Public Urination

I tend to associate public urination with homeless people who have difficulties accessing facilities. But, the other day while walking through a suburb outside of Paris, I encountered two men peeing on the sidewalk. It was only 6pm and bright as day. Both men were within arms reach as I passed them and neither showed signs of being destitute. Furthermore, they were in residential areas. The first man was peeing at the corner of a park nonchalantly. The second man was a truck driver who had obviously pulled over to relieve himself, a few cars down from two women who were having a conversation next to their car. Why he thought peeing on an apartment building was acceptable is beyond me. In disgust, I asked the boyfriend about it, and he quipped, "Dogs pee on the sidewalk and men pee in the gutter." Don't worry, my boyfriend is house trained, but as for the rest of the male french population, I really cannot say. Dirty french indeed.

Fashionable Toilet Paper

We know that Parisians are all about fashion, fashion, fashion, but until today, I did not know how far reaching fashion can be. Hello color coordinated toilet paper! At our local grocery store, colored toilet paper abounds. There are pink, peach, black, floral, and even scented papers. I spent a considerable amount of time weighing my options. First, I rejected the scented rolls, for fear of cloying fragrances. I then began to debate the colored papers. I can foresee misplacing the black during a sleep haze at three in the morning, which should be avoided at all costs. Peach seems tacky, which is a no. And finally, given our light green bathmats, pink would be too preppy. Ultimately, we selected soft white rolls with a light blue floral pattern subtly imprinted upon the sheets. The fashion lover within is pleased, but my eco-friendly self is perplexed. Aren't dyed toilet paper rolls bad for the environment? And if so, dare I say it, should Paris be a tad less fashionable?

Pastis and Paranoia

Long before I had met the Parisian boyfriend, I read all of Peter Mayle's books, a British expat in Provence. My mother and I started with "A Year in Provence," his first book. It remains my favorite, which may be  due to his hilarious accounts of drinking pastis with his fellow provencal townsfolk. I have never seen pastis in the U.S., and have always wanted to try it. At the house warming party I attended the other night, I convinced the BF to have a glass, so that I could take a sip. Upon tasting it, I promptly relieved him of his drink, which he didn't mind at all. While he drank a Heineken, I luxuriated in liquid black licorice. I know many people don't like black licorice, but I love it. Furthermore, Pernod ( a famous pastis brand) had no bite, so suffice to say that I have found my new favorite alcoholic beverage. Which definitely took the edge off, after I managed to lock myself in the hosts' "les toilettes," and couldn't get out. Three minutes of panicked lock jiggling in a very small room, that contains nothing but a toilet, is very stressful. Do note, that after I finally exited, I saw other people go in and out, seemingly with no difficulties. I really don't know. The perils of being an American in Paris are everywhere (the locks are different), and it has been producing a fair amount of paranoia on my part...