Sexy Paper

Yes, Yes, you heard me right, the French even like their toilet paper to look good!! I'm not sure something like this would go over in the States, but here in downtown Paree, the paper was flying off the shelves!! I had to beat back the people just to get a quick snapshot of the advertising and paper for you!! I know I laughed for a good fifteen minutes over hot pink toilet paper!! But, hey, why not wipe  in Style!!  Maybe they have special designer paper holders for the "sexy paper." Dying...laughing...

Ketchup Dilemma

I never realized how MUCH ketchup Americans consume until I moved to France.  I don’t know about everyone's children, but mine have a love affair with ketchup that is like no other. And, our local American Fast Food joints and restaurants were happy to oblige our family obsession by providing oodles and oodles of ketchup bottles, packages, in amounts that could fill up a small car. My kids smear it on basically anything that can be held or dipped….but here, in old Paree, ketchup is a bit of a rarity. True, they have the French Fries, but ketchup, not so much.  For whatever reason, when Ketchup is requested, instead of coming in bulk, it comes in a miniscule little package that you couldn’t even smear on one fry. 

 When the waiter hands the requested packet to my unsuspecting children, their faces fill with horror as they quickly realize that they hold in their hands enough ketchup to put on the tip of a toothbrush, and not necessarily on a hamburger.  Soooo, as with  many other things, these Americans will have to get used to being ketchup deprived!!

I'd Like That Hamburger Charred Please.......

I don’t know if many of you knew this, (I know I certainly didn’t know) THE FRENCH LOVE RAW MEAT.  Oh, you say laughingly to yourself, “Eileen just means they like to eat their meats rare.” No-THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEAN. I mean they love raw, uncooked, greasy and nasty raw meat.  Now listen, I’m not criticizing, hell, if I had grown up eating raw hamburger meat, maybe I would love it too, but I didn’t and I don’t and there’s my story.  So of course, on the evenings I don’t feel like whipping up some gourmet meal, we will venture down to our local Brassiere.  The boys usually order a hamburger when we are out because I think it reminds them of home and it looks much better than the pâte and boiled fish selections on the menu. GREAT TRAVEL TIP- If you “just” order a hamburger, prepare for it to come out raw.  If you order a hamburger well done, this is what you get. 

So, for most Americans, you will be ordering meat WELL DONE, or in French “bien cuit.”  ENJOY!