Street Scene

"J'en ai marre" is one of those great little expressions, hard to translate word for word and completely baffling to Google Translate. It means "I'm fed up" and that's exactly how I feel about a little situation that's developed on our corner. Since there's a small supermarket there, there's often someone hanging out, bumming a cigarette or change. But for the most part, these guys have come and gone, rarely spending more than a day or two before disappearing. Then a couple of weeks ago, two new faces showed up and within a matter of days, had installed themselves on the sidewalk. I say "installed" because they have a special talent for accumulating furniture -- a couch, an office chair, a huge mirror, a rug, a mattress -- enough to get them by until the next bulk trash collection and then they start all over again. They're noisy, rude, and mostly drunk. And while the police have been by, unless these dudes become more aggressive or overtly criminal, there's not much that can be done. I'm just hoping that when September rolls around and there are more people around to raise a stink, that they'll pack up and move along.


Charming, huh? I don't think the tourist bureau would want you to see this slice of Parisian life. Me neither.