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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2012 1:28:25 GMT
NOLA opening day of Jazz Fest street food,charbroiled oysters and tattoo.(in our neighborhood).
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2012 5:37:09 GMT
I have never eaten a broiled oyster. In the waiting room of the labour inspector, the magazines were dated 2001 and 1992 but as you can see, they were not old and tattered like at the doctor's office. Does this mean that nobody ever visits the labour inspector or are they screwing with our minds? I actually mentioned this to the labour inspector and she was not aware of this strange situation. "But I am going to investigate," she promised.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 27, 2012 17:29:47 GMT
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Post by Kimby on Apr 27, 2012 22:22:23 GMT
That woman needs more help than I do! She's got a 10 year supply of magazines for people to tear up, and could put new ones out every day, and toss (recycle) the day-old ones.
Or recycle the whole lot now, and use that room for office space or something useful.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2012 17:33:07 GMT
Often on Saturday, I have a chance to chat briefly with the Portuguese concierge who washes the hallways and sweeps the stairs of our building once a week. He is not "our" concierge but in charge of the Monoprix building a few doors down the street. Small buildings like mine don't have full time concierges anymore and just sign a contract for a few services, like taking out the trash, doing minimal communal cleaning and minor things like changing lightbulbs in the hallway or fixing tiny leaks.
I have written elsewhere that this guy also annoys me, because he mixes all of the trash together whenever possible rather than taking out the "recycle" bin on the proper days. He just empties the recycle bin into the general rubbish bin when at all possible. However, he does take out the bottle bin when it is full (but it has some sort of magnetic lock, so he can't empty it himself).
Nevertheless, he is a friendly and pleasant man, so I never want to complain to him directly, because he has been very useful for the 21 years that I have lived in this building. Today's discussion seemed to indicate that he has been here for close to 40 years, because he gave me information about the Monoprix building that only someone who has been here that long could know.
He has had 5 massive heart attacks but looks quite healthy when you don't know that, and he has a wife and several children whom he takes to Portugal for a month every summer. The Portuguese of France remain extemely attached to Portugal and it always seems to be "home" for them no matter what -- this is different from the Spaniards of France who generally consider France to be their permanent home now -- but often that is because they came to France as refugees from Franco and they remain appreciative of the assistance and moral support that they received.
Anyway, after chatting with him on my way out this afternoon while he was mopping, I returned about 15 minutes later (still emptying the rental car from my trip, but it was quite far away). He was still there, and he said "Excuse me, but I need to ask you a question if you will accept to answer it."
"What do you want to know?"
"Last week when I saw you, you were wearing some very nice eau de toilette. I really liked the smell. And when I came back in the afternoon to take out the rubbish, I could still smell it in the stairs. Could you possibly tell me what it was?"
I was quite surprised by the question, but I told him, and he was quite happy to know. He is probably on his way to Séphora.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2012 14:56:40 GMT
Meet Mr. Okra,the NOLA roving fresh produce man. He travels throughout the different neighborhoods selling all manner of fresh produce,advertising them on his loud speaker. There was a time when this was the norm here,he is surely one of the last of a dying breed. I read a really cool brief "3 Course Interview" with Mr. Okra in our weekly newspaper The Gambit, by food critic writer Ian McNulty: Gambit: How did you get into this kind of work? Mr. Okra: It was my father, He was the first Mr. Okra man. He started selling fruit from a wheelbarrow, then from a horse and buggy, then from a truck. I rode around with him from way back. I had other jobs, but, I always came back to this. I look at it this way: it's a job and you got to have a job. Gambit: You travel all over town these days. Have you seen changes in the city along your routes? Mr. Okra:Oh, things change. I remember when children would see you coming, they'd call for their parents saying "Mama mama, here comes Mr. Okra!!" Now, you pass by, some of these areas you got here, you ask the kids if their parents want something and they look at you like you're crazy!". Gambit: Do you ever worry about competition or copycats? Mr. Okra: If someone else goes around doing this, what would happen? I have my own customers. They'd say, "That's all right, we got Mr. Okra coming". People give me their phone numbers, ask for special orders. If I don't come around for a while, they're calling me up, asking if I'm sick or need something. I got some nice customers. They look out for me and I look out for them.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 8, 2012 15:01:01 GMT
Oh, I can "hear" his answers! Great interview indeed.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2012 16:19:32 GMT
I found it very heartwarming and soooo NOLA.
'Mr Okra' btw is Arthur Robinson, and, he is celebrating his 69th birthday with a party this Saturday night at the Bywater bar BJ's Lounge, 4301 Burgundy Street. The party is open to the public and starts at 6 p.m.!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2012 20:03:03 GMT
Lovely tradition. Sound trucks are forbidden here, as they are in most places, but I think that it is kind of a shame.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2012 11:19:30 GMT
I thought it was funny during my lunch break today when I was walking slightly behind some North American tourists (I kind of think they were Canadian but I'm not certain), close enough to hear their conversation. One thing that struck me is the wide variety of things people notice that locals would never give a second thought to. Of course, often the things noticed have to do with the person's profession or special interests.
I was nevertheless taken aback as they passed a building undergoing its decennial façade maintenance. "The scaffolding is always so stable here!" one of the people exclaimed.
If ever I find out what city they were from, I don't want to walk close to any buildings being renovated there.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2012 13:52:22 GMT
If you couldn't detect a New Orleans accent I was going to say they must have been from here. You have no idea of the precarious state the whole city is in.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 20, 2012 17:34:49 GMT
I know I've posted very similar stuff to this, but I'm putting this here because these calendas are so often to be found on andador M. Alcalá, where this was taken. Really, you can stumble across one or two almost daily. These pics & video were taken on the evening of March 17, this year.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2012 6:16:08 GMT
The other night I was invited to a friend's place for dinner. It's only about a kilometer from where I live so I walked there. On the way I passed my old apartment on rue de l'Ourcq which was in this complex. Just a few blocks later, I was at my friend's building on the edge of the canal de l'Ourcq, which is the continuation of the canal Saint Martin. She and her husband live on top of the building where you can see the tree on the left. That's why I brought my camera. When I left at midnight, I walked along the Bassin de la Villette to the metro. It was the Fête de la Musique, and there were music groups everywhere along the basin. I would have loved to stick around, but I was walking another friend back to the metro, not that she risked anything. I felt that I was really missing out by not being at the huge party at the Rotonde. Maybe next year.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 23, 2012 7:11:55 GMT
Kerouac they have a awesome view of their surrounds! We call that kind of rooftop apartment a Penthouse. It must be worth mega bucks if they own it, or if renting , must be holy expensive.
Your photos are lovely especially showing the different stages of the night. The one regret I have about this last trip was that we did not get out much in the evening. We were just to tired too move after dinner. Maybe I should consider a future Paris trip in a month that gets dark earlier........after all it can't be any colder than the temps we experienced on certain days when the icy wind blew.
It's nice to think you would prefer to be at the Rotonde than down in the swingers club..... ;D ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2012 11:40:03 GMT
They bought that apartment around 1980. I seem to recall they paid something like 2 million francs at the time, which was an absolute fortune as far as I was concerned.
2 million francs = 305,000 euros
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Post by rikita on Jun 24, 2012 14:13:41 GMT
some more local colour from kerala, unfortunately not uncommon at all sites that attract a lot of people...
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Post by htmb on Jul 4, 2012 3:14:10 GMT
My first photo posting:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2012 3:32:13 GMT
Congratulations!
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Post by htmb on Jul 4, 2012 3:57:32 GMT
Thanks!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2012 12:13:36 GMT
The best local color part of this is the name of the joint!! Snake and Jakes Christmas Club Lounge.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 6, 2012 15:20:13 GMT
Ha ~~ I remember that place (not as an habitue). Can't believe it's still there. It used to have a small Christmas tree on top.
Whatevah ~~ it's a super picture.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2012 20:20:27 GMT
Thanks Bixa It's hard for me to believe it's still there. I was never a habitue of the place but I did get lured into a poker game in there one night and won some money. Yes, there used to be a Christmas tree on there, Katrina blew it away and they replaced it with the wreath. Here's a close-up with the SnJ logo. (Also posted in Signs in the Image Bank)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2012 20:30:03 GMT
I was too young to drink beer when I lived in that area, but I remember all of the beer commercials since they were part of the culture. I was looking for the "mellow Jax mellow Jax with the real beer taste" song but I didn't find it.
But I remember this commercial by Mike Nichols and Elaine May.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 7, 2012 1:37:24 GMT
I remember those commercials well.
Casimira, wasn't that place always referred to as "the Christmas bar"? Glad to know its official name, which is a classic of its type.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2012 11:00:48 GMT
I wasn't around for those Jax commercials with Mike Nihols but, I do remember hearing about them and I think I remember an interview with Nichols during which he made reference to them. The old Jax Brewery building still remains in the French Quarter and is home to a slew of upscale boutiques and tourist shops. It is a spectacular place to view fireworks from which I only had the privilege of doing once but it was memorable.
Bixa, I think that place was once referred to as the 'Christmas Bar' yes. It became known as Snake n Jakes later on down the road (up until the present time) I want to say somewhere in the late 1980's? Why, I'm not positive but, I think it had to do with new ownership perhaps and they wanted to maintain something of the previous name.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 7, 2012 17:12:14 GMT
And of course new name really gives the place a finishing touch of class. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2012 20:02:46 GMT
Going to see a lawyer is never a pleasant moment, as far as I am concerned. I am still obliged to see the lawyer I hired to take care of employee interests, since I am currently the person being taken care of. The plaque on the building is kind of nice to see, though. "This is the last domicile of the great singer Edith Piaf." As I go up the stairs, it is a strange feeling to walk where she walked.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 12, 2012 0:28:10 GMT
As long as you regret nothing.
Great pics & that stairway is beautiful.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2012 10:37:00 GMT
Wow!! Thanks for that! The stairway alone is hauntingly beautiful and elegant!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2012 19:42:00 GMT
If anybody wants to watch the Paris fireworks live tonight at 23:00 (21:00 GMT), here is the link to see and hear them: 14juillet.paris.fr/
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