--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "John" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I was there in Paris four years ago, passed by the University of > Paris, Sorbonne and bought a tshirt, then took some pictures of > Jardin de Luxombourg. These were all in the Latin Quarter, I > believe. I wish I knew more French words though.
When in doubt, again Google is your friend: http://www.google.fr/language_tools?hl=fr > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > So where did I wind up on a Friday night in Paris? Sitting > > at a really bad Mexican restaurant in the Latin Quarter, > > eating one of the worst tostadas I've ever had, drinking > > one of the worst margaritas I've ever had, but chasing it > > down with a not-half-bad Reposado. > > > > So why here? Simple. It has a window table, where I can > > sit and watch the people walking by. Even better, this > > table has an electical outlet next to it. Power plugs > > near the tables are scarcer in France than hen's teeth. > > And, to top it off, the restaurant has a not-half-bad > > mariachi band. The guys in the band know me, because I > > used to sit and write here when I lived in Paris, and > > whenever I come in they come to my table and sing me > > songs from the soundtrack of the film "Desperado." > > > > It's one of my favorite films, the second by that enfant > > térrible of the cinema from Austin, Texas, Rodriguez. > > He's one of my favorite directors because of his ability > > to juxtapose seemingly incompatible elements in his films. > > Action and romance. Fear and side-splitting humor. His DVDs > > reveal his True Inner Nature, because on each of them > > he includes one of his Ten Minute Film School clips, with > > the clear intent of inspiring young filmmakers around the > > world to do what he did, and turn their cheap HD video- > > cams and computers into full-fledged film careers. > > > > "Desperado" was the bigger-budget sequel to Rodriguez's > > first film, "El Mariachi." That first film was made on > > a budget of -- no shit -- 7000 dollars. He planned to > > shoot it and move it direct to video in Mexico to raise > > money for a "real" movie. Instead, someone entered it at > > the Sundance Film Festival, and history was made. I think > > it won the Audience Prize, and some studio offered him > > the chance to make a sequel. He did, in "Desperado," > > cementing his career as a bankable director, and taking > > along with him on the road to stardom Antonio Banderas > > and Salma Hayek, both of whom were relatively unknown in > > the US until then. To this day, both of these now major > > stars will go out of their way to do bit parts in > > Rodriguez's films -- partly because they feel they owe > > him a Big One, but also because people have FUN working > > on his movies. > > > > He's lighthearted, and creative, and open to feedback > > from and improvisation by his actors. He shoots in HD, > > on video, so the cost of film stock is not a concern > > for him. Between takes, as he steps out from behind the > > camera to interact with his actors, he keeps the camera > > rolling. And some of the best moments in his films have > > been caught before he got back to the camera, with the > > actors just bouncing off of one another, thinking they > > were "off camera." > > > > This restaurant is not terrribly Rodriguez-like. If it > > were, Bad Guys would have whipped out submachine guns > > and knives and done in most of the crowd by now. The whole > > restaurant would be awash with blood and gore. Only the > > bartender and I would have survived. (You'll get this > > in-joke only if you're also a fan of his movies.) But > > it's still pretty neat being here tonight, recharging > > my batteries (both computer and mental) before venturing > > forth to new adventures. > > > > In "Desperado," the hero's guitar case is really full > > of guns, with which he does his real "performing." Mine > > contains a laptop, on which I write shit like this at > > cafes and restaurants like this. Both of us are pretty > > weird by society's standards, but damned if we don't > > seem to be having more more FUN with life than many of > > the people around us who are carrying Gucci and Chanel > > bags and believing that others should be impressed by > > them.
