So much to love about the French!

I love the French. I think I really do! I know I am singing a different tune now that I don’t actually live with the French. But man, you got to love them. So much to love…

Today Justin, Maisie, and I went out for brunch at one of our favorite places to have brunch. They have the most amazing spreads for your bread, like white chocolate, fig, some delish hazelnut thing that doesn’t even touch Nutella, dark chocolate, and the list goes on! Oh yeah. Pretty good stuff. But that is besides the point of this post.

The lady that helped seat us when we walked in was a nice enough woman in her forties. The French will always tell you something is impossible if they don’t feel like they want to help you. She began by telling me it was impossible to seat us with the large poussette (or stroller as we all call it). Justin put on the charm and in no time she was making room for the stroller as she giggled at Justin’s jokes. We told her we would keep the stroller up front, but she INSISTED now (with a friendly smile) that we take it back with us to our seat. She even pushed it back (through a very tight crowd that we thought there was no way in the world the stroller would make it through) and ran over coats and hit chairs on her way. Surprisingly, nobody even seemed to notice.

We had a great meal and sat RIGHT next to another young couple in love. Two things right there to point out. First of all, you literally share a table with strangers, which is actually quite cool. Secondly, it is obvious that this couple was in love as they are so stinkin’ affectionate. I think it is pretty sweet. Always touching, holding hands, smooches. It is obvious. They were friendly and conversational, which is always refreshing.

Our time in the restaurant ended in a way that would have made me cringe a couple years ago, but now I can just smile. Not a big deal really. All I needed to do was push that stroller back through the crowd that was now even more crowded. Yikes! So I did it. And man, something I have decided to love about the French (that is actually annoying and can turn to hate really quick depending on the day) is how they stare at you and look at you like you the biggest moron that ever walked the earth. That is what happened to me. Today I just didn’t care and pushed that stroller over people’s coats, into their chairs and over their feet (ok, not really their feet, but I would have had I the opportunity). Little skinny Frenchman that thought he was too cool for school stared me down the whole time I am pushing the stroller. As if it isn’t humiliating enough just being me in France, he has to go and give me the French stare down.

It is a gift to be able to stare someone down the way the French can. It really is a gift. I would never be able to look so seriously at someone for as long as they do without giving even a small smile. I have practiced the stare in my time in Paris and I am getting better at it. I don’t know if that is something to brag about. I am not sure if it only works with other French starers. I might try one of these stares when I get back to the states, but then I actually might get shot or something.

See, one more thing to love about the French! They will stare you down, but they won’t shoot you!

So that was our experience at the restaurant today. Good times with the French!