I dream a world

Black Collegian, Oct 1996 by Chiles, Richard A

PARIS As I rush up the stairs from the shoulderto-shoulder crunch of the crowded subway station, I hear the familiar toll of church bells. It is six o'clock, and the weekend is ready to begin. A group of young brothers are rhyming along with rap lyrics booming from a radio on a nearby corner. School kids chase a ball down a narrow street and drag their textbooks somewhere far behind, as business men loosen their ties. Monday and the work week will come again soon enough, but for now, it is the weekend in the city. But this is no ordinary city. This is Paris, the City of Light. And for the summer, it is my home.

Paris. The name alone brings a romantic twinkle to many daydreaming eyes. The image of handholding lovers strolling along the Seine, or stealing a quick kiss underneath a glittering fountain, is enough to soften even the most hardened of hearts. The smell of fresh croissants baking at a sidewalk cafe, or the first taste of beignets or crepes hot from the oven remind any banker or lawyer that they too were once wide eyed school children.

If nothing else, Paris is a city of imagination and dreams. Painters line the Boulevard St. Michel, bringing the city and imagination to life for native Parisians and tourists alike. Each block and neighborhood is like a street scene from a fairy tale, and the people of this city of make believe are all too willing to play their role in creating their city's magic. But for me, none of the French make me feel welcome quite as graciously as St. Germain's lively African and Caribbean communities. Yes, there are indeed brothers and sisters kicking it in the streets of Paris. In addition to colonialists from Cote' de Voir in Africa and Martinique in the Caribbean, several generations of American expatriates sought refuge and creative freedom in the city of light. Among the most famous include the novelist Richard Wright, who made his home in St. Germain, and scores of American jazz musicians who made the Paris scene in The Latin Quarter. Paris' street corners and quaint alleyways have inspired poets and artists for generations and served as backdrops for many of Hollywood's romantic fantasies. It is a romantic city whose heart pulses along the Seine river which flows through its heart.

The European continent as a whole is an exciting mix of old and new where ancient and twenty-first century technologies meet. Quaint cottages lean in the shadows of concrete and steel skyscrapers, as farmers' oxcarts may share the road with luxury sedans. Nothing made that mix in extremes more apparent than my drive through the French countryside approaching the English Channel crossing port at Calais. Acres and acres of French farms stretch out from the roadside as they have for centuries, marked only by the rough stone remains of a Norman farm house or the elaborate grand facade of a 17th century country chateau.

ENGLAND The ferry crossing to Dover England is relatively uneventful as hundreds of cars and busses exchange national language and culture daily. But the first sight of the British isle against the misty channel is astounding, as the sheer white cliffs of Dover rise to scaling heights from the sea. At its peak, the British empire touched all four corners of the globe. Today, that once great empire is contained on this land mass of the British isle. But while the empire's colonies have long since declared their independence, they have each added to the many flavors which make England a cosmopolitan and global center. And no place showcases that mix more than England's capitol city of London.

LONDON London itself, as the country it heads, is actually a collection of cities or municipal districts. It is composed of Chelsea, Kent, Kensington, and Westminster, the City of London. While the Queen may have chosen Westminster to rest her head at Buckingham Palace, London's West Indian citizens chose the eastern suburb of Brixton to recreate the flavor of their Caribbean homelands. All throughout this district you can hear the pulsing beat of Ska and reggae mixing with the smooth rhythm and blues sounds of London soul. These sounds and the smell of Jamaican jerk chicken left no doubt that I was home in this bustling Black sector of the city. Just a quick subway or "tube" stop away from the crowded Piccadilly Circus tourist center, Brixton has a flavor all its own. While you'll still find the traditional pubs and fish and chip shops which form the staple of British social life, Brixton takes these prim passions and moves them to a cool island beat. For the proper Englishman, kicking back at the pub with a pint of Guiness or a Red Stripe is the perfect cap to a day on the job.

Throughout London, these extended family rooms become distinct community centers filed with rowdy revel about football (soccer) and politics. But the Brixton beat mellows to a more soulful groove with a lilting rhythm that feels like home. My favorite spot is the down-to-earth Soul Daddy's on West 10 near Kensington. Cornbread with butter melting on it is always fresh out of the oven, just like that from my mother's kitchen, and Otis Reading sings". these lonely arms of mine."