Prawns...Lebanese...Basquiat Part 1...the Versailles Countryside...

Mercredi...(Wednesday)...20-10-2010

On my way home from the bibliotheque

I woke up and spent most of the entire day in the neighborhood in Versailles.  I decided to once again go to the bibliotheque to write.   I was finally seeing the light of day with my screenplay.  I was about 80 pages into my script.  The goal is to write about 10 pages a day from this point forward.  The bibliotheque where  I write in Versailles is perfect.  It has four levels, a large study room and a beautiful view of the forest.

It's only a four block walk from my place in Versailles to the bibliotheque.  I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon a group of school children dancing to African-French music doing...wait for it...the Cha Cha Slide!   It just goes to show that music and dance are truly universal. 

After I left the bibliotheque, AD met me and we went to the market to figure out what we would have for dinner.  We decided on a simple Bretagne, France meal.  We had prawns with rock salt, butter and nutbread, galette de sarrazin, grapes and spiced cider.

I decided in France that every meal I eat from this point forward has to be gourmet.  Even if I'm only eating a sandwich.  It needs to have the freshest bread, the best sauces, and the most wholesome and natural ingredients.

Woody Allen's film Vous Allez Rencontrer Un Bel Et Sombre Inconnu was playing in the theatre down the street in Versailles.  Ad and I decided to check it out.  It was okay, but definitely not one of Woody's best.

Jeudi...

I spent most of the day writing in the apartment.  After a long day of working out the logistics for a particularly difficult scene, I was looking forward to heading into Paris later that evening.

 We had planned to go to the Musee d'art Moderne De La Ville De Paris to see the Basquiat exhibit.  On Thursdays...the museum is open until 10pm.  We got there at 8:30PM and were at the front of the line by 9PM.  Good deal right?  Wrong.  Admittance to the exhibit stops at 9PM EXACTLY.  We were disappointed, but decided to make the most of it.  No worries...I'd see Basquiat another day.

Who's up for Lebanese?

We were hungry...per usual we always seemed to eat at the African Hour (i.e. late) in Paris.  One of the BEST Labanese restaurants in Paris is call Feyrouz.  Of course I ended up taking pics with the guy behind the counter and directing the action even when in front of the camera.

We decided to take our food to Pont Neuf and enjoy it from the center of Paris.  They also have a beautiful park.  We ended up sitting on a tiny island in the middle of the Seine River.  We ate under a giant weeping willow tree on a crisp night and watching the stars.  It was beautiful. 

The Park at Pont Neuf

 

I was FORTUNATE that I didn't realize that the tiny island on Pont Neuf is over run with RATS at night.  I'm sure they were only an arms throw away as I sat with my legs dangling over the side of the tiny island looking out over the Siene.  Had I seen a rat on that night...I think I would have accidentally killed myself my jumping into the FREEZING river.  Ahh...ignorance is bliss...on occasion.

Vendredi...

I wrote for 18 hours straight!  I finished the 1st DRAFT of my script!  I was so excited, and so thankful.  I had achieved my primary goal while in Paris.

Samedi...

In Versailles, I lived behind a beautiful park.  On most days I walked past it quickly on my way to the bibliotheque, the market, the train station, or to the car.  Today I decided to just relax...and spend a little time in the countryside of Versailles...which happened to be right outside my door.

Paris...Petro...Protest!

Ma vie est une telle bénédiction ... Je tiens à remercier Dieu (God) pour tout cela! Paris n'était que le début. L'ouverture de mon esprit ... la révélation de mon âme! - Tonya Michelle

It's been a while since I updated the blog...but I've been in the midst of LIVING my life to the fullest, which definitely presents it's own challenges along the way...




This is just another wonderful meal that I had in Versailles.  I even started having a sip (or two) of wine with dinner.  When in France...




Let me recount my travels...

On 19-10-2010 a Mardi (Tuesday)...

The French people took a stand against the government's decision to raise the age of retirement from age 60 to 62 with a country wide protest.  The President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy is definitely under fire for this increase, and for his desire to rid France of all the Roma (Gypsy) people.

I was very happy to be in France during the protest, although it can definitely cause MAJOR convenience problems to citizens and travelers alike.

First of all the oil refinery workers all went on strike!  Obtaining fuel in Paris and Versailles took almost TWO HOURS for most people.  For me...well it took about 10 minutes.  We simply drove down a one way street (the wrong direction) and cut the line under the pretense of being lost and not understanding what was meant when they tried to explain that the end of the line was actually down the street.

Mairie DV XIII Arrondissement

 Once we got fueled up...we decided to head to the midst of the protest.  We parked the car at Place d'italie which is in the heart of the 13th arrondissement of Paris.  The 13th is like where the majority of businesses are located in Paris and a huge Metro entrance point for people entering the city from the suburbs.  The moment we parked the car...the crowd was electric!




The crowd was thick and extremely energized.  We made sure that we wore sneakers and only a few minimal possessions.   There were reports all over France that some of the protest sites turned violent when clashes arose between the police, students, and protesters.  Fortunately for me, I seemed to be walking with a "peaceful and purposeful" mob.

I found myself outraged on behalf of the french people too.  The way they live, and their philosophy about life is very different than my American ways.  For one thing...EVERYONE in France takes holiday (vacation) at least 6 to 8 weeks per year.  It's standard.  American's are often so excited to receive a paltry two weeks.

Americans often live to work.  In France...they work to live and the LIVING is much more important.

It puts the French government into an awful predicament.  On the one hand, the government cannot afford to indefinitely pay full pensions to France's growing senior population.  However, the majority of France's citizens are not accepting of the new change.  They want what has always been given.

The protest definitely helped me to concentrate on what is most important in my own life.  I don't want to be like the drones in the office who think that the job is the most important thing in life, and punish any and all who rebel against their narrow minded ways.  I'm an artist first.

Laura Kpegli

During the protest, we ran into Laura Kpegli who co-stars in the fabulous film Donoma.   The film is directed by my play brother Djinn Carrenard.  I couldn't be more PROUD!

 

Africa meets America in Paris Metro

Ad and I hungout with Laura and her friends for a while before we began walking back to Montparnasse.  Once we made our way through the massive crowd we hopped on the Metro and headed back to Place d'italie.  I think it's my spirit that made the protest so appealing to me.  I've always been a rebel.

After the protest, Ad and I went back to Versailles and had a great dinner.  We had salmon, rice, and soup with fresh bread and wine.

Salmon and Rice with Cream Sauce

Carrot Ginger Soup and Nut Bread

I stayed home the rest of the evening and wrote.  Everyday I was inspired to push myself creatively and professionally.