Pantin

Right. Today I spoke to mum and she assures me it's time to update this blog. .. But I've actually just spent the day pawing over plans and photos of of a small commune -just North of Paris - called Pantin, so I'm not sure I'm going to get a lot written. -- Pantin could easily be considered as a part of "Les Banlieus," or dangerous outer Parisian suburbs. It's composed of a confusing mis-match of crumbling, early to mid century industrial warehouses, government funded housing and high-rises, small, litter-strewn parks and the odd shiny glass and steel French administration building. - The entire mix seemingly swept aside from the romantic Paris known to the bourgoises, tourists and artists - somewhere out of sight to the North.

On first arriving in Pantin, I have to admit I wasn't immediately excited about spending the next 6 months focussed soully on such a grey little patch of suburbia, but with every visit, I've actually come to find the place is growing on me. - Pantin is character rich. When you stop and just watch how things work, and what happens in the bronx, you don't tend to focus so much on the cold concrete landscape.

Small groups of hooded teenagers wagging school search for a quieter place to smoke and swear. Fishermen by the canal with tattered old shopping trolleys full of bread, vinegar-smelling red wine and leathery cheeses happily chat away amongst themselves - largely ignoring their dinky rods with slack lines. Joggers on the water's edge dodge their way along the canal, jumping from cobbled stone surfaces to broken concrete slabs, constantly searching for the flattest surface to run on. And then of course there's the architecture students. At a glance, some joke and jostle amongst each other, other break-aways bend or stoop low. Pause. Then with a fuzzy digital click, capture a rusty boat mooring at a curious angle. Or a feathery shadow being spread on the concrete by a factory's broken window pane.
Other's sit and sketch, and others still (like me) make the mistake of asking the fisherman if they've had any luck, getting nothing but lies and laughs in reply.

So basically, (aside from the pretty heavy social calendar organised for most nights of the week ) I'm starting to switch over from tourist mode to student mode. But am still finding a bit of time to be the archi student taking the odd-angled photo, or sitting down for a sketch - so ! - still very good times :) Cheers, Tim.