Christmas of abandoned beasts

Exact translations are always fun as seen by the above title. The billboard is really about some kind of event for people to adopt rescued animals in the spirit of Christmas but I find this translation to be oddly compelling like the Island of Misfit Toys gone more savage and helpless.

I like to watch people walk. In fact, I cannot help but study the way people walk as it falls under the category of the way things look and my brain is a video camera always on to avidly devour my surroundings. I see how everything is composed as if the whole world were a photograph or a painting, a film I am walking through. It's something I can't turn off and can't ignore, so I have chosen to study and appreciate it all. The overwhelming thing is then I feel full of images of beauty, fit to burst for lack of finding my way to communicate this for fear of boring the world.

I saw a man crossing through a parking lot on crutches today. One leg appeared to be quite weak for being the strong one, the other he would swing limply left and forward as if it had no bones. I've seen legs with prosthesis, bowed legs, injured legs, uneven legs, legs that end in duck feet but this was none of those––well, it was uneven. It seemed to be several inches longer and made of rubber. Why, I wonder. Is it exhausting for him to walk anywhere? Is he in pain? Is it temporary or is this his life? Has it always been this way or was he injured? Does he have people to love him? Where does he live? Does he eat fresh fruits and vegetables? Does he have to walk up and down many stairs?

There is a lot of walking to be done in Paris and the banlieue (surrounding suburbs). The streets are twisty turny, I'm forever wandering around aimlessly as I never can keep straight which direction is north––for a while I would always check the compass app on my phone as I left a metro station but I've given that up. With the onset of cold, the sky is generally grey giving me no glimpse of sun to guide me, the trees have not collected directional moss, and the streets will likely curve around to send you to unexpected locations. I generally don't get lost unless I'm looking for falafel and then I wander all around the neighborhood where I know I've been to good falafel pita restaurants but I never find the right street and end up right back at the metro where I started. I have to use google maps every time.  

Are you as concerned as I am about what direction you're facing? How many banana nutella crêpes do you think you could eat in one day? What are some of your favorite walks? Are you a people watcher?

PS. Apparently compass directions may go haywire soon anyway: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/11/are-the-earths-poles-about-the-flip.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=newshour

PPS. This is a really great list: http://brbl-archive.library.yale.edu/exhibitions/utopia/utoplit.html