Paris and I are in a fight. Maybe it's just me, but we're going through a rough patch these days. Let me break it down for you: I feel invaded. Invaded because Paris always wants something from me, and my answer to everything this city and its God forsaken people seem to offer me these days is no or stop. No, you cannot walk right behind me while I go through the turnstyle at the Metro because you "forgot" or "lost" your Navigo; No, you cannot have a cigarette; No, you cannot run me over with your rolling-fabric-grocery-bag-suitcase, even if it is good for the environment; Stop thinking your day is more important than mine and not moving over when we are walking towards each other on the same part of the sidewalk, (WHY am I the ONLY one who moves?); No, I do not want to kiss you or otherwise engage in physical contact with you; No, if you ask more than 50 times, it still won't work; Stop thinking that if you ask in 8 different languages, I'm bound to understand one of them and agree - it's still a no; Stop asking me if I can move so that you can sit next your boyfriend or girlfriend on the subway and make out; For the love of God, PLEASE STOP asking me for money because I too am poor and this is the world's most expensive city. Why don't you move to a cheaper area where you don't need to fill a quota of collecting 4 euros a day just so you can afford a cup of coffee; No, I do not want to come into your restaurant, no matter how much you beg as my friends and I walk by; Stop putting roses in my face and telling me they're free. I just saw you say the same thing to someone else, have her take one, and then say "So, that'll be 1 euro please"; Stop being lazy assholes who hate work so much that your restaurant, cafe, bookstore, or clothing store is never open; Stop being lazy assholes so that the Metro runs later than 1am because I do not want to walk around Paris until it opens again at 6am, (I mean, on a weekend, really, why are you closed so early?!); Just stop.
So, these are the ways in which Paris and I are breaking up for the time being. We'll be back in action soon, I'm sure, but for now, I'm tired of feeling crowded. Paris, back off.
On a much, much lighter note, I finally met with my boss(es) this morning. I was asked to come to the home of Andrew and Annie Wilson, a married couple who started a theatre company outside Paris 20 years ago. They live in Malakoff, a suburb right outside Paris, and it looked easy enough to find... Until I got off the Metro. And subsequently got lost. And subsequently made a hopefully momentary bad first impression. Once we were all finally settled into their delightful little house drinking espresso, they presented me with the idea behind their company, what they've done in the past, how they see it going in the future, and finally, what will I do? Well, for the month of October, I'll be doing research. Rehearsals for their new production don't start until November, so until then, I'll be gathering info for the piece. This means things like reading the play, meeting with them and expressing my point of view on the characters, researching for the costumes, music, etc., etc. In November, Andrew seems pretty keen on having me as a pseudo-stage-manager-type, a kind of job he's never thought to find someone to fill before. I walked away feeling very excited, and I think they're excited too. It was interesting hearing about what theatre is like in Paris - cause apparently it ain't much. Again, we go back to the not working thing; to be considered an "actor" here, you could get a job as a waitress at Euro Disney and as long as you were wearing a wig, you're there. It's about hours and the time commitment, not about actually acting. It's very strange, and appears to be an entirely unsupported community. This is why Andrew and Annie's company is so great. They have sold out almost every performance they've ever put on because there's nowhere else to see shows around here. They have a strong fan base, and I'm all kinds of overjoyed to be working with them. My answers to all of the things they ask me for is yes. Good sign, eh?
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