Paris Burning....

Well, I know by now that everyone in the states has heard what's going on here. I just wanted to show to quick shots that I know you won't see on the news.

The first one is right in front of l'Elysée (chez Chirac). In the esplanade des invalides there are four or six large lawns where, as the sign says, it is "playing with balls is strictly prohibited" (ballon suggests, if I'm not mistaken, a ball with air in it, hence soccer ball, football, basketball, etc.). As you can see in the video, the French government has a different take on what "strict" enforcement is.

Some might say this is part of the problem. Too late for a pre-emptive strike, I suppose.

Click the photos to play the videos



I put this video up for the people abroad that are seeing the ruins left by the hooligans who are burning everything. Ignoring the fact that I want to go on a rant about how idiotic it is that these kids are burning their neighbors cars to get back at Sarkozy, I wanted to show you that the news doesn't present the whole picture. People here are still going about their lives.

For now...(dramatic music)

The second video is an observation that Fanfan had. The street in front of my apartment building never has cars on it, especially at night. There aren't even parking spaces! Tonight, all of the streets in my neighborhood are packed with cars. We live in the 16th arrondissement, so we're right on the edge of Paris, before the banlieux (suburbs). I think everyone from the banlieux are moving their cars into Paris (I'm very close to the police station as well) to protect their cars.