Breakfast this morning - Pain aux Sucre, Pavé, Baguette and Bonne Maman Conserves
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01/18/2003 Entry: "Paris Neighborhood"
Just came back from watching The Truth About Charlie – it was set in Paris, so I was curious to see how the French would react to it. Heard some laughter here and there, smirks at the end – the movie could’ve been done better, but it was good enough for a Saturday night for a person like me with nowhere to go and nothing to do. I felt quite grateful that I could watch the movie in the eyes of a Parisian – being critical of the all too common baguette and Eiffel Tower scenes, but I guess that’s the real Paris anyway, cliché or not, I do see a person with a baguette every few meters or so, and I do look for the Eiffel Tower every time I pass by it on Metro Line 6.
On my way home I ran into my banker Pascale and we exchanged ‘Bonsoirs’. I was just thinking, one of the best things about living in Paris is the sense of community. Everything is just around the corner – banker, boulanger, patissier, hairdresser. They would recognize your face whenever you came in, greet you when you passed by. I pass by this fruit stand everyday, and whenever they see me they say ‘Bonjour’, and whenever I buy fruits they always give me something extra, like a lollipop or a chocolate marshmallow (ok, maybe they think I’m a kid, but they’re still nice). It sorta reminds me of the opening scene of the Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast, where Belle goes around town and everybody comes out and yells, Bonjour! That’s a glorified version though, the real Paris is a bit dirtier (gotta watch out for dog poop!), and sometimes, there are some mean old ladies that would rather have you get out of their way than be friendly.
