Dan Lipka Web Log

On my weekend get-a-way to Paris, our little group was walking along the outskirts of a very famous artists’ marketplace and we saw a young collage-age girl playing a musical instrument on the corner. She was a good looking white girl, dresses nicely and obviously trying to make a few Euros by playing music. A man was talking to her in a very serious voice and she looked quite distressed. Lindy’s friend, a French woman who has lived in Paris all her life said to me in a frustrated tone, “That man works for the government and is making her leave [because she doesn’t have a permit], they are such racists”. I was taken back by her racist comments as the woman and the undercover police officer were both white. She explained to me that the French police often target the respectable looking white people because “they don’t want any trouble”. That the ethnic minorities were aloud to get away with more because the police feared that if they tried to interfere there might be problems. I

Lindy, Molly, and I decided to jet off to Paris for the weekend. We left Friday and came back Monday; this being one of the great benefits of being married to a Flight Attendant. I had never been to Paris and it was a rushed, but very good experience. Part 1 – Notre Dame – Three Quick Thoughts As we walked through one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, Notre Dame de Paris, I was amazed, awed, inspired, and curious. The stained glass was pure and bright, the details intricate and beautiful, the rooms were original and functional. Notre Dame implored many emotions, but one thing that it seemed to completely miss was joy. Nobody was smiling, nobody laughed, nobody looked happy. There was no joy in the art or in those stone walls. I noticed this half through my walk inside and at the end I mentioned it to Lindy, and as I did, I noticed the two people in front of us smiling, their faced filled with joy and love, and I thought my theory was quickly proven wrong. But they weren’t