My kids have been exposed to many things in France that they might have not encountered so young back home: snails for dinner, a taste for unpasteurized cheese, the freedom to roam the city without parents, and travel journals filled with stories of their adventures across Europe.
But for all these pluses, they've also been exposed pretty regularly to things that are not so nice such as public urination and daily encounters with street alcoholics. They can even point out the prostitutes whose cars line certain lanes in the Bois de Boulogne. On the one hand, it's probably not such a bad idea for them to understand that things aren't as cushy for everyone as they are for us. Life is messy and unfair; it's the seamier side of living in a society where education, opportunity, ambition, and good sense are not evenly afforded and where people are free to make choices about their lives. On the other hand, there's an in-your-face quality to dodging a drunk rambling down the sidewalk that is not as instructive as the times we worked side by side packing groceries for the hungery, organizing the shelves at a clothing bank, and painting and cleaning a facility for sick children. I'm not particularly happy about the crew of panhandlers encamped on our street, a daily obstacle of requests for small change and cigarettes between our place and the corner store. This is the same group who were around last summer; they disappeared over the winter and reappeared in the spring. In the meantime, they seem to have lost their talent for acquiring used furniture. Instead, they now have a rabbit on a leash.
I don't blame Paris; Washington certainly has its share of homeless folks and prostitutes. But they were not quite so much a part of our daily lives as they are here. Is it too much too soon? I'm not sure.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
oh merde...I remember that couch picture...charming indeed
I guess as long as they are dangerous and just annoying it's all part of the grand adventure that is any big city. although personally I draw the line at public urination..but hey maybe that's just me.
of course I meant "aren't" dangerous....duh
Love that the Link Within tool is showing the couch they had last summer.
Cultural differences are definitely preponderant between France and the US. But that's what I like about it, it's when you see things differently and learn to appreciate one because of what you've experience from the other.It makes us more appreciative and content.
I think the biggest problem will be trying to get the kids used to bland American food once they return.
Starman: Although they love the bread, pastries, cheeses, sausages, and roasted chicken, they actually miss many spicy foods that either aren't available here or which have been been de-spiced for French tastes such as Thai, Indian, and Tex-Mex.
I agree with Starman...they will forget the homeless hookers over time but they are going to expect a higher quality of food!
Wow, they have sophisticated taste for kids. Speaking of food, Help! Someone mentioned (somewhere) a food called "brocante". The only brocante with which I'm familiar is a flea market. Anyone here have a clue?
Thank you for this essay. I will be in Paris again this fall with my family, and had some of the same thoughts when we first arrived in France.
Take Care.
Post a Comment