Last month, I received an invitation to visit the French Sénat where laws are debated and decided on, or not. Like most of the government buildings here in Paris, this is one spectacular. It’s very ornate with lots of gilding and chandeliers and gardens that are plucked and shaved within an inch of their life. Gardens are well-manicured in France and are meant to be…
Something around here stinks. And it’s not just my neighbor. When I moved to Paris, I remember my first load of laundry that I proudly pulled out of my little machine tucked in the corner. After I figured out the seven different dials and nine different buttons on the machine (actually, I’ve still only managed to figure out what about a third of them do),…
Another thing to love about New York— You only need to look two ways before crossing the street. (It’s so clean!)
A French friend asked me recently, “David, do I look gay?” Without a second of hesitation, I replied, “Yes, absolutely.” “Why?” he said. “Well, for one thing,” I told him, “You’re French—which makes you suspect. Another is that you’re wearing a pink polo shirt. You also answer your emails quickly and you spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about your hair.” “And you have…
Parisian Etiquette When I go back to the states, one of the questions I’m most-commonly asked is—”Aren’t Parisians rude?” I recently got in my elevator and this was posted: It’s a notice that my neighbor is having her birthday party and to please excuse her in advance of any noise that may be a nuisance. I’ve been told some newcomers see these posted and incorrectly…
What are the absolute last words you want to hear when invited to someone’s home for a meal? One such phrase was:“We had some fish that was about to go bad, so we’re having it for dinner.” Welcome to my world, which you thought was all baguettes and chocolate, but also (sometimes) includes dubious dinners, too.
Most larger buildings in Paris have a concierge. But before you think that I live somewhere that’s all fancy and stuff, it’s basically another name for the gardienne, normally a woman who takes care of things like delivering the mail and making sure repairs get handled. But even more importantly, she ensures that not even the slightest infraction of the rules or smallest detail of…
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