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06/09/2004 Entry: "back from Paris"

So it is not yet seven Am and I have already been awake for an hour and a half, damn jet-lag. I have been catching up on blogs to read what I have missed. I was paying by the minute for the internet in Paris so there was no time to keep current there. Happy Birthday to Oscar!!!! Congratulations to Rich, sorry I couldn't make it last night, glad I will be working with you soon.

Reflective on Paris: I think that there is something to the fact that all of the letters in Paris are also in paradise. Thats how I think of it, as almost Paradise. This is why: they value culture and art almost above everything. The only other thing they might value more is food. Do you see what I am saying?
On this trip I realized why so many americans have become ex-patriots there. It was the first time I had visited since I decided to become a writer. It changes your perspective, a lot. This time I looked at it not as some nice place that existed in the literary or historical past, but as a place that I could maybe call a second home. There are no definite plans and it would not be for years I am sure, but I did look at some of the real-estate pages. They are unbelievably beautiful and inexpensive. You get five weeks of vacation and your medical coverage is provided by the state.
I was watching the news closely while I was there to see the coverage of Bush in France, just to get a different perspective. It scares me now that everything is going his way. The job sector added 250,000 more jobs to the economy (probably all minimum wage but they never tell you that). All of the economists are saying that the economy is better and then Reagan dies and gives the fucker a platform to stand on as if Communism and terrorism were the same thing. It is scary. I am worried that Bush might win again. Worried that he will reinstate the draft, and that he will continue to persecute people of color as suspects, that he will continue to supply fear to the world. It is this fear that always has people look at me a little longer, just in case they saw me on a poster or news bulletin. It is all of these things that will probably push me out.
But as I said none of this is happening soon. what I return with is a desire to see the spirit of art and a community of artists in New York made stronger. It makes me want to interact and push myself, not only in the writing but also in the painting that I have left by the side so for too long. It was the Picasso museum that finally did it for me. The largest collection of Picasso's in the world. His wife left it to the state to pay off his estate taxes. It was inspiring.

Todays song of the day is "Naturally" by Slow Train off the Buddha Bar 6 album. And where is the Budhha bar, naturally its in Paris.

Replies: 2 comments

Ohhhh, the subway wanted poster....I knew I'd seen you somewhere before....LOL....Glad you had a good time, and glad to have ya back....MCS

Posted by MCS @ 06/09/2004 05:30 PM EST

Welcome back! So glad to hear your trip was great!

Posted by Dyanna @ 06/09/2004 04:57 PM EST