Near Place D'Italie

I am now staying in a songwriter's home near Place D'Italie and the Chinese Quarter. I arrived last night in a flurry of luggage, after a day of scrambling to do a million odds and ends to move out of my flat in Le Marais. The rental term ended and I had to leave my little nest! Funnily enough, I am only 3 or 4 doors down from my closest friend here in Paris...but he doesn't know yet!

I arrived here and was immediately invited to sit at the kitchen table, a guitar appeared and I had the great pleasure of hearing a beautiful, original French folk song called "Conform", as well as many folk-style Bruce Springsteen tunes. With help from the wine, I even sang...a little. The song was a Tom Waits tune and my host figured out an accompaniment on guitar.

We went to dinner around 10:30pm at a hidden, local joint...the kind of place you would never find without someone local guiding you...specializing in Basque food. I had a delicious chicken with stewed peppers. My host drank another bottle of wine. I refused, knowing I would regret it. The place was rowdy and packed and everyone in it appeared to me like cartoon characters of French personalities. I am willing to wager I was the only foreigner in the place! From the back room, there came big waves of loud, drunken singing and chanting...as though a championship game had been won. But there was no TV and it was 1am. We later learned from the waiter that they were a group of off-duty cops from the Basque Country, visiting on holiday. We watched them spill out of the place, one or two of them almost falling in my lap as they woozily twirled by...singing all the way out the door and beyond!

Over dinner, we had an intense...and albeit, wine induced conversation about feminism and patriarchal society, followed by an equally intense discussion about life as an artist. It's funny how many men think they are feminists and yet seem extremely uncomfortable on the topic of feminism. And in turn, many women think that they are not feminists and are extremely fascinated by the topic.

The French folk song that I was welcomed here with, spoke to me deeply. It's about someone who senses that he is different from the rest and is praying to God to please just let him be like everyone else, so that he can be happy and accepted by others. There was one line that translated to, "You must be sure to bow low, because if your head hangs above the others, you are in danger". This is something I have struggled with for a long time. I know that I minimize myself in this way...often hiding my strength, my talents, my beauty so as to fit in and not stand out. I have a fundamental fear that if I were to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, I would find myself alone. The sad part is, the opposite is probably true! There is so much more to say here...any thoughts from you, dear reader?

I am super happy that the sun is shining and it is at last a beautiful, blue sky day after many days of rain. After half a bottle of delicious white wine and a good, restful sleep last night, I am planning to make the most of it!