Sunday, February 04, 2007

Honey I shrunk the cars!


I could not resist taking a photo when I saw the effect of the cars reflexion on this big glass partition in the middle of the Porte de Versailles (15th arrondissement). If you pay attention, you'll see that the car on the left hand side is a Smart car, which is already half the size of a normal vehicule!
PS: Festival de Romans, the epilogue: I ended up with the second prize. I will tell you more tomorrow but right now I have a very limited access to the Internet so it's not really convenient.

38 comments:

  1. i think everyone would agree that you won first prize here.

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  2. johnny parsons if u read this, are you going to watch the superbowl? if so what team are u rooting for?

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  3. Great image, love the use of the glass.

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  4. Eric

    You are first place in my book! Congratulations! If you really want to be first, we do have people here in Chicago who can take care of that for you....;)

    I LOVE the Smart Car. I want one!

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  5. I'm from Providence, Vicky - we can help :)

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  6. They're going to introduce the Smart car here next year. I doubt Americans will like it, but if gas prices stay high, it should be a winner.

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  7. Such clarity. What an amazing photo.

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  8. I've seen the smart cars here in San Francisco. Nice pic.

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  9. This photo is a super winner. I have seen two Smarts in this area. I wish someone would give me one as a gift. I must train myself to avoid the ads and other junk put on here anonymously. There is a wild party going on upstairs and it is two thirty in the morning so I can't sleep. Why they rented to college kids is beyond me. This complex is supposed to be for adults.

    Eric,
    The judges made a huge error. You are number one to all your many fans. Second place is terrific anyway.

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  10. I can't imagine that there was any chauvenism here, and that you got marked down (or, the other up) because you write in English. Come on, the French wouldn't do things like that ....

    Take heart - your fame and appreciation is international.

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  11. Félicitations pour ton parcours. As-tu le droit de te représenter l'année prochaine pour monter une marche de plus ?

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  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  13. haxo, yes I was aware - wasn't it in the early nineties? There had been a wave of anglicisation creeping into french like "Walkman" so the acadamie decided that "balladeur" should be used.

    And do you know what? I applaud and admire that. I'm possibly unusual for a brit, in that I speak a few european languages, but I would hate for English to become universally spoken, you would loose nuances that almost define a nation. Can you imagine a world without the next Piaf?, Erlkonig in a Disney-Stylee?

    No, give me unpasturised cheese every time.

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  14. Congratulations Eric on your win at the Festival de Romans! Silver is beautiful and next year it will almost certainly be gold. Well deserved, well done.
    I like your photo today and I admire the concept of the smart car although I don't think I have actually seen one yet. The Toyota Pririus ?? is popular here as a hybrid - uses both electricity and petrol/gas/l'essence.
    However, I confess to driving a Volvo GLE 850 which is a little heavy on fuel but very comfortable. I don't drive that far though, unlike M.Benaut who is often in 16 places at the same time!!

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  15. PS for Hamilton: Not even the Academie Francaise has been able to prevent 'le weekend'; 'le shopping' or the use of a particular, nasty expletive, from creeping into the language. However, I agree with you about losing nuance and, appreciating diversity, the sheer abhorrence of a universal language, even though it is very convenient being understood wherever one travels, to a greater or lesser degree and no doubt it comes in useful at the UN. What languages do you speak Ham besides (obviously) French and English?

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  16. I am glad that France insists on French. Even though some of the modern words could be in English but pronounced French style. Wasn't it Victor Hugo who said that English is French poorly spoken? Quebec seems to guard the French Language even more than France, or, so I've observed by traveling to both places.

    We are off to Louisville to see a performance of Bizet's Pearl Fisherman. I've never seen this opera before.

    I love PdP and its great tribe of followers. Viva PdP.

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  17. Congratulations Eric! Second prize is fantastic. We would all say that you're worth a first, but be very proud of a second.

    Great photo - an example of your excellent eye for a shot which has earned you that second.

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  18. Felicitations! So happy you won second....but you're definitely first in my book.
    Unique photo, Eric. Very unusual. I just love it.

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  19. johnny parsons if u read this, are you going to watch the superbowl? if so what team are u rooting for?

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  20. Hallo! ;)
    oh... what sick news!
    what do U suppose about it?

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  21. Well Eric...PDP is number ONE in my book!! For the record, this is another fantastic photo, love the illusions created by the reflexion in the glass! My favorite "Smart Car" in Paris was all Pink with fish fins!! It was advertising a Sushi Restaurant, and my young nephews loved it!!!

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  22. mme benaut - with some degree of spoken fluency: French, German, Spanish, Hebrew. Poor: Italian. Rusty phrase book stuff (ie, I've forgotten): czech, polish, dutch, portugese

    I don't visit a country without learning at least some of the language (Please, thankyou, numbers, beer)

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  23. Congratulations Eric for your prize!

    That's a cool shot!

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  24. Congratulations, Eric. Second prize is great, but you are Number One in my book.

    Oh, and yesterday, my French niece and her husband had a baby boy whom they named... Eric! I had given my full seal of approval on that name!

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  25. I'm impressed, Ham. I'm french, spanish, and a tiny spattering of japanese, german, arabic. Who said the English are lazy language speakers?

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  26. elisabeth....As a transplanted New Englander[Boston to San Francisco]I must say that the photo of the icicles on your blog brought back many memories!! Merci!!
    Coming from a French family[father]I have a nephew Eric also!! Congratulations!!! Great name....Ehhhh Eric?!! ;-)

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  27. I blame my dutch ancenstry. I'm jealous of your japanese. I used to do a bit of arabic, but so long ago I can't even claim rough phrase book. I was going to learn mandarin this year, but life got in the way.

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  28. Congratulations Eric, although we all wish you had the first prize! By the way, great photo, you're so creative! And I soooooo wanted a SmartCar!!!!! I'm in love with those! And also with mini coopers, I love mini coopers. They're so charming!

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  29. Interesting movement in that window! Good shot! (the SMART is definitely a very small car! Wish people inthe States would give up the SUV's, at least in urban areas!)

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  30. Wow Ham and Lynn - sie sind wunderbar! Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch - ich habe fur vier jahre zur schule gelernt! Io parlo uno porco l'italiano. Et aussi, je parle et comprends un peu Francais. My Danish is limited to thanks for the meal and salt and pepper! BUT I know how to say (excuse spelling) Kahle Nichte, s'agapore and effaresto in Greek (good evening, I love you and thank you). Have no idea why I remembered those words in particular! Ham, with your languages, you should be in the foreign service.!
    Sorry Eric for rambling on, on your blog.

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  31. I wouldn't be jealous, Ham. After three minutes' conversation i dry up and resort to thin lips pressed together, wide eyes, arched eyebrows, a shrug and a long silence.

    Ham is celebrated at my Things UK blog today if people would like to see.

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  32. AWESOME ERIC!!! Sorry for the caps there, but I'm super excited for you. 2nd is great. 1st would have been better, and you certainly deserve it, but I'm sure the winner deserved it too. Any which way, you did great, you're wonderful, we all love this blog, and PDP sparked a blogging sensation that isn't going away anytime soon, so you've got a ton to be proud of!

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  33. Hi all! I'm from London but am living in Berlin at the moment.
    Gotta love this place!


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