Things I Like About Life Here: PART 1

Sometimes people ask me why I am living in Paris...I guess the best answer is: Because I like it!

Here are a few things I like...

Lights with Timers
I like that in the hallways of apartment buildings and in public bathrooms the lights are on timers. You hit the button when you go in and the light comes on and stays on for a few minutes. Then you don't have to remember to turn it off when you leave the bathroom or when you go into your apartment, it just turns off. Just THINK of all the apartment building hallways and public bathrooms in the US that just leave the lights on all day, all night, every day, every night. Yikes.

Candy you can Count
If you want to buy some candy here you can go into a bakery (which you can find about every block...there are actually SIX just on my street) and you say how many pieces of candy you want. As in YOU SAY THE NUMBER. None of this," take a giant scoop of candy and put it in a baggy and write the PLU number on the slip and the cashier will WEIGH it for you and sell you the candy by the POUND" stuff like we have in the US. No. Here you go in the bakery and you look at the different candies they have and you say, 'I'll have 3 peach rings, 2 sour worms and 5 gummy bears, please." And each candy costs 5 cents...maybe 10 cents for something big.

Bakeries
Speaking of the bakeries, which you can find every block or so, if not more often than that...that's another thing I like! I love going into a bakery and getting a fresh baguette. It seems like everybody breaks off the very tip and eats it on the way home. It seems like a reasonable tradition...and who am I to argue? I break the tip off my fresh, warm baguette and pop it in my mouth as I walk home, like the rest of them.

Room-Temperature Water
Maybe I was always destined to live in Europe, because unlike most Americans (and very much like most Europeans) I don't like to drink my water cold...I like it room temperature. And it's not even a thing of sensitive teeth or what have you (I can bite into a popsicle without a wince!), it is just that I like my water lukewarm. Here in France the so-called office 'water coolers' have two spouts: one for 'cold' and the other for 'lukewarm.' Ahhh, those Frenchies. They really are after my heart!

The Concept of a Carrot

So, I haven’t been able to blog much lately…but I have had my hands full! Here is a small tableau from my working life to help you see what I am up against :)


My Boss: What do you think of the concept of a carrot?

(Me: thinking, searching, grasping at straws....Where is he going with this? Think, Tina! Think! Oh! I’ve got something. A really good stretch on my part, if I do say so myself….)

Me: You mean like the horse and the carrot? Like a reward?

My Boss: No.

(Shoot! Strike one…maybe I should try the more obvious route?)

Me: Um…you mean like the veggie?

(Moment of silence.)

My Boss: Did you know they weren’t originally orange?

(I don’t know what the hell he is talking about, but I’m willing to go with it…)

Me: Really?! That’s interesting. What color were they?

(Silence. My boss looks at the folder he’s been holding for the last 10 minutes. He seems very surprised to see it in his hands. He stands there for a minute marveling at the folder. He shakes his head. Smiles and gives a little laugh and walks away. End of conversation.)