One of the reasons I like this picture is because it reminds me of back home, where the leaves are just starting to change into their red, gold and orange hues. My hometown has roughly the population of a small high school; in fact, the town population doubles every day the local high school is in session.
The hustle and bustle of a million taxis, tourists and street vendors can be overwhelming at times. Being a flaneur, however, means being able to feel at home anywhere, especially in a crowd. For me, it's easier to find home away from home by making connections between the familiar and unfamiliar. People are always people. To paraphrase Langston Hughes, we all like to eat, sleep, drink and be in love; work, read, learn and understand life. Even though we speak a different language, that doesn't mean we're too different from everyone else. It's obvious from watching our host families, people in the metro, and everyone else that we actually have alot of things in common.
Other things in common? Everyone likes chocolate. I most certainly approve of the addiction the French have for Nutella. The leaves are another kind of connection, which somehow make Paris seem more like home. To me, this picture represents serenity in change; maybe that's what it means to be a true flaneur.
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