My soup - posts tagged 'Fun'

The morning after...

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Someone must have celebrated the new year and forgot something... My new year's eve celebration did not include much alcohol, but a ridiculous amount of food, whichI did not resist! No wonder I was not very energetic today... Enough to see your best wishes though. Thanks a million. Now is the time to reset whatever we want to reset and start fresh!

Caught in the act!

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 07:57:05 GMT

So I did have to go out today (to pick up my latest presents I ordered online!) and I could not resist grabbing one of these excellent crèpes that they sell everywhere at the moment. I had a chestnut one stuffed with crème de marron (only in French, I did not see any entry in English spread). Yummy! The woman was really wondering why I would take that many photos during her making the crèpe ;-) Anyway, I thought this would put a smile on your face to see how greedy I am (and why I have to go to the gym every other day LOL!) Have a wonderful Christmas eve tonight everyone, for those of you who celebrate Christmas of course.

Booooh!

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:00:03 GMT

I don't think I ever showed you one of those and though you can find many in Paris. They are made by a street artist called Giaco, who's art is precisely to use street furniture and equipment to turn them into artistic objects of scenes. In the present case he used one of the many grids that allow the sewers to receive light as a thoracic cavity for this skeleton. I love it! Anyway, nothing to do with what is going to keep me busy for the next 3 days: Le Web, a big Internet conference that takes place every year in Paris and that I have never missed since the very first one (it was called Les Blogs at that time)!

Taxi lane, really?

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:02:00 GMT

Here is an unusual photo for today... I took it near le Louvre, a couple of days ago, while these two gendarmes (gendarmes are actually police who belong to the army, if I'm not mistaken) were going back to their barracks. I thought it's funny to see that even nowadays taxis have to share their lane with horses! Have a nice Friday everyone!

Giant dog

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:04:30 GMT

Here is a dog that won't leave any nasty droppings on the pavement... I found it in the 17th arrondissemen, inside a little courtyard. from what I could see, he belongs to Aastroem Munier BBN, a communications agency ;-) FYI since 2002 dog owners must pick up after their "Medor" (Medor is kinda like "Rocky", a generic name for dogs), ,so the streets of Paris are not that polluted anymore (well at least in some neighborhoods!)

The 1st good-for-the-planet merry-go-round!

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 22:04:00 GMT

Low consumption bulbs, hybrid cars, windmills... everybody claims to have sustainable development solutions for the planet nowadays. In Paris, we've gone a step further! Now we have an ecologic merry-go-round, one that is powered by solar cells, a small windmills and... human power (that is the power of people - kids? - that pedal while going around!) Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Marcel Campion, invented it - OK, maybe it's a little far fetched, but still ;-) If you want to see it, it's easy, it's right at the bottom of La Tour Eiffel where I took this photo this morning.

Vive la France!

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 22:04:00 GMT

So we did not win (the World Rugby Cup final) yesterday, but I had great fun. I woke up early to make it to "The Freedom" a pub located off Les Champs Elysées that I already mentioned here where the owner of fashion store Koko (a true Kiwi!) had organized a giant NZ meetup (French could join too ;-). Needless to say that the atmosphere was, well, very festive and that we heard a lot of "La Marseillaise" (listen) and "God Defend New Zealand" (listen) singing. Great moment.

How I became a comic character...

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:07:00 GMT

Do you see the character in the upper left of this comic book, well it's me! Don't go thinking it's an actual drawing, for it's a piece of art by Christophe Weber that I saw at the Galerie W corner, at the Chic Today exhibit at La cité de la Mode, by the Seine. This is actually a live image, projected on a huge screen, with two cameras on each side; each of them films the people in front of the screen and turns them instantly into comic strip characters. Great idea! On top of that the Galerie W people had the marvelous idea of using polltogo to get people's reaction on the spot. Really Fun!

Let's have fun!

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:28:48 GMT

Yesterday I attended a Flashmob (that is a "sudden mobilization") performed by Les Tistics, a group of young actors and comedians. They gathered near Beaubourg and started dancing in the middle of the crowd as if they just happened to be there all together! The funny part is that they danced to an English language hit ("I've got a feeling", by the Black Eyed Peas) that they litteraly translated into French. A good way for the passers-by to realize how shallow the words are... you can hear/see it for yourself here (thanks to Heather, who found this link and posted it in the comments box. You can even see me half a second at the very beginning of the video - in the pink shirt!).

Opening of the 2011 Rugby World Cup!

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 07:40:54 GMT

Not many reasons to rejoice these days... so here is one (for those who love Rugby!). The 2011 world Cup opened yesterday in New Zealand and since you may know I have a soft spot for New Zealand and New Zealanders (remember this street Haka and the opening of Koko?), well I took advantage of the presence in Paris of Roniece, a true PDP follower Kiwi (wearing orange in this photo), to go to the Freedom Pub, off Les Champs Elysées, to attend the opening and the first match. I will still support the French team though ;-)

The woman in the window...

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:06:00 GMT

How about a funny window setting to finish the week? I'm not talking about a shop window display, but a real window, a one that I found at Quai de la Gironde, by the Canal de l'Ourq. I just thought it was funny. Facts and figures: the big stones around the window are called Meulières, they were used until 1880 to build houses in Paris and its area.

Tar and feathered!

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 22:08:00 GMT

What on earth is that? Take a guess... Is that a street artist performance? A one leg mannequin? A slot machine? A toilet for dogs?! All wrong! It's a parking terminal! Why is it all covered in feathers like this? I have no idea, but Adrien M. who took the photo at rue Gazan and kindly sent it to me (2 guest contributors in 3 days, that's a first!) said it was probably angry car owners ;-) Don't tell me this idea never crossed your mind!

Dominique'sTrash-Can?

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:06:00 GMT

Like Jaq said a few days ago about the massage post "thanks Eric for showing us the serenity of the Seine one day and this somewhat more sleazy side of Paris the next". My guess is that she's going to say the same thing today LOL! I just thought I'd make you start (or end) the day with a smile even though I have to be honest, I did not take this photo myself, my brother did!

Massage, really?!

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:58:45 GMT

Nothing to do with the recent charges being dropped in the DSK case, but with a very common practice in Paris: massages with a happy endings ("avec les finitions"), if you see what I mean... Actually, most of the time, you hear about a Chinese salon that was closed by the police for - no, not massage malpractice! - but for prostitution. I must say this is the first time I came across such an advertisement; hard to think real massages happen at the end of this line...

Post-it "war"

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:05:00 GMT

It's the Post-it notes war in France right now! In case you're wondering what it is (and I'm sure you are!) it's just another of these silly ideas to keep people busy at work during the summer vacation period (yes, I know, only in France...). The idea is to draw the most sophisticated character made of little Post-it notes and put it on a window, a wall, or anywhere where it can be seen and then judged by your work colleagues. Silly? Yes, but very successful! It's spreading everywhere in France and there is even a website dedicated to them. Around lunch time today, I photographed this one, in the 9th. Not very sophisticated, but funny (BTW, if your latin is a little rusty, Pax means peace).

Urban weeds

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:07:00 GMT

I love the way people make use of urban furniture sometimes... Hence these poles which primer use is to prevent cars from parking on sidewalks (yes, people in France park on sidewalks if nothing prevents them from doing it!). Well, some people thought it was also the perfect place to grow "things" (which things, I don't know!) - I suppose they had to make the dirt holders to measure. Anyway, it's a clever idea and changes the looks of the street (I took this photo at rue Saint Marc, in the 2nd arrondissement).

Jerry Bin Laden

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 22:01:00 GMT

Not much to say about his graffito (which is more of a printed painting really). I saw it near the Beaubourg Center and could not help but laughing when I saw it. I have no idea who made that, but I think it’s pretty creative and funny. Jerry (and Tom) are very popular in France for we had them on television (and we probably still do). Bin Laden is a little less popular, but he was a lot on French television too ;-)

Optical Illusion at Paris town hall

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 22:02:00 GMT

Fa-sci-na-ting! I passed by the Paris town hall today, where they currently have an open air exhibit about Paris trees (there are 485 000 of them!). On top of the various - very interesting - explanations, they also installed an anamorphosis work of art by François Abelanet. Anamorphosis? Let me borrow Wikipedia's definition: " it's a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image." Well, since an image is worth a 100 words, click here, you'll see that what you get in this photo is not really what you see! More, in French, on the Paris Website.

Flower power!

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 22:05:00 GMT

Here is another jump in the past... Those of you who are less than 40 probably have never used this slogan - and even I was a little too young when it was on - but they probably heard of it. That is why when I saw this old Ami 8 (a popular French car from the 60's) at rue Vieille du Temple I could not help but taking a photo of it. No political claim, though, this car only belongs a florist (L'artisan fleuriste). Have a great weekend everyone, ours will be sunny!

Visit Paris in a Tuk Tuk

Thu, 26 May 2011 22:08:00 GMT

There are many ways to visit Paris, other than with the public transportation... I already showed you the hop on hop off bus, the 2CV tours, the bike tours, the Segway tours, the Bateaux Mouche tours, here are now the Tuk Tuk tours! One never ceases to innovate in Paris when it comes to dragging tourists around! Apparently there is half a dozen of Tuk-Tuk companies (I have no particular interests in this one, I just photographed it by chance). PS: Saturday the weather should be fine, so don't forget the picnic...

Raise your arm

Sun, 08 May 2011 22:06:00 GMT

Let's start the week with a smile... I took this photo at Le Trocadéro and I found it funny that both the statue and the painter in the back had their arm up at the same time. Silly I know ;-) FYI this statue is the one of "Herculus taming the buffalo", by Henri Bouchard. It's located at the same level as the one where I took this shot in February 2007. Have a good week start everyone, I'm really enjoying my time off, let me tell you...

A tribute to England!

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:16:43 GMT

I know, I know, you're probably fed up with this Royal Wedding, but I thought I owed my visitors from England (2,552 visits via 271 cities last month according to Google!) a tribute, on this very unique day ;-) So I gathered all things English I had at reach and made this photo (the cup - and the apron too I think - were given to me by Rose, during the last PDP picnic if I recall ;-) ) The French and the English are known to have been enemies throughout Europe history (remember Joan of Arc!), but deep inside, we love each other.

Dinner out!

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:09:00 GMT

I was having a drink at a terrace near the Saint Michel area last evening, when this all dressed up couple in this shiny original Fiat 500 pop out from nowhere. No doubt they were heading to a chic dinner party somewhere in Paris. I could not help but taking a photo. Aren't they cute? FYI, the (original) Fiat 500 is one of the tiniest cars you can find (length: 2.97 m (116.9 in) - width: 1.32 m (52.0 in) and height 1.32 m (52.0 in)), it was made in Italy between 1957 and 1975 and you can still see several in Paris (more about it on Wikipedia).

Getting a tan in Paris

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:06:00 GMT

I think you can count on your fingers the number of times I appeared in this blog... But today it was almost like summer in Paris, I had lunch outside and I felt the urge to share. I thought of you all and asked the person I was having lunch with to take this photo. Not a nice view of Paris of course, but just a little snapshot of my life as a Parisian (and desperate for a little ray of sun LOL!). Tomorrow, I promise, this blog will be back to "normal" ;-)

Smoking Valet!

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 23:07:00 GMT

Clever idea. After the smoking ban in restaurants and bars that took place a couple of years ago, most places installed smoking corners outside on their terrace. This one - a Corsican restaurant called Le temple - organized its corner around this odd looking mannequin (look at the ashtray on the tray). Pretty clever and funny as well.

Passage Brady

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 23:01:02 GMT

There is small Passage in the 10th arrondissement called Passage Brady and it's really worth a visit if you're into graffitis (and Indian food!)... The whole place is covered with them and some of them are real pieces of art. I chose to show you this one, which made me smile...

Hello lady!

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:08:00 GMT

I don't know why, but I love mannequins (I posted several of them on this blog), so when I saw this one yesterday (Sunday) on my way to having lunch with a few friends of mine at rue Rochechouart, I had to stop a take a photo! There are obviously garments in the background so it must be some sort of workshop or something and I sure they did not put this "lady" at the window by shere coincidence! That's all, nothing to learn about Paris today, just a casual shot ;-)

Job Hunting!

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:06:00 GMT

What it takes to find a job nowadays... The man in this ad is not just another model, but a real unemployed Marketing Manager looking for a job. To find one, he had the idea of renting a couple of billboards AND an exhibition hall (where job fairs are usually held) to greet potential employers... (check this video). Of course he did not pay for all this but got the help of sponsors looking for visibility. And it worked of course: this guy has been all over the news, and more than that, he made it to the home of ParisDailyPhoto!! I don't know if all of this has enabled him to find a position though... Check his website if you understand French.

Odd...

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:09:00 GMT

I had to pick up something near my home last evening and on the way I passed by this pretty odd scene. This guy was having a gourmet McDonald's meal at this bus stop while these sheep were looking at me. I suppose it's an ad but I did go around the bus stop to check what they're selling! I know I'm baaaaaahd ! Anyway, this photo won't win a prize, but I kinda like it ;-)

Only in France...

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 23:02:00 GMT

About 2 weeks ago Quick - a French (ex Belgian) hamburger company - announced they were going to sell a foie gras hamburger between Dec 16th and Dec 19th. I happen to have a Quick restaurant in the street where I live, so I could not resist! Of course you don't need to eat it with a fork and a knife in a real plate ;-) BTW, if you're wondering where the foie gras is, enlarge the photo a little bit, you'll see bits of melted foie gras. Is it good? I thing so. But of course I'm biased: I'm French and I love foie gras!

First snow!

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:06:00 GMT

What? This is only mid November and it already snowed?! And no, I did not take this photo in Canada, but yesterday in Paris ;-) Explanation: for a conference, I had to go to Heavent, a trade show that is currently taking place at Porte de Versailles in the 15th arrondissement. This show is dedicated to events planning and all that revolves around this industry. There were lots of service providers that operate in this field, including a fake snow maker. Here you go LOL!

A fun way to visit Paris

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:04:00 GMT

If you're looking for a different way of visiting the Paris covered passages, here is a fun thing to do. Every Saturday and Wednesday (and more often during holidays), you can help Jean-Jacques de La Tour, solve a cold murder case (very cold, as it took place in 1870 in Le Passage Jouffroy!). Along the way you come across witnesses and clues... All this is fake of course and the witnesses are all actors (like this "Gavroche" that I photographed in this photo) and part of the L'enigme des passages couverts visit. The fun part is that I came across this tour by sheer coincidence, as I was going back home.

Under the cobblestones...

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 23:36:24 GMT

So it was true... There is a beach underneath the cobblestones of Paris! Explanation: during the student riots in May 68, several slogans were used by demonstrators (check them here - go to the Slogans and Graffiti topic in the middle of the page). A very famous one - that we still remember today was "under the cobblestones, there is a beach" (sous les pavés la plage). So you can imagine that when I saw this scene this morning near the Gare du nord, I immediately thought of this slogan and jumped on my camera ;-) I'm sure my French visitors will smile when they see it.

Arrest this woman!

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:01:01 GMT

This woman is a dangerous outlaw, can you guess why? No, she did not rob a bank and put all the money in her purse(!), she simply wears pants and this, ladies and gentlemen, in France is forbidden! Yep. In November 1799, a law was passed saying that all women willing to "dress like a man" should first go to the Police and ask for a written permission! The sad part is that even though in 1892 et 1909 two very liberal laws allowing women to wear pants "under certain conditions" (horse or bicycle riding) were passed, it is still officially forbidden for women to "dress like a man"! Recently a few people from the Paris council asked that the law be removed, but the authorities replied that they were more urgent matters than this. Which is true, as, as you can guess, nowadays this law is no longer applied!

Looks

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 22:09:00 GMT

Two days ago, I attended the launch of a new Social Network (yes another one!) on a boat, right by the Eiffel Tower (you can see the Seine in the background of this photo). This new network is called Looknbe and its purpose is to allow people to exchange looks advice and tips. Among other things, you can for instance take a photo of the tie/gown you plan to wear for the day and ask "your network" if they think it matches your shirt or shoes! Silly?! That is what I thought before they actually presented t the business plan... What if tomorrow's Facebook was French? Anyway, of course, to attract media's attention they had a gimmick (Mr Migö in this photo) and I fell for it! After all things are pretty tense at the moment in Paris (lots of strikes and demonstrations due to the new law about retirement) so I thought a little humor would be welcome.

Caricature exhibition

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:01:01 GMT

Apart from Guille and her recent marriage (see yesterday's post) there are other celebrities in this world... Hence the one in this photo, who, I'm sure you will all have recognized... Lady Di! You did not? Well it's normal, it's is not meant to be a spiting image of the late princess but a caricature. Just like the other 300 portraits of the "20th century mythical characters" that are currently being featured at the stunning Musée des arts forains (The Fairground Art Museum) near Bercy. Some are more recognizable than others, like these two guys... FYI, they were all made by Michel Foucoult from the famous French masks and costume maker Cesar.

What did they do with the pot?

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 22:04:00 GMT

... And don't say "They smoked it!", as this is, in fact, a clever idea if you have an old tub and big plants you don't know what to do with. I found this on the river banks, by the Josephine Baker swimming pool (a swimming pool that floats on the Seine) that you can see in the background. I'm not 100% sure, but I think these plants were part of the Fête des jardins (the gardens festival), an event dedicated to parks and gardens that took place last weekend in Paris. And as you can see, the weather is not so nice in Paris these days...

Smile, you're on camera

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 22:02:00 GMT

I witnessed a very weird scene under the Eiffel Tower last weekend... I saw a group of people, all dressed in the same red T-shirt, drawing a human circle under the tower in a very organized way. I then discovered they all belong to the famous French engineering school Polytechnique (one of the most prestigious schools in France) and that they were trying to drawn a smile that someone was obviously observing and photographing from the first floor of the Eiffel Tower! I looked everywhere on the web to see if I could see the result and for what purpose they did that, but I did not find anything. Too bad for it's a cool idea anyway.

Magic Wand

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:54:00 GMT

If the shape of these baguettes remind you of something, well don't be surprised. Yes, they are shaped like penises! I found them in the gay area of Paris, in a boulangerie called Le Gay choc (choc is a play on words between chocolate and shock). Big tourist attraction, needless to say. I did not get to taste them, but I see no reasons why they should taste different than regular baguettes... A little harder, maybe?! Tss, Tss ;-)

What's cookin'?

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:04:00 GMT

What's cooking? Well, probably croissants and baguettes, paints au chocolat and pastries... as I spotted these guys - probably on a break - just outside the Boulangers-patissiers (bakers) chamber which happens to be on L'île Saint Louis since 1845, one of the best locations in Paris. As you can guess, among other things, it's a training facility, so that is probably what these people were doing: getting trained. I wonder what they do with the leftovers !