Miami South Beach Blues: septembre 2008

mercredi 17 septembre 2008

fashion victim....

You want to be trendy this summer? No need to go to a Boot Camp to get them!!! Just wear those plastic boots, any models will fit, dotted boots, unicolored boots, striped ones, Burberry Tartan type, (no matter if the sun is shining, and the temperature is over 95° Fahrenheit, just have your feet in those things !!! I did not see any "LV" logotype but it should not be long before some Funny Designer has the idea to invent this model!!!

We spent 2 weeks in New York City, before touring in Florida last summer, and noticed that THE trend is just the same there. We saw dozens of fashionistas, brightly booted and wearing very short silken skirts!!!! quite an image!! I think I should start a business in Paris shortly and import tons of boots pobably "made in China"!!! (that's just the next Trend after the CROC wave!!)

Paradise is way up there, but just wait here

Mini-Gator from the Naples Zoo

We made a real smashing encounter at the Naples Zoo. A new born Gator. People living in Florida, share their land with....over a million of aligators, some of them weighting about five hundred pounds!!! They said that a caiman could spend 2 years without eating anything, not meaning that their belly is empty, it's quite the contrary!!! they eat untill they are full up and can go on a diet for almost 24 months!!! But be carefull if you pass by one of these monsters, they might change their mind!!!

Meter on the beach

and if you don't pay, you will be towelled away too!

Do not dock your Gallion here!!!

You will be either towed away, or even worse, at owner's risk...

"Company CLerk"

Stars and Stripes

Last month, as we made a round trip in florida, we stopped at Punta Gorda and found a little Museum , the "Military Heritage & Aviation Museum" at the Fishermen's Village. We met there a very gentle Man who runs the Museum, his name is Pat. We spent an hour with him, and he introduced us to the marvels of his Museum.

At the entrance , one can see a big flag, and he explained that this flag was painted by the kids of a local school there in Punta Gorda and the children printed their hands to make blue stars and red stripes and then sent the flag to the Troups based in Irak, were probably some of their fathers had been sent. Then the Marines all proudly signed the flag and returned it to the school where it originated. (forgive my english!!) This is a real proof of Love and Faith, and now the flag is in the Musuem where it belongs for ever!

A big friendly hug to Pat who presented his fabulous drawings and caricatures. He happened to be a painter for advertising murals and billboards (we would call him a "peintre en lettres") and he is retired now. We share a common passion for billboards (I have quite a huge collection of ektachromes from all over the U.S. that I intend to present in a future bog, some were taken in Forida back 20 years ago....but it will take time to scan all slides and B&W films!!!)

I'm an architect, and I started to build 3D Us motel signs. I hope Pat will see some of them in these pages....

samedi 6 septembre 2008

reflexion

DId you take you vitamines today??

Les Américains sont sans doute les champions des vitamines. On en prend à toute occasion, et les têtes de gondoles dans les Hypermachés ne sont pas en reste pour vous rappeler votre dose quotidienne!! Mal de tête, mal de ventre, la nausée....une gelule existe pour résoudre chacun de vos maux!

Gators are swee(a)ts!!

FLamingo attitude

Gator droppings

Gators

Les HAbitants de FLoride partagent leur Territoire avec 1 million d'aligators!

mercredi 3 septembre 2008

You have to pay

En arrivant de l'aéroport, nous cherchons un parking. Car la vraie galère est là, c'est le parking! Autant la voiture est un outil indisoensable et obligatoire aux Etats Unis, autant ici à Miami Beach c'est un boulet. Des centaines d'interdictions et mises en garde en tout genre fleurissent sur les trottoirs, les façades des immeubles, "park at your own risks", "vous vous garez à vos risques et périls"!!!, "enlèvement immédiat", "zone résidentielle parking interdit".... Le moindre trottoir est une source de revenus pour la VIlle! les parkings d'hôtels sont bourrés en permanence, les parcmètres fonctionnent jusqu'à minuit et redémarrent à 6 heures du mat. (ou 7H00??) 2 dollars de l'heure çà monte vite. LEs parkings publics sont répartis à peu près partout dans Miami Beach, mais le gag..... vous payez pour 12 ou 24 heures snas possibilités d'alleées et venues... si vous décidez d'une petite ballade, au retour, le compteur repart à zéro!!
Certains parkings publics "officiels" affichent clairement les prix, d'autres vous proposent des tarifs à la tête du client, entre 15 et 40 dollars les 12 heures! à négocier férocement, même si l'agent (improvisé et auto procalmé??) en face de vous (torse nu, Rayban fumées sur le nez, et hâle genre BeachBoy) semble tout juste sorti d'une after sur Collins.