“Le Peuple de Paris” running at the Musée Carnavaet until February 26, 2012. It is a sociological investigation into the lives of the working classes in Paris in the 19th century, looking particularly at how these people and their lifestyles, were portrayed by artists and the media at the time, and provides an intruiging and original [...]
I was walking in a park the other day and noticed a woman with her cat on a leash. I had to laugh (and take a picture) when she tossed the cat up onto the branch of a tree and tried to play with it. Enforced playtime was obviously not working for the cat, and [...]
It’s a strange thing how trends work in France. Many things here become fashionable only after the Americans have started the fashion. Offhand I can think of: blue jeans, living in former industrial spaces, and the riots of 1968. Sometimes this is a good thing; but there are certainly American trends I would not like [...]
While there is no end of soul searching going on over here over DSK, the voice that is consistently missing from the discussion is a female one. A few brave women have managed to make themselves heard, but I find it appalling that most of the panel discussions are exclusively male, and that there isn’t [...]
Making its way around the Internet right now is a primer on France, perhaps useful for people planning a first-time visit: THE NATION France is a medium-sized country situated in the continent of Europe. It is an important member of the world community, though not nearly as important as it thinks. It is bordered by [...]
Often it’s a first-time visitor to France who observes something that a seasoned expat misses. A foodie friend of mine, when asked upon his return to the US how he enjoyed his first trip to France, responded that he loved the lack of obsessiveness the French have with food. The French love food, of course, [...]
In my view, no. Yes, they maintain a certain distance when relating to strangers, a coolness that an outgoing American can find off putting. And yes, they are insistent on adhering to a set of formalized manners. And true, they have a concept of personal space that can make you feel uncomfortable if you are [...]
News flash: The French are not optimists. Did your head explode yet? No? Didn’t think so. And the survey says:out of 53 countries, France has the most prophets of doom when it comes to 2011. Seriously? We needed a poll to unearth this shocking tid bit? People were actually paid money to conclude that when [...]
Even the French are worried these days about putting on weight. Although obesity isn’t the problem here that it is in the States, the indicators are all moving in the wrong direction. A new social marketing campaign seems to be everywhere, urging folks to make sure they get 30 minutes of exercise a day without [...]
My best friend asked me if I believed Paris was the “City of Love” as people often say. I think I replied to the negative, laughable as it was that this city full of aggressive French men coming at you in every direction could ever hold the keys to my heart. After all, this is [...]
