Paris Journal 2009 – Barbara Joy Cooley

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As we walk along the Seine on Sundays, we see the occasional mysterious opening to a space under the end of a bridge or under the street paralleling us, which is one level up. Sometimes the openings show clear signs that somebody occupies the space inside. Who, we wonder? Do they have permission to be there? Are they otherwise homeless people who are for some reason allowed to stay? Why? All the tents for homeless people seem to be gone now, at least in the very center of the city. On Sunday, the mystery was partly solved for us -- at least in the case of the opening under my favorite bridge, the Pont Alexandre III, on the left bank. There is an installation of sculpture on exhibit there now, ongoing until July 14. The works are those of Malam, and the exhibit is presented by an organization called Les Gardiens du Pont, and a group that goes by the acronym, MACAQ. MACAQ stands for “Mouvement d’Animation Culturelle et Artistique de Quartier.” It organizes events and activities to create social ties and “solidarity” within neighborhoods. MACAQ also has a humanitarian branch that distributes books, clothes, and other items for people in poor countries such as in Africa. And they support education projects in those places. Malam is an artist from Cameroon. His real name is Isacc Essoua Essoua. In the exhibit, we watched some of the video about him. He makes the faces/heads of his statues by wrapping his own face in a pliant plaster, then taking it off when it reaches the right consistency. After he removes the plaster, some remains around his eyes and mouth – a strange effect. The exhibit, called “Mussango,” which means “peace” in Cameroonais. Les Gardiens du Pont seems to be an organization bent on producing art exhibits under the bridges. One reviewer on the web said this about the current show: “At the time when we commemorate the 65^th anniversery of the Allied invasion of Normandy, this odd exposition is presented as a reminder of human cruelty. The bodies and mutilated silhouettes – near horror but far from reality, in a message of peace, but also of hope for the future.” A sign in front of the exhibition relates it to the journey “en route to the White House” – the election of Barack Obama, even though the artist created this work before that campaign took place. After working all afternoon yesterday, we went out for a walk at 8PM, down to the Boulevard Montparnasse. Tom wanted to eat at the standard old brasserie, Le Select. The menu was limited there, and so he ordered the steak (bavette, with shallots), and I ordered the veal chop. Mine came with a correct Normandy sauce and sautéed mushrooms. Both of our dinners came with nicely sautéed little potatoes. Tom’s steak was tough, as French steaks generally are, and my veal chop was just perfect. Portions were so generous that we were happy we did not order an appetizer or dessert. We also had a nice, brief visit with the resident cat at Le Select. He’s a big tabby, very old and very mellow. In the news, the French are going nuts over the death of Michael Jackson. Enough said. There was an interesting little article about an important event, the development of a blood test for lung cancer. Supposedly, with the current diagnosis method involving an x-ray, fibroscopy of the bronchial tubes, and scans, the process can take two months or more, during which time the disease worsens. This new blood test can be done quickly and can detect the disease at a very early stage. The work is being done by Biosystems International, in Evry, in the Essonne department of France. The test is showing far more accuracy for lung cancer (80%) than the PSA does for prostate cancer (35%). Clinical trials will be conducted at a hospital in Seine-St. Denis before release of the test into the marketplace next year. After this test for lung cancer, researchers at Biosystems plan to work on similar tests for cancers of the breast and colon. I meant to tell you about an intriguing detail from our visit to the café at the Musée Branly on Sunday. With his coffee, Tom received a little cookie in a packet, and two triangular packets of sugar. That’s not unusual; but what was printed on the packets was. The cookie, called a “Maya,” had a stamp on the front of its package that said “Max Havelaar – Fairtrade Garantie.” There’s a web site URL printed on the back: www.maya-ft.be Here’s a link to the English version. This is evidently a Belgian company importing fair trade honey from South America to Europe. The company also gives money to beekeeping organizations. On to the sugar. This came from a company called Ethiquable, which imports white cane sugar from Paraguay. They have a web site, too: www.ethiquable.com . It is a cooperative, also associated with the Max Havelaar label. One other unusual siting at the café at the Musée Branly: a highchair. For some reason, you don’t see these very often in Paris restaurants. In fact, small children are somewhat rare in Paris restaurants. But this café is very family/kid friendly. The café at the Musée Branly is surrounded by a lush garden. ← Previous Next → Sign my guestbook. View my guestbook.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 Scenes from the show, “Mussango.” Sorry for the blurriness. The entrance to the show. Entry was free. High chair at the café in the Musée Branly.