Day 192: Hi, I'm Melanie. I'm a Colourexic.

Paris, Day 21. Ventured north and west today to yet-another market in one of the rich Parisian suburbs called Neuilly-sur-Seine.

I go to a market almost every day when I'm in Paris. This week, I started to wonder what my obsession is about.

Because it's not like I buy stuff at all of them. I mean, I do if I need something, but mostly I just wander around, staring at everything and photographing tomatoes.

I figured it out today, though: COLOUR.

Markets are a mile-long orgy of colour. And shapes. And textures. And visually interesting displays.

There's a quote from Picasso about going to the park and 'gorging on green.' That's exactly how I feel at a market or a fabric store: I'm pigging out on red, green, orange, yellow, the springtime colours of the flower stall.

Apparently, I'm starving for colour in my life. This is good to know.

It also explains why I'm already starting to dread my return to the taupe-shaded energy suck of the suburbs. Who decided that 31 flavours of BROWN and GREY were good for people? Sure they're unobtrusive and comforting to a point, but Jesus...LIVE A LITTLE.

Not that the 'burbs are totally to blame for my colourexia. I've been wearing nothing but black since 11th grade. And in my 20s I got into this thing where I'd only buy "classic" clothing: black pants, white shirts, grey cardigans, navy pinstripe suits. Aaaa! Kill me. No wonder I got depressed.

I'm rummaging through my suitcase right now. I'm dying for a little pink or yellow. Please GOD...YELLOW! Okay, I have ONE turquoise scarf. It's on now and I feel better. But clearly, I have a problem.

Um, Boyfriend?

Please have fifty bunches of tulips waiting for me, all different colours, all over the house. And piles of Clementine oranges, lemons and strawberries.

And could you drape colourful scarves all over my office? Purple ones, turquoise ones and orange ones. Also? Please set my reddest lipstick out. I'll be needing that. Oh, and when you pick me up? Wear a hot pink tie.

Thanks.

Love,
Me.

P.S. Speaking of colour, I now have a Flickr account. Some of the pics you've already seen, but there's a new Architecture set and the Market one is all new shots from this morning in Neuilly.