After six weeks of almost no live music, the Paris concert calendar is once again packed. And since tickets sell out faster than you can say “Fnac surcharge,” it’s important to stay on top of things. So here’s a selection of some of the best concerts coming up in September, beginning with local furry favorite Herman Düne.

Herman Düne - 09/09 @ Point Ephémère

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Today I took part in La Parisienne, an annual 6k run/walk for women that benefits the fight against breast cancer. The course goes around the area of the Eiffel Tower, and in the days beforehand they have events and fitness classes - this year, a lot of yoga, to match the Indian (India Indian) theme.

Unfortunately my friend Ju couldn’t join me as we had planned because she woke up with a bad cold. So I went on my own. The weather was perfect for running - cool and cloudy. We lined up on the Pont d’Iéna by the Eiffel Tower.

One group’s sign has a butterfly and the words “Les Elles” - that’s a pun, as elle (she) sounds the same as aile (wing).

Another group of four was dressed like commandos (one can only hope they weren’t going commando as well) and were holding up sheets with their names, not clear why.

There used to be more men in drag doing the race, but they have started cracking down on that. I did see one guy in a blond wig, who must have jumped in after the starting line.

There were musical groups along the way to entertain us, a couple of which were even Indian to go with the theme of the race.

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It happens every autumn in Paris. And it’s truly astonishing, if not for the miles of clothes, than the incredibly beautiful women prowling about: Pret-à-Porter Paris opened Friday and runs through this Monday (8 September). This year it’s called SALON THE BOX.

I worked with one exhibitor to design and print a 1 by 2-meter print on durable Tyvek and a 50-page catalog for PRETTY BOX, a boutique at 46, rue de Saintonge 75003, specializing in high-end vintage clothes and accessories. Pretty Box is an unusual shop, lovingly stuffed with delicious finds. Owners Nico and Sarah scour the world for vintage women’s bags in ostrich, lizard and crocodile from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. One client seeing the bags at the salon suspended with chains from the ceiling told them to stash them away for 10 years and then take the lot to the auction houses. “It’s true,” says Nico. “These bags just don’t exist anymore. They will be worth a fortune.” He says Pretty Box has put some away, and they’re planning a trip to the “mecca of vintage” – Los Angeles – sometime in early 2009. Along the way, Sarah and Nico pick up rare finds in belts, shoes and knock-out années folles dresses.

One thing though about the Salon. It is immense. We’re talking thousands and thousands of square meters of shopping madness. But it’s fun. My guess is the rivers of global fashionistas now hailing cabs all over Paris will be exhausted from it all but not disappointed.

Salon The Box Paris Expo - Porte de Versailles - 75015. Pavillon 7 Niveau 1, Porte D.

The French media have been obsessing over the U.S. presidential election for months. And while the headlines are focused on Sarkozy’s trip to Syria and the growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the nomination of Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate is right up there. So just what do the French make of this?

Well, after spending a lot of time perusing Le Monde, Le Figaro, Liberation, and bunch of blogs (this after spending way too much time reading the Washington Post and the New York Times), my only conclusion is that they don’t know what to think. Europeans in general have been so excited about the prospect of Obama becoming president that they seemed to have forgotten that he hasn’t yet been elected.

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Tired of shlepping your guide books around Paris? If you have an iPhone, you might want look into Frommer’s Paris Guide, which fits nicely on your favorite mobile phone from Apple (You must have iTunes installed on your Mac or PC to view this). This is basically the hard copy guide book, but in a digital and more convenient format (for 7,99 €).

While we’re on the subject of i-things, Apple is rumored to be announcing new iPods next Tuesday, September 9, so keep an eye out for that. By the way, iPod Touches are basically iPhones without the phone (but with internet), so most (if not all) iPhone apps should be able to work on these.

Not long ago, this conversation took place in my apartment:

French boy: I’ve ordered something online for us.
American girl: What’s that?
FB: A cul de poule!
AG: …Come again?
FB: Chicken butt!
AG: … Is that, um, something you’d like to try?
FB: Absolutely! And it’s silicone - so not hard to clean!

This went on for some time, with me becoming increasingly horrified until I realized we were talking about cooking. A cul de poule (big sigh of relief) is just a big bowl for whipping and melting.

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La Blogothèque announced its new Soirée de Poche around noon on Thursday, inviting fans of the Bowerbirds (or simply the scene) to request a ticket by email. The deal: a free concert in a secret location to be revealed on the day of the show. Within minutes almost every spot was taken.

Among the lucky 100 to get in, I was witness to quite the sweet and spine-tingling show. In a loft space in Montreuil, this band of three played to a spellbound and completely silent group (the only movement coming from cameras in nearly everybody’s hand). I joined in the documentary spirit and what follows is a video teaser from the night.

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L’Etrangere has a thoughtful take on all those sour-faced (albeit tanned) Parisians in the streets this week:

Combine an already pessimistic national character with a return to work after the summer and Paris starts to feel funereal. You can feel it on the Metro and watching the hordes of workers surge past in the business district. Every student I’ve seen since yesterday morning has complained about something or other. I asked one, whom I hadn’t seen in two months due to her sprawling summer holiday, how her trip went, smiling expectantly. She said it was fine and then immediately launched into a long and bitter diatribe about how shitty the public transportation system is. All this because she got to work 15 minutes late today. I think we’ve crossed over from glass half empty to can’t see anything in the glass at all.

I read a piece in the IHT yesterday that went beyond my small sample size. Apparently, this is a “particularly morose” return because people are hesitant about the slowing economy and decreased purchasing power. Well, these are legitimate causes for concern, but there are reasons the French economy is stagnant (beyond the ripple effect of the American market crisis) and part of it has to do with the lack of dynamism and resistance to change. It’s the French paradox of complaining about how bad things are but then complaining (translation: striking) when something is poised to change.

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I won’t say that this sight is an everyday occurrence in Paris. On the other hand, not unexpected or unusual.

The only difference was that the butcher’s truck was stopped on a side street in Montmartre, blocking traffic. I was walking up the sidewalk and just snapped the shot.

Did I happen to witness an astronauts convention by coincidence? Did France suffer a nuclear accident that only I was aware of?! Nope, these weird little white men are simply harvesting honey from the Luxembourg gardens beehives. We still have beehives in the middle of Paris (there and in the Georges Brassens park) that are used by the members of a society that was founded in 1856. By the way, if you’re around the area on September 20 and 21, you’ll have the opportunity of buying this honey.