This time I got it right.

I woke up early enough to get the full experience. Shortly after Josh left for his exams I was out the door with a bundle of CD’s and brochures. I wasn’t sure what to expect so I planned for the full gamut. I must have handed out over 10 free CDs of the Compilation. Mostly to store owners but also to students and natives alike. I told them it was “Free American Music.” Some were ecstatic but I didn’t stick around to have a long conversation. I was on a mission.

I explored so long I not only lost track of time I lost track of direction. I was running low on CD’s and so I decided to shift gears. i began to sep out people who might be interested in brochures. I found a local music shop that let me lay a stack there, and I rewarded kindness with a free CD.

I know I was calling attention to myself by sitting in public handing out CD’s, taking pictures, smoking a VapePen, and trying to promote my business. Heck I am a VapeHead, that’s what we do. I bought a pack of the most mild cigarettes I could find to compare to VapePen, I half regret spending the money. On one hand a great test to see the difference in smoothness. It’s no contest, VapePen will always win even with weak smokes. On the other hand now I have a 6Euro piece of cardboard filled with Lucky Strikes. It’s not all bad, I used the cigarettes as social currency when approached by some jobless or homeless people. One man couldn’t speak very much english but I could tell he was happy for the cigarette as a gesture, and even happier just to have someone to talk to.

I showed him pictures in my business plan deck and all he could say was “That’s you?”. I nodded and he smiled wide. I didn’t make his day, he made my day. Such a vast contrast to the well dressed man who I could swear was following me all day. I just kept seeing him in all the shops I went to. I finally broke down and tried to give him a free brochure. He declined my offer in a very abrupt manner.

I was getting really exhausted and my stomach reminded me I had nothing to eat since breakfast. I started the day on nothing more than a 15″ Nutella infused Creap. So it was time to eat. I stop in one place around 3pm for lunch but as Josh told me before ‘most places do not serve food past a certain hour’. So I had to try another food stand. Both places had what I wanted, a nice juicy burger. The food here is really good! I guess enhanced food is not legal here so everything is organic and intrinsically healthier than most foods from the States.

I went to this one burger place where I just watched life pass by for a bit. Some kids just got out of school and were giving me the stare down. A group of 3 or 4 middle-school-aged girls walked by me three times giggling so I bailed. I kept thinking, “had they not giggled so immaturely they may have gotten a free CD,” and then I thought “no, no they wouldn’t have.” I was just about all out.

It isn’t always easy giving things away especially when it is free. There is a value behind currency that supposedly adds to the product when priced correctly; people who receive free gifts from strangers are not entirely sure how to take it. My reasoning for not talking to the youngsters. After eating my burger, I saw a little boy walk by carrying a trombone. Totally picture worthy, this kid was about half the size of the musical instrument he was carrying, it looked so funny. I wasn’t quick enough to snap a photo, wouldn’t have been right anyways. He knows how comical he must be, but his face was so serious. I made me nostalgic for when I was about his age and I playing the upright bass in grade school.

I attempted to fill my VapePen with some oil because it was getting a bit low and harsh. The whole day I was looking for a Vaporizing Head Shop that sold a component for my Knucklehead VapePen. I went to three different places and finally found a shop that had the right size filter. What luck, only 2Euro. I gave the store clerk a CD for being so friendly. His English was about as good as my French, which is literally not saying much, but we could communicate well enough. He even let me take a picture of the store to put on the site.

Being depleted of just about all my CD’s and most of my spending money for the day I pulled out my DSLR to take some cool pics. I put on my favorite playlist on shuffle. To the sounds of Michael Jackson I was snapping photos again. My phone went off and a friend from China was messaging me (closer time zones have made me even busier it seemed). I tried to respond but was in a photo-hunting groove. Then Josh called with news that he was done testing early. I started making my way back….the long way.

I asked a pretty young lade for directions back to the city. I was on the way on the other side. I gave her a free CD and made my way back.

30mins later I was on familiar ground, and soon sitting down for drinks with my friend Josh. We did like we normally do, public discussions of movie ideas and narrow minded “so-called-business folks”. I still cannot believe someone turned down my free gift! Their loss–I told myself & Josh.

We shared some laughs, bought a sandwich and walked back home. For dinner, a delicious burrito looking thing, a a viewing of “Reservoir Dogs” by Quentin Trentino. I had never seen the film but I have to admit, it was very captivating. I can see why Josh has been studying his form a bit.

The rest of the night was spent cleaning my area a bit, charging my batteries, and catching up on some blogging. I know I still owe a ton of pictures, but they are on their way I promise.