The French like Julien Doré

because he looks great holding a lapdog (music post number 1). Well, I think they also have a thing for his music. In my opinion, I would draw a comparison from this musician with what I think everyone would recognize: Beck and Ben Folds. He's got the hair, the random irrelevant white animals, and the two dudes in short jogging shorts. It also has what lots of European songs have: the combination of the native language with English. I'm still unsure why they do this. It does make the song easier to understand I suppose-otherwise I might question a couple of scenes... actually I guess I'm still questioning them. His music is similar to Beck and Ben's too- it's smooth, yet tangy like lemonade. This is his first solo album, called Bouchon, which includes his break out song: Kiss Me Forever (and video included for your convenience of course). Don't be fooled by the girly pop song title-there's a scene with a woman making out with her pup. Watch the video and fall in love with his kiss.

The French like Bensimon shoes.

Fashion post part 1. So I realize that being in France, many might wonder "What do the French like to wear?" Well, taking the color black aside, the French usually wear the Bensimon shoes. I see a handful of young, chic girls and boys wearing this style of shoe each day. They can easily be paired with nearly anything and they come in every color you can imagine under the sun. I needed tennis shoes when I arrived because I wore out the sole of my favorite pair I bought in Argentina and I got these pair of shoes I found at Texto:

They aren't French- they are totally fit for an American toddler. I was here for only a day before I made the purchase so I wasn't in the know if you know what I'm saying. However, I'm happy with the selection because they're distinguishing. If you want to look like the French from the ankle down (if you want to look like the French from the knee down-well the obvious decision is buy a nice pair of black leather boots), try out Bensimon shoes. Although, I'm pretty sure the trend has been brought to America since winter. So maybe the French are copying us and not the other way around for a change. Bensimon:

 

The French like McDo

and they know what french fries are! I know this should make headline news because is it possible that the French would actually eat french fries?

(truth comes out: you have to forward to minute 5:00.)

Well, the answer is yes, and they don't stop the euro there. The menu has basically the same items as your American counterpart. Well, truthfully, they have more. Each McDonald's I have stumbled into-well, no I never stumble in France, I stride into has been paired with a bigger basement and a McCafé offering an assortment of delicassies that makes you wonder how they strode into this place. They had cookies, muffins, the entire coffee family, croissants, etc. etc. Their restaurant menu is just as unique. They have cheeseburgers specific to France- square patties and buns complete with your choice of either chevre (goat cheese), bleu, or cantal (first time I'm hearing that one..) cheese. They all look divine and aren't as pricey as their more traditional choices- chicken nuggets, BigMac, etc. I'm so jealous they can choose their preferred cheese! But who is surprised by that statement? They also have a euro menu, I'm happy to note. However, the cheapest things are a euro, not 77 cents. Maybe it was just me, but I thought my fries had a bit extra (like around 33%) oomph to them. In retrospect, I should have splurged and tried their original chevre cheeseburger, but I was looking to find my equivalent on their menu. Luckily, they had it under their euro menu. Les petite frites they aren't called french fries f.y.i. and a hamburger sans moutarde. It was delicious (maybe I've had too many crepes this week and have neglected my American roots) or maybe I was under that impression because a hamburger has not been rejoined with my large intestine for quite some time. So, as I was saying, each McDo here is accompanied with a basement or a second floor for additional seating, a McCafé, and a euro menu. In addition, they also have stations where you can pre-order and pre-pay in case the lines are too long to wait. Yes, that's correct. The lines at these McDonald's are long and not even the second floor is enough seating to hold everyone. No joke. When I gathered my food and hauled it upstairs, I had to squeeze into a table next to a couple on either side of me. I felt sort of imposing-but then I remembered that I am at McDo. On top of long lines and a lack of seating, these Frenchies don't go light on what they order. I took a glance around me and I have a feeling the French were trying to mock a three course meal. The couple next to me had salad, a soda, a cheeseburger, and ice cream. The woman on the other side, had a large fries, a soda, and two hamburgers. Quoi?! I had a plain burger and small fries and I'm the American. So, my analysis is that the French in fact do like McDo's and as far as I know, have an ongoing committal relationship to this joint. Whereas I can't pass up a crepe for a hamburger, I know I might make my return sooner than later... just call me French!

The French like fitting into stereotypes

well, maybe they wouldn't want to consider it a stereotype, but their culture is portrayed quite accurately in Hollywood. I would like to think that I could break all the stereotypes and assumptions every tourist has, but there's a reason why in movies there's a baguette in every French person's grocery bag- because there actually is. I've been keeping a mental note of what I've seen in Paris that makes me say to myself "Haven't I seen this before?"
Here are some of my expectations that were met:

1). The Eiffel Tower viewed from the bedroom window- The most classic scene of any American movie filming (or even not filming) in Paris. Just watch Moulin Rouge. That Eiffel Tower gleams like its Elton John. Oh, but who am I referring to with this scene? Sure, not every window has a view, but my close friend Zoe here has a view of the Tower from non other than her bedroom window. Oh. La. La.
2). The beret- Not as frequent as you are told, but yes-I've seen lots of girls wearing a beret. That is one trend I can't deny.
3). Smoking- Lots of people have asked me if I have started smoking. It might do me wonders if I wanted to try and fit in better.
4). Black Clothing- This is a city thing. Black dominates.
5). Beautiful people- This is the truest statement. I typically see a fair share of beautiful people on the Metro. Beaucoup de French boys I wouldn't mind to talk to, but since it's the Metro, everything is considered creepy by default. It's just the way it is.
6). City of romance- It's actually not as cute anymore. Up through Valentine's Day I was enjoying the romance in the air. Couples holding hands, couples with arms around each other's waist, couples kissing to say hello, couples smooching, couples making out... wait. Making out? Yes. After I saw a couple last weekend in their forties fully swapping spit at the entrance of the Metro, I realized that the amount of PDA here was overwhelming. There was another time at Le Sacre Coeur-a couple would NOT move from the door where it was clearly a wonderful spot for a photo. It's like Holly and Michael standards in the Valentine's Day episode. If only Paris could be an office and Sarkozy could set some rules. Or maybe I just need a date.
7). Bikes- It's no Madison, Wisconsin-but there are sure beaucoup de bicycles. Usually, in touristy areas there will be rows of bikes for rent. It's pretty cheap too-only a euro or two for the first hour to ride. And from what I can tell, I see many empty racks-meaning they are in demand just like the Justin Bieber hair cut.

Just like in Beauty and the Beast, people do yell out "Bonjour!"
to you. Here, a woman leans out of her window
along the Seine to wave hello to us.
(Look at the four stories building shown at the very top on the left)

What didn't meet my Hollywood-induced expectations:
1). Striped shirts- Okay, striped shirts are for mimes. Occasionally I see someone wearing one. But it's simply a pattern. Although, you could consider stripes the equivalent of our "up northerners" plaid, peut-etre.
2). Mean French people- Okay they are not that mean! Just read my post about smiling. They are misunderstood. Sometimes.
3). Le Sacre Coeur- When I first approached Le Sacre Coeur, I thought it was missing something. Almost as if they had a lot of land and replaced it with surrounding apartments and trees. Or maybe it was missing Amelie and her magical aura. Either way, it was replaced with unassuming gangs and beggars. However, everything is restored when you make it to the top and take in that view. C'est tres jolie.
4). Thin people- Okay, this is true. I haven't seen one overweight person yet! At least not that i recall. The only one I can tell that's putting on some lb's is me. I don't know how the French can east so much and stay so thin! I mean I get that the walking pays off... but what's their secret? Maybe future blog post when I find out..?

So as you can see, the expectations met weigh more than the expectations not met. I give Hollywood a high five. Alright, well as for me, I'm going to finish watching Amelie and curl into bed while my homemade cut out of the eiffel tower pretends to gleam on my window pane. 

The French like Panaché

"Le Panaché comme au café"

and I drink it every weekend. Well, maybe for not future weekends, but I have had it every weekend so far. On my first friday night out the girls, our Brit friend DJ, and I went to a little pub near Place d'Italie called Cyber Café or Club or something that's not really important to the story. Since it was our first time at a french bar, we didn't know what sorts of alcohol they'd be serving or how to even recognize or interpret liquor lingo if we saw it. Well, the decision was made pretty easy when one of us ordered Panaché. We all passed it around, putting our tongue at risk for what was to come. Easily enough, it went down smoothly and there was like a hidden surprise in there when I swallowed. That last line sounds like a toy popped out of my cereal box, but i meant that the taste of the Panaché was like a nice glass of swallowable beer. Ah, the first clue to what it is. It is beer-well at least that's what it is classified as on the menu. We were told at the bar it's also a mixture of club soda and lemonade. Mmm-mM! Well we then realized we weren't getting a lot of beer for our buck, but we enjoyed this unique flavor from France. The next day or so, my two friends, Zoe and Kendra, spotted Panach (the nickname to Panaché, because sometimes it's more fun to sound like you've been drinking this poison for awhile) at the Carrefour. They bought ten glass bottles for just over one euro. Strangely enough it cost me 3 euro for six cans at Monoprix (so it looks like i was the fool in this story). How can it be so inexpensive (well if you're addressing Z&K), you ask? (or at least I sure did!) We checked the ingredients: looks like the only way you can get buzzed from this is if you convince yourself you are. It's hardly 1% alcohol. So this explains a lot: why I left the bar that friday night so completely happy and legitimately feeling great, why this is so cheap (well, i suppose even for 6 cans..) and why I totally like them. The rest is just juice. However, I consider it as being a happiness inducer juice (okay, i know now i'm making a counter-argument to the amount of alcohol that's in it if I'm dubbing it "happy juice" but it really is just 1%!). Every time I cracked open the can lid, I've had a memorable, fun night. This just proves you don't need to get slosh buckling drunk every night to have a good time. Even Panach can promise a Panawesome night, unless you decide you mix it with real beer and end up having a Panauseous one. 

complete list of ingredients: lemonade, orange juice, beer. Note: every bar may make it differently-for instance, club soda instead of OJ, etc. 

The French like..... COFFEE

and so do I. I know, I know. I flew all the way to Paris to come up with that statement. However, I've been exposed to coffee so much that I too am now a coffee drinker. Sure, I've made a hefty investment in Starbucks buying countless frapps and hot chocolates, but I'm happy to note Paris converted me. I blame my fifth grade teacher for making me put off coffee for ten years. The french try to bring out that hot pot whenever they can. Much like that annoying pink bunny with the clapping instrument that runs on Energizer batteries, the french run all day on coffee. Typically, you'll have coffee and OJ for breakfast (with something small to eat), and coffee or tea with lunch, and then wine for dinner, and coffee after dessert. I think they must confuse coffee with water. Oh la la.

Espresso and I at le Grand Colbert

However, if you step into a cafe or restaurant and order a coffee, you won't be calling out "tall decaf cappuccino". There's a few things the coffee goer will need to know before dining like the french. If you ask for café, they will give you an espresso. You must say crème to receive something with milk. Finding a good, frothy cappuccino is rare. To achieve something close to this with some frothiness, ask for noisette. But if you're like me, you'll order coffee with lots of milk and bargain to take all your friends sugar packets and combine with yours (my coffees typically have four packets of sucre-so, yeah.... I'm the pink bunny leading all the other pink marching bunnies by the end of the day).

The French like love locks

While I was snapping away with my camera on a boat tour of the Seine river, one of things that caught my lens eye was a bridge sprinkled with locks.When I first saw it, I thought it was pretty charming but had no idea why someone would want to litter the Seine bridges with ugly metal trinkets such as locks. There had to be a purpose behind this habit. After the boat tour, we noticed nearly every bridge had these locks. Finally getting up close with it, I noticed there were people's initials on the locks-which I assume belonged to the owners. The French version of the American carving initials into a tree if you will. The initials were significant because they were of your own and your sweetie. The tradition goes that you carve your initials into the lock, attach it to the fence of the Seine, and toss the key into the river to lock away your eternal love. However, this romantic gesture did not originate in France. The Italians believe to have been the first (much like we claim to be the creator of pizza...still a mystery to me). Most people saw the trend occur in 2010 and it caught on quickly. Hopefully though, the locks will be maintained within the boundaries of the Seine bridges. However, a part of me thinks that this is a great way to leave your mark on the Seine. Sure, it does kind of look like trash and another form of graffiti that ruins landmarks, but I think it is pretty romantic and quite entertaining to gaze through all the locks and wonder if these couples are still together or were only intoxicated from the love of Parisian air at the time. I hope by the end of my stay here, I too will be a vandalizer of the Seine river (never thought I'd say something like that). Either it will have my initials and the initials of Pierre somethingorother or twenty others belonging to the girls in my group-I'll be leaving my bit of heart in Paris.

The French like to not smile

but they are strangely friendly. Contrary to all those rumors you hear in America and even in surrounding countries in Europe, the french are not a bad group of people. Honestly, for living in a city for just four days I have yet to come across a rude person helping me out. Well let me rephrase. In general, the french are not stuck up, swanky, and disagreeable. Sure, it’s a city so I’ve come across a good amount of your typical city snobs and traditional old folk (like the delightful elderly scarf-around-the-head woman who took one glance at our american group of 15 girls with 30 pieces of luggage and furiously shook her head in discontentment), but I see no difference between this city and lets say one like chicago (just in terms of agreeableness). However, regardless what I say, the fact remains that the french come offsnobby more than any other nationality. But why? Like us wisconsinites, they love cheese and alcohol. Like Amelie, they have an incredible joie de vivre. Well, it comes down to their social customs. The french do not smile. More precisely, they do not smile at stragers. Americans are known to be very happy, outgoing, and friendly-some of our most loveliest qualities. Therefore as Americans, we don’t consider smiling to mean anything other than a friendly or polite gesture. Manners are our best suit. However, be careful of where you move those mouth muscles in public in Paris. Smiling is considered a come-on. Basically, smiling is flirting. Quoi! Really. It’s just not what they consider appropriate (they also think hugs are something strictly for couples- well then i’d be in a relationship with one too many people). Which would explain why the men i smile at in the metro dont keep their curious eyes off of me… But right, which also explains why they are considered to be snoody. It all comes down to the smile. Tres interessant, non?