Our "Tentatives d'Epuisement des Lieux Parisiens"

Carrie à la Perec.

15 janvier 2004
la place Saint-André des Arts

15h10

Il y a deux femmes à côté de moi qui parlent en anglais avec les accents (français et quelque chose d'autre que je ne peux pas dire). Une dit à l'autre, "Look at that coat!" Deux seconds après ça, une vieille femme traverse la rue devant ma fenêtre, en portant un monteau enorme de fourrure.

- A man passes, carrying a plastic bag just bulging with things.
- A woman holding a book and a cell phone stops at the bike rack (empty) to talk, then moves on.
- An orange truck (Surbeco) passes on rue Danton.
- A young girl with a backpack is wearing a scarf with many little holes in it.

The closer people walk to my window, the shorter the amount of time I have to see them before they pass by.

- un homme porte un club sandwich -- il mange sur le pouce
- une femme avec deux jeunes enfants leur montre le shop avec les affiches et les vêtements
- A girl walks by with a Jansport-like backpack slung over her right shoulder -- the way we used to wear them in eighth grade.

A cycler cycles by from Rue Suger. There are not that many people emerging from there into the square; most are disappearing down the road *coming* from the square.

A guy with a black coat and a black backpack passes carrying a skinny long object wrapped in black material. He has a colored hat.

The woman next to me lights a cigarette. I don't see anyone with a cigarette outside. Inside I see 3 from where I sit.

Deux jeunes filles entrent dans le café et il devient froid pour un moment jusqu'à ce que la porte se ferme.

A man walks by with a bajillion camping supplies strapped to his back.

Deux camions blancs passent. Il n'y a pas d'autobus ici.

A pigeon takes off on a diagonal trajectory from one corner of my window to the other. Nothing seems to have made him take off.

A woman walks by holding a sort of long stick, swinging it back and forth.

Another pigeon (or the same?) marches past the Metro entrance looking like he's about to go in.

Not only can I not see everything going on at once, but I can barely write down what I do see in time to catch something else. Everything is simultaneous and my handwriting degenerates.

The sky has faded more into white since the last time I looked at it. The blue fades into the clouds and everything is more of less white-gray.

Camion jaune de la poste goes by on rue St. Andre des Arts.

15h47

laughter at the bar behind me.
The two non-English women speaking English have left.
It seems to get colder.

An old lady in a sea-green coat with clear plastic over her hair starts to sprint across the square.

White birds fly around in circles at the carrefour at the end of rue Danton.

Ah! le 96 Gare Montparnasse autobus passe. Je ne savais pas qu'il y en a un ici.

The sky is even more uniformly gray-white, and there are no more pigeons on the ground. There is more swooping and gliding of pigeons flying by.

Un homme et une fille aux cheveux rouges (dyed) marchent ensemble, les bras enlacés.

Vieille femme très distinguée entre dans le Metro. Jeune femme pas très distinguée avec chapeau jaune et noir porte une chemise orange.

Une femme passe avec une écharpe qui ressemble à celle de Jenny.

Je ne connais personne dans cette ville.

16h03




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