samedi

so on saturday i had some free time before my chilean friend arrived. i decided to walk around my neighborhood as my very in-style friend Brigitte recommended some streets for good bargains. there is a chain of stores called 'Sympa' which is like, 'cool' and i've noticed them around and always thought it was odd to see all these really well dressed young women digging through various bins. well turns out these bins are full of last year's designer clothes. and french designer clothes are serious business. so this is how everyone is so well dressed, duh, they don't actually buy chanel. go figure.
so here i am at the corner of my street, the bar that i was at briefly last night is once again open - i don't think it ever closes, actually. the patrons are back, probably the same ones who kept me up all night by partying in the street, drinking, singing, and smoking hash around their scooters. i see them all drinking beer at 10 am and that's when i made the realization, duh, why the hell am i ordering orangina all the time when beer is only 2 euros? (any sort of soda is a least 3 or more).
i notice down the street a foule, a mob of sorts on the streets, sidewalks. that's where i'm going, must be a market. and it is, your pig's feet and heads, your rabbit and olives and super fresh cheese and veggies. and then i see a scene like what you see on the news, people mobbing a delivery truck, refugees fighting for rice and stuff. but this isn't a UN convoy; this one that was likely carjacked, as it is carrying prada purses and Dolce and Gabbana belt buckles. i try to get in closer but someone pulls my hair, yanks my bag and literally tosses me out of the way to get to a prada wallet. this is no mellow little italy market, these people are raving mad. i could die here. i wander off.
further down i see more african fabric stores and then, a big shoe warehouse, a sort of filene's basement only, this isn't a department store, it's an old theater. there's a large stage with a red velvet curtain, fancy chandeliers, gold adorned columns and molding, a swirling staircase that leads to two balconies. and bins of designers shoes for 10 euros!! this is awesome. i'm digging through a pile of kickers, a british shoe i love and had actually considered buying after seeing in a window for 10 times that much. there's only the left shoe, and i figured out you bring it to the dude and he finds the other one and off you go. cash only. and that's how it goes. i have a brand new pair of blue suede shoes!