Counting Backwards - Paris Je'taime and other stories

Every time lately that I listen to something, see a film, or read a book, I want to talk to someone about it. But then I seem to forget some of the most important parts in the telling. And I think, myabe I should write this down.

Maybe I should, and maybe I'll fill in this blog with the backlog in my head, but maybe I should just start with last night.

My office building was evacuated, and not knowing quite what to do withourselves on a Friday afternoon, some colleagues and I ended up at a bar. Did you know that beer is more expensive before 5:00 in evanston?
After 1,2, then 3, it was only 6:30, and and apparently time to see a movie.

We were some of the youngest people in the crowded theater, surrounded mostly by over-60 couples. A bunch of little stories about Paris, and it's hard to pick out my favorite. Tom Tykwer's catalog of memories flashing through a young man's head when he thinks he's being dumped was a favorite, as was mime's story, and the story of Ana, a young mother who sings the same lullaby to her own child with such warmth only to vacantly sing for someone else's as her job later. The moment she wakes up in the dark stands out to me, the blue cups and saucers for a dying's man's coffee date, and Nick Nolte telling his little grandson to shut up. It was pretty cool.

The last story though, of the letter carrier from Denver, eating a sandwich in the park was so awkwardly real to me too. Feeling lost, ending up eating chinese food when she wants to experience paris, wanting some one standing next to her to say "Isn't this beautiful?" to. I have this loneliness when I'm travelling alone. And it makes me sad, but would it really be better if there was someone with me, I don't know.

Anyway, it's worth seeing, whether you've been to Paris or not, but I imagined all these couples sitting in the dark, reminiscing about their romantic trips there in their younger days. I did remember my stroll by the eiffel tour with the Johnson sisters from Idaho, and my lonely hours wandering and getting lost, and finding comfort in a nutella banana crepe.

I would want to see how this is done with other cities too. These stories were more about people than places, so they really could happen anywhere. I didn't like the vampire bit very much, but even that had its moments.

And just like they say about Chicago, Denver, Boston, and probably even Paris, if you don't like the weather here, wait five minutes.