toxicomane and Chinese cinema

Two firsts in the last 24 hours:

1) I saw my first weird-ass druggie person in Paris. You see punkish sorts of kids lying around with their dogs all over the place, just like in Berkeley or the Haight, but until today I'd never come across one of those people whose mind has been turned to mush after a few too many raves and meth soirées. Not a pretty sight. Fortunately though, still not as bad as this downward spiral or faces of meth.

2) On a lighter side, I saw three movies with Claire last night by the director who did I'm in the Mood for Love and 2046. Claire's in second-year Chinese and has to do a presentation, so she was cramming all the movies into one night. Maybe Jean could tell me that these films are actually some kind of perverse look at Hong Kong life and Chinese culture, along the lines of Amelie for Paris and the French; and the director has some visual tics that he reused in two of the movies; also, the unrequieted love thing got kind of old over the course of the evening, especially since I was technically on a date. Nonetheless, I thought the movies were quirky and great and stunningly filmed, so it was a lovely evening of Chinese cinema.

I particularly liked the one about the policeman and the noodle shop girl. Lydia, if you're reading, she somehow reminds me of you.

As for tonight, supposed to be another night on the town at Favela Chic! Photos and blogging tomorrow.