yeah, Vélib, this is really the combination of Vélo (cycle) and Liberté (freedom), as you can go wherever you want to (well as long as you find a Velib station terminal to give it back, but that's just a detail). I have been cycling for now almost 2 weeks in Paris, of course, I always keep my Vélib map in the pocket, to know where I'm going and to know where are the bike stands...
Just to give you an example, this morning I had to go to Place de Valois (to meet Réjane Ereau, the editor of Respect magazine - that deals with diversity, youth subculture, minorities, etc). So I left from oberkampf down by rue Vieille du temple (passing by the Marais) until I crossed rue de Rivoli where I just had to cycle straight away, going along the Hotel de Ville, Chatelet, the Louvre and then Palais Royal where I stopped. And it just took me like 10 minutes, so that when I arrived, I had like almost an hour to go so I just walked a little and found this piece of heaven, this haven of peace that is the Jardin du Palais Royal. The morning was already there and I went to sit on the bench from where I could hear the water of the fountain and the sings of the birds, while enjoying being in the sunlight... I took the time to read the post that Chris sent on the blog yesterday, talking about Race and Racism, on the fact that France occurs this notion but then how can it deal with it ? and also read the article from the NYTimes that he linked on Obama and the way he is perceived in France, very very interesting article !!!!
I'm gonna tell you a bit about my day... then after having get to know the Respect mag, which is by the way awesome (we even got 3 free examples each !) very attractive and really good content in it - Pap N'Diaye came to visit us. His speech was focusing on the representation of minorities in French politics, I did like his speech, sharing the same views that okay minorities are not represented but not because they are not interested in it, it's just that there's like a glass ceiling that they can't break through. It's the whole system that empeaches them to move, by the fact that they are discriminated against... Then we have about 40 min before getting to the next place (and having lunch at the same time) to the Institut Montaigne.
I went to by a sandwich with other fellows Sandra, Rémi, Martin(g) and Andrea. After I left them to take a Vélib again !! Then, cycled back on rue de Rivoli toward the Champs Elysées, I arrived near Concorde, I just can't get enough of this place, this is like one of the most beautiful places in Paris (well if you don't take into account that it was here that traitors were beheaded during the times of French kings). The sky was cleared of clouds, it was sunny, well, yeah... Perfect... euh well just apart from the fact that I almost crashed on the back of the car. The car was turning right and I thought it was on its way of turning so I wanted to overtake it, so that I turned the head back to see if there were no cars coming from behing (there was one, but enough space for me to pass) and when I headed back in the right direction, I noticed that the car in front of me still hadn't turned coz there were pedestrians crossing!!! And guess what ? my brakes didn't really work... but pfff fortunately I overtook the car with a 20 centimeters space between the car and me !!! lol well I'm safe, that's the main point ! Then direction Champs Elysées, it's a bit hard to cycle on the old pavement, but it is just incredible to be on the avenue. I only did a little portion of it, until the Rond point des Champs Elysées (Clémenceau) then turned right and there was the Rue Mermoz where the Institut de Montaigne is located. I was ahead of time (maybe 15 minutes before 13.50) so I went to find a cool place to eat my Gruyere sandwich and did found some green grass in between other people lunching/tanning on the lawn of the Rond Point!!! I bathed in the sun again (I just love that) and after walked towards the Institute. I met Raffi and Martin (Parasote) so we went up together, with Anastasia and Cyrielle also, since they just arrived at the same time...
This morning was for sure very interesting, we had a roundtable on the issue that was supposed to give us a dim of hope (according to Anne-Lorraine... but in fact, many were a bit pessimistic in their words) on Tackling Discrimination in France : Tools and obstacles. But I was so tired that I couldn't follow, I was fighting against a sort of headache (becoz I lack sleep) and trying to keep myself awake by keeping eyes open ! That was really really hard... This afternoon in the panel (that we in fact divided in two parts), we first met Patrick WEIL, THE chairman of HIA France, and also Leila Almi from l'Oreal and Valérie Fontaine presenting us the job done by la HALDE (haute autorité de lutte contre les discriminations et pour l'égalité). Then just after, Patrick Simon, a demographer and Pierre Yves Crusset who talked much about the use of Ethnic statistics, to know if this was relevant or not...
and no... still after, the day wasn't over! We finally met with the director of the institute, Philippe Manière who presented us the work done by the Institut Montaigne, which I can now tell that it is a totally independent think tank aiming at influencing policy-makers on the issues of Discrimination especially regardind the business community. and then yeah... that was it !!! The street where the institute is, is the same where 2 weeks ago, I had lunch with Hugo, my dear friend of Prépa, the one that comes from the North of France.
I decided after not to go with the other fellows, some were going to the Jardin du Luxembourg, others on the Champs Elysées, but I took so many books from the institute that I didn't want to walk for miles just holding my heavy folder ! So back on my Vélib - I'm pretty sure I took the same one that I came with in the beginning of the afternoon. So going down the Champs until the Obélisque, as it was already 6pm there were lots and lots of cars, thankfully there was a cycle lane along the Jardin des Tuileries, so I passed over tons of cars !!! That's so funny to imagine that I can go faster than the cars ! So I kept cycling until le Pont des Arts, I had planned to go until the Pont neuf, just to lend back my bike (and get it back right after to keep the same vélib) but before I was cycling near the Pont des Arts and I remember the other day, Marty and Raffi talking about an exhibition on the bridge, about Palestine. So I crossed the bridge to bring my bike near the Institut de France (indeed l'Académie, where the Eternals are). And walked back to the Pont des Arts, the photos were nice shots and It's good that I've talked with Marty (he spent some time in Palestine a year ago) so I was a bit aware of the name of the places and the fact that between Cisjordania and Palestine there was a border check... Ramallah, Bethleem, Gaza... all those places seem so far away, but I really wish I go there some time soon... When I saw the picture I was thinking of how hard life must be there, when it is always at war, with this never ending conflict between Palestine and Israel... but looking at the pictures I had some sorts of "déjà-vus" as some places looked like being in some "poor suburbs" of Tahiti. And there were other photos near the sea, with kids jumping into the water, this reminds me of kids near the river in Papenoo... woah I'm extrapolating - does that word exist in English ?? in french it is 'extrapoler'. well, any way you got it, I found this pictures a bit harsh at some time, especially dealing with the border checks and the waiting area, but at some point, you see that there's still a life going on there...
It was then almost 8pm, or maybe more and the sun was starting to go down so I went back on my favourite means of transport to go back home... I drove along the quays, drivers are crazy at this time of the day, they're all so eager to go back home and I do understand them, but at least they could try to make efforts and not block the whole road when they pass when the fire is red... I continued to cycle until I arrived at the hotel de Ville, just the time to return/take my Vélib and then went up north by rue des Archives, there the street is less crowded, then rue de Bretagne and Saintonge, until Filles du calvaire!!!
Being on a cycle is just a whole adventure! I love it, I keeps me healthy (except from the car rejections), I can visit Paris by the same way, I enjoy the feeling of the air on my face, I like it so much when I ride fast and just let the bike go without having to cycle again... oh my god, how come that I've waited so long before getting my Vélib card, and it is so cheap !!! 30 euros a year. that correspond to one month of Navigo card (metro subscription)...
Well that's all for today !!! maybe I'm going to send another post by tonight to describe the memorable things we did the past week....
wait wait... one last word on the Pont des Arts, this is also one of my favorite spots, and bridges, one of the only pedestrians, it is the place to be during the summer, while I was looking at the Palesting pictures, I listened to the people who were drinking wine/eating bread & cheese there, there were lots of English speakers but also others that I had no idea of what their language was, but it is just so amazing to think than on those woods that constitute the bridge, so many people from different parts of the world can just sit one next to another one.... I have to tell the other that we have to go there, spent the night !
