On Saturday I went to the PIFA finale. A fun street fair where they closed off Broad Street, threw down some sod and pretended Philadelphia was Paris.
I know there were a lot of cool things going on throughout the day but I was only there to meet some friends and see the Maudites Sonnants/The Celestial Carillon La Compagnie Transe Express, an aerial act hanging from a giant crane.
I really loved the performance. It was whimsical and creative and it gave me a chance to flex all my nerd muscles. Circus arts, music, sculpture. I was pretty happy.
While navigating through the big crowd to try to find my friends (never did find them) I stopped moving around the time the show was scheduled to start. I didn’t have a great view of anything happening on street level but I figured that this performance was something that was happening in the sky anyway.
So the show may or may not have started on time but from our vantage point it was about 45 minutes late. I got to overhear some amusing things from the restless crowds that very closely surrounded me.
“It figures. My first time ever in Philadelphia and it’s as crowded as New York City!”
(While being diverted through a restaurant because the street was too full) “What’s going on?” “I don’t know. It’s some kind of circus soleil shit.”
“Man, they are lucky we don’t have snowballs.”
“BOOOO!”
“Make way. Coming through. We have orchestra tickets. *They* start on time.”
“Oh. I guess he’s, like, the clown.”
“Do SOMETHING!!!”
“This is very French.”
“I do not want to have to take the 9:30 train.”
“Why would someone bring a baby stroller HERE?”
“Ooooh. Here come the girls. They look like BEASTS!!!”
“Ring that bell!”
“I’m pretty sure that’s a guy. It must be a guy! Do you think that’s a guy?”
“We’ve been here eight hours. I don’t think we should leave until the girls start swinging.”
“I will give any lady that gives me a hug a sip of my drink.”
“I have some free passes.” “No thank you.” “Umm okay, would you like to pay for them?”
