One beautiful Sunday afternoon, I was walking down to the market on the corner to do some grocery shopping. About half way there, I came across a man who looked like he was preparing for a motocross event. He was wearing about every possible piece of racewear possible including leather pants (lol). As I approached him, he was strapping on his helmet over a face mask of some sort and was about ready for departure. I casually walking past, as I normally would, and got about 10 feet beyond him when I heard his engine rev. Directly following this near redline revving sound, I heard a frightening sound, the sound of a bike hitting the pavement. I turned to look and here was this guys Triumph Speed Triple hurling past me on it's side with no passenger. I turn around further to see the man tumbling on the ground as if he was doing a backward somersault. I am not sure if he tried to do a wheelie or if he just made a simple mistake and the bike got away from him, but I have never seen an accident like this so nearby. As soon as the man finished his acrobatic routine, he stood up as if waiting for applause. He then casually walked over to his bike and picked it up and moved it to the side of the road. All this time, the cars and other bikes in the road were honking and yelling as if he was causing them an inconvenience (which I suppose he was, but come on) I wanted to ask him if he was ok but I had no idea how to say that. I do know how to say "Ça va?" which means "Are you ok?" in a "How is it going?æ kinda way. I am not sure that is what he would have liked to hear. Lol. I arrived at the market minutes later to find it closed. We were both having a bad day.
One morning, I was leaving fro Cannes for the NRJ Music festival. I arrived early with my Creative Director and another freelancer, so we decided to have a coffee and croissant. I was sitting in the café waiting for my plane to board when one of the craziest things I have seen in France occurred. Out of nowhere, screaming began from the other side of the airport. I had no idea what he was saying, but it sounded like he meant business. Personally, it sounded like a terrorist could have been taking over the airport. I would not have known the difference. So as this screaming came closer and closer, we finally saw the man making a ll the noise. It was a 30 something black male dressed decently well and still carrying on. We were sitting quite near the Police outpost n the airport, so as he approached us, I felt secure knowing they were there. As he past the officers, he continued screaming at the top of his lungs directly at the police. He just continued walking past and they did noting but stare back. I thought surely he is some sort of threat. Why not do something? Save me! He continued walking and came within 3 feet of our outpost at the café and then continued down the stairs to the exit, all the while still yelling his head off. Once he was gone, I asked the other freelance, "What was he saying?" He replied, "I want my baggage!"
Finally, on the car front, France has some of the smallest and most creative vehicles that I have ever seen. They range from a bicycle that has a small pedal-start motor all the way to those flat-faced Mercedes vans you seen in films so often. One vehicle I saw that I thought was interesting was a motorcycle that was enclosed all around the passengers except on the sides. So it had a windshield, and a roof and a rear window. I suppose it helps to keep you dry during rain, but should you really be riding a moto in the rain? Another one I saw that was an actual improvement was a motorcycle with two front wheels. The two wheels were very close two each other but I assume offer much more stability. They also offer two front disc brakes which help to get you to a stop much faster. Quite an improvement from these crazy Paris streets. Also, I have seen what is called a Smart Car. It may be smart on the environment but it would not be so smart if you were driving around the US in one of these deathmobiles. Although I am sure that the women would love one merely for the cuteness factor, these cars are nothing more than a large go-cart. There is no backseat, no trunk and no space, just 2 front seats and a window directly behind. Don't know about you, but I would not want to be rear-ended by a Hummer in one of these little guys.
Well, that is all for this post. Have a great day and enjoy some random photos...
These are from my new friend Nikki (hope you don't mind Nikki, I stole them from Facebook)
