In preparation for my upcoming trip, I have been trying to relearn what elementary French skills I soaked up in high school and college: "je m'appelle Lindsay, comment vous vous appelez?"; listen to lots of French music hoping for some kind of language osmosis; and read everything I can about Parisian life.
I was torn between quite a few books at B&N but ultimately decided on David Lebovitz's book "The Sweet Life in Paris." I tore through it in a weeks time, and while Lebovitz paints a tres belle picture of Paris and becoming Parisian, he offers a few unsettling tips...
1. And this was the worst. According to Lebovitz, if you leave your house you should be dressed. As in, Parisians don't think it's okay to run errands or go shopping in pajamas, sweats or yoga attire. Even if it is $160 lululemon outfit? Oui. He says he wouldn't even think about taking out the garbage (la poubelle!) in sweats. I am okay with the pj rule. I wore that out in college, and when I look back am a little ashamed of how many classes I went to in fuzzy christmas jammies. But yoga pants? I practically live in yoga clothes if I'm not at work, and as I type am trying to remember where I put mine so I can go to the grocery store.
2. Bad coffee. Who would have thought Paris had only comme ci comme ca coffee? Some of the first vocabulary I was taught in French 101 was cafe au lait. And that is only to be ordered before noon says D.L. Oh Woe.
3. Ne touchez pas! If you touch something in a store or market, consider it yours. Only pick something up if you are serious about making the purchase.
4. Resquillage. Apparently Parisians are horrible line cutters or otherwise known as "resquillage" or "taking the risk". I would not stand for this in America, so I am not sure how I would react with my less than deft language skills and being impossibly offended and angered. Lebovitz answer is to stand uncomfortable close to the person in front of you.
5. Toujours...always always greet the first person you lock eyes with when walking into a room, restaurant, elevator, etc...and then everyone else. It's considered extremely rude not to do so and the only exception is in the "grand magasin" or something similar to a grocery store or department store where the service is terrible. And we think Parisians are rude.
Right now I am in the midst of "My Life in France" by Julia Child and meandering through "A Moveable Feast" by Hemingway.
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