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 I'm
back in the saddle - sitting here in front of the computer, still a
little jet lagged after my return from Paris, France on 2:00 a.m.
Thursday morning. Paris time, that's 8:00 a.m. So, aside from being
excited to see my kids and overly exhausted from an eight hour delay
in Boston and Washington airports, (don't ask!), sleep just wouldn't
come.
Voila!! I just pretended it was morning, and that I
was wide awake! I checked my children, sat in my office and caught up
on a weeks' worth of mail, E-mail and voice mail that couldn't be
woken up.
O.K. - now it's 7:00 a.m. and time for Ransom car
pool! Nothing like a rude awakening back into my Pinecrest life
reality. Not that it's so bad or difficult - but there is nothing like
a week away in gay Paris to let the stress melt away and feel, well,
like a person without a care in the world.
I stayed with my sister, her two kids and husband in a
fantastic apartment which overlooked the Eiffel Tower. Fantastique! In
honor of the year 2000, the tower's sparkling lights go off every
hour. They looked like enormous fireflies darting and dancing around
on this huge steel structure, lighting up the sky.
During my week of shopping, eating and adsorbing the
Parisian lifestyle, I couldn't help but compare the life there to that
in my Pinecrest digs.
Firstly, you're talking about city life versus
suburbia.
I mean, my sister's washing machine and dryer could
fit about one hours' worth of clothing at one time. That is, the
amount of clothes that my kids wear in one hour. It's cooler, so maybe
people don't sweat as much and don't need as many changes of clothes?
( I don't think so.)
The choices for food in Paris are amazing. At the
markets, people stand in line to weigh, measure, feel and examine the
food they may purchase. With 95% of Parisian women in the work force,
no wonder they have a high Prozac consumption. If you have to perform
this food buying routine, work and then cook, who wouldn't want to
commit hari cari by days' end? I can hardly handle going to Publix.
Many Parisians go food shopping on a daily basis. As a
result, their meals are fresher and taste better. In fact, people take
real pleasure in consuming and savoring their food; businessmen,
school children and the like often come home for a home-cooked lunch
and make eating out into a lengthy dining experience. Reservations
don't really matter - your slot is when someone is done with their
meal.
Let's talk bread. French people are into their bread.
They feel it, discuss it, analyze the outer crust. Yes, breads can
really differ. But please hand me over the
frozen-in-France-and-baked-in -Miami baguette at Joanna's and I will
be perfectly happy. Who has time for more?
"Quick" food places exist, but god forbid
you're seen walking in or out of one. Mais non!
Services and products in France are very
compartmentalized. Want something electrical? Go to an electrical
store. Need sweets or chocolate? There are stores that only sell
candy. Want fresh breads? Got to a boulangerie. A pastry or sweet
dessert? Visit a patisserie. Have a craving for Vietnamese, Thai or
Sushi? Multiple stores with all these delicacies exist. The food
selection is incredibly vast. And the flavors? Mouth-watering!
Choices for food shopping and eating around here
definitely pale in comparison. We are fortunate to have Joanna's or
Gardener's Market for gourmet and specialty items. Even the new Publix
offers an improved shopping experience. The only place I saw
Jewish-deli type food was in the Marais, in the old Jewish section of
Paris. I am sure it exists closer to my sister's apartment, but I
didn't see it. It's not like Pinecrest, where you can run out to
Roasters -n- Toasters or Lots of Lox.
I don't really think that the Parisian lifestyle is
very healthy. There is a lot of city-related stress - traffic,
pollution, etc. People smoke like chimneys and live in smaller spaces.
And while the French like their leisure, they don't live as
luxuriously. Their parks are exquisite, with flowers and perfect
manicuring, yet we have many more golf courses and tennis courts.
I was in France ten years ago, and I truly saw a new
and improved attitude change toward Americans and tourists in general.
During this trip, people actually offered to help me find my way, in
English. Before, I was fortunate to be sent in the right direction. Or
even be responded to.
Parisians seem to possess a unique sense of
refinement, style and self confidence, in their clothing, their
"look" and sense of self-assuredness. But as an American
living in Paris, it's been a bit difficult for my sister to meet
people or find a group to help her feel comfortable and welcome. Here,
in our community, I sense that we make a real effort to reach to
newcomers, to help a person or family feel included, welcome. I know
my friends and I make that attempt, as do our churches and temples.
Paris is great for a week, a month, or perhaps a year.
But there's something unique about our small (but growing) Pinecrest
village that makes me feel content and right at home, even though I'd
visit Paris anytime.
Have a story idea for Inside Pinecrest? Call me,
305/665-6783 or E-mail/ Kaskcom@AOL.com.
Thanks and Au Revois!
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