Paris is not for Parisians

Paris is not for Parisians, especially during the month of May. There are millions of people roaming the streets of Paris, though it is not clear if any live here. I "live" here, though not really as is proven by the fact that any self-respecting Parisian would make vacation plans for May and take advantage of the f-o-u-r holidays. There is May 1st which is Labor Day, May 8th - World War II Victory Day, May 11th - Pentecost followed by May 12th Whit Monday. With a little planning, one could leave on Wednesday, April 30th and return on May 13th and only need to take five days off of work. Although many Parisians leave town, they are replaced by tourists which helps the city reach a population equilibrium.

Of course, some people do remain in Paris. Apparently, those with children remain. Yesterday, I went to the pool, but upon finding 12 - 13 people trying to swim in each of two lanes, and 32 "kids" in one of the other lanes (yes, I'm anal retentive and had to count them) I realized it would be better to return today.

The SDF do not leave Paris in May. These are are not "street people" or "homeless" people, they are politely called SDF - "sans domicile fixe" people without permanent homes. These are people who live in Paris, but don't have a "fixed" home. Five years ago when I visited, there were no visible signs of people living on the streets. Now, it appears San Francisco has some competition. Though I get yelled at by a guy when I took this photo, I thought it was representative of the number of homeless people and how the problem has grown. At the same time it represents how people come together to form a community. They had a kitchen at the far end with cupboards, a camping stove and a dining table. By contrast, someone else managed to establish her own home (she was outside sweeping for a while) under the entrance to the Canal St. Martin. I was impressed with both the size and location of her "home." [Click on photo to view larger image of her home between the Metro tracks and the building.] I hope that some day, the situation will improve. But as Europe becomes more capitalistic, they too will realize that homelessness represents a classic "market failure." Hopefully, the French will find a better balance than we have in the U.S.

Although the influence of the U.S. is on the decline, it is also undeniable. I love Paris, but even here I can not avoid the graviatational pull of American pop culture. Maybe it was because Indiana Jones appeared as though he was about to whip the tourists from Portugal, but I decided it was time to head home. I love my apartment, and this evening, I was appreciating it a little more. And while I was not able to get out of town for the weekend like so many Parisians, I made dinner and watched a little television. Oddly enough, I stumbled across the last half of "Indiana Jones et le Dernier Croisad." It's a good movie, even when dubbed in French. But please don't give me any attitude about watching an American film while in France, especially considering that "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" will have it's world-wide debut here at the Cannes Film Festival this Sunday, May 18th. Hollywood - eat your heart out. Oh, if anyone can get me a ticket, I can hop on a train and be in Cannes within a few hours. Please, let me know ASAP if I will be heading out of Paris for the weekend.