candidates must have the exact same airtime for instance), there are no rules when it comes to bill posting. I don't like it too much as I think it really dirties our walls, except when it's funny or aesthetic. I thought there was both of this in this photo that I took at rue Mazarine. The man in the poster is a left candidate (his name is Jean-Luc Mélenchon) and the graffiti has probably been added afterwards (it says "look at the sky").

Posters

I took this photo last night on my way back home on the Pont Saint Germain (that links the Ile de la Cité to the left bank). I was attracted to the cool effects of the little pieces of paper on the grid - probably due to the wind. That's all!

Why do the French hate Parisians?!

It's probably like that everywhere in the world: people from the provinces don't like the people from the "big city". In France - a very centralized country - it's particularly true. Up to a point that Mariane, a French news magazine made a cover story entitled "Why do the French hate Parisians?" A survey even shows that the people from the provinces think the Parisians are less welcoming, less tolerant, less generous, less nice, more stressed, more snob... than themselves. Have a look at the results if you can read French. And go back to this post (and click on the "Watch this" link in the caption). You will understand better what people think of the Parisians !

Le Parisien

Despite a good experience that some of you may have had with Parisians, we still have the reputation of often being short, rude, self absorbed... (don't say no, you heard it too!). And this, not only among the foreigners, but also among the French from the provinces and even among Parisians themselves! Up to a point that Le Parisien, the only local paper, uses this fact it in its advertisement. The one going on at the moment (that I photographed yesterday) says something like: "Le Parisien, the only Parisian you can count on this summer!" A few years ago, they also aired several commercials illustrating in a funny way the slogan: "Le Parisien, it's better to have him as a newspaper - (than for real)!" Watch this, you'll understand...

Looking for Eric

I can't help showing you this poster for a movie that was competing at the Cannes festival and that will be in many movie theaters over France tomorrow (see trailer here). Believe it or not it's a comedy by Ken Loach - yes, a comedy! - starring, Eric a soccer fanatic postman who receives life coaching from another Eric : the famous soccer player Cantona. Even though I bear the same name, I don't think I'll go and see it as the plot sounds a little meaningless to me. FYI, here are some facts about the name Eric in France : it was the 40th most given first name in France during the XXth century and the peak was reached in 1965 (20 278 babies were named Eric that year!).

Cello or Guitar?

OK, providing the number of comments in yesterday's post, I understand you like food! But will you be as talkative in a music post? I know it's much less graphic than little chocolate pots on a tray, but I don't know why I always like these little bright posters that classical music bands stick to the walls of Paris. These two concerts have already taken place in St-Ephrem, a Church located in the 5th arrondissement. BTW, coming back to food... And before I put an official "sticker" on PDP, I can already tell you that the 2009 PDP picnic will take place on May 13!

No to Yes!

When I first saw this billboard in rue de la gaité, I was really puzzled. What company on earth would promote such a basic message... And then I found out by guessing the web address underneath the other bills, that this was to promote a movie with Jim Carrey called the Yes Man! The whole scenario is based on a simple idea: in order to spice up a little his miserable life, Jim commits himself to saying yes to just any proposal. The web site (in French) they made looks pretty cool and the scenario sounds like a good idea for a comedy, the problem is that Jim Carrey gets on my nerves! I'm afraid I'm going to have to say no to yes! Besides, I already say "yes" far too often in my life, I don't need to be encouraged LOL!

A yearly Tribute

I know that most people don't want to hear anymore about AIDS. Some even think that now that new therapies have been found, it's not worth talking about it as much. And though, on one of the billboards they installed today at the Opera on the occasion of worlds AIDS Day, I learned that still todays, every 6 seconds in the world, someone gets contaminated with the virus. In France, the most famous organization that fights AIDS is called Aides, and they are currently raising money to pursue their struggle against what will probably be remembered as the plague of the 20th century.

The aesthetics of politics...

"Capitalism allows the rich to decide for you. Act now!" is basically what this message says. You won't be surprised if I tell you I photographed this on the window of one of the local offices of the French Communist Party, which, even if it is in bad condition, is still alive (unlike the other communist parties in Europe, the French one never changed its name). I know the political message behind all this is probably the most important(!), but I was mostly attracted to the aesthetics of the scene... [Sorry for the late posting, my fault!]

12 hours for the Franco-Israeli relationships

In Paris, there are 2 main Jewish quarters: the "Pletzel", located in Le Marais and Le Faubourg-Montmartre where I took the photo of these clever posters, advertising for an upcoming event called Les 12 heures bleues (the 12 blue hours) - organized by the French Jewish Student Association. It will be the occasion to debate about the relationships between France and Israel, to listen to Israeli music, watch Israeli films... Talking about Israel, let me encourage you to visit this site and scroll down a little. I'm sure, you'll recognize the guy in the photo ;) And if you can read Hebrew, the experience will probably be even better!

Have you seen Kitty?

Well, if you have, you should report it to the Shakespeare and Company bookshop, a fantastic place that I have been willing to mention on PDP for a long time. It is located in the Latin Quarter (rue de Buci) La Bûcherie, sells English books (well books written in English!) and has an interesting history (check their website). Anyway, someone there apparently lost his/her cat and put several posters in the area. I hope Kitty will soon return to his home...