BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS »

Friday, October 10, 2008

A story of mime


Oh geez - I had to share this "Bridget Fun Fact" with all

Yesterday someone was talking on the radio about living in Paris,France etc...when I suddenly caught myself not listening to the radio anymore. My mind had drifted back to age 13 when I was with a travel group & we stopped in Paris for a couple days as well as other European countries & cities.

Besides getting stuck in the hotel elevator for hours before the front desk decided to do anything about it & missing the group trip to the Eiffel Tower at night, one of my favorite memories was being chased by a full fledged mime through the streets of Paris. Yep, you heard me right, a real mime literally chased me down the street cussing at me in French. I only knew he was cussing because the translator turned around, covered her ears, then shaking her index finger at him as if to scold him.

Here's how it all went down. We were on a walking sight-seeing tour throughout the city and I noticed for the first time in my life a mime on a box in full black & white costume including the face paint & beret. I couldn't have been in a more movie like situation. He's doing his thing & I stop to watch him for a minute while the rest of the group keeps moving knowing that I could quickly catch up. I don't remember standing there for maybe less than a minute to take it all in since I knew I'd probably never see this again. But as quickly as I could turn my back and start briskly trying to meet up with the rest of the students, I hear a thud, french dialect yelling behind me to see that he has jumped off his box & started to follow me. He's trying to relay something really angerily and being so young I think I either screamed or cried. If I had it to over again, I would have turned around & laughed in his face. Then said, get back to work buddy while pointing at his box only to remind him that he is mime & should not be speaking at all. After consulting with the translator, I guess it is customary to tip any street performers after taking in "their show" whether or not you like it. She did admit that he was being awfully pushy & should not have acted out like that so it was okay to ignore him. I was quickly learning that European & American traditions are completely different! How many times have you been downtown a city and seen a performer to just keep walking.You don't see them chasing women or young girls down the street,do you? I believe that would be called harrassment. I should have filed suit except their police are so corrupt over there it is ridiculous. I learned this in Nice, France. A story for a different time!

Hugs!

0 comments: