Étoile Sighting!

This may be something that only Samantha cares about, but my second to last day, I saw Daniel Auteuil on the street. He was coming out of a parking garage near Pont Marie. It took me a second to process who it was. One of those that guy looks familiar, how do I know him? moments.

Daniel Auteuil is one of my favorite French actors. And there he was. On the same sidewalk as me. In Paris. Not that I was following him or anything, but I lost sight of him on Île Saint Louis. I couldn’t trail him too closely, not being familiar with French stalking laws.

Plus, I had some shopping to do.

S.W.A.K.

Most definitely not The Jewel.

I was at one of my neighborhood grocery stores (there are three right outside the St. Paul metro station). I tried to buy groceries frequently because 1) it's very French and 2) I was living in a third floor, ancient uneven stone staircase apartment. So heavy bags of groceries were a no.

I'm checking out and the cashier takes my yogurt and says something to me. In French. I put my deductive powers to the test, "What would someone be saying at this point?" 'I love this yogurt.' (No, it seems more important than that.) Ah, she's pointing, saying something about the date. Oh, it's expired. (Holy crap. She was actually checking the expiration dates on the food as she rung it up.)

So I divine that she's telling me I can run back and get another one. Which I do. 'Causing a hold-up. Which (for a change) was totally not my fault.

Beep. Turn the page.

I was in the Museum of Jewish Art and History (Le Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme). It’s a beautiful building featuring impressive and moving exhibits. They provide visitors with audio guides free of charge. I’m not always a fan of audio guides, but the exhibits were frequently in Hebrew and described entirely in French so it was necessary. (The only Hebrew I know is the wine prayer. And while that certainly comes in handy in Paris, it’s not so useful in a museum.)

So I found myself in a room filled with various and ancient Hebrew tombstones. It was amazing to see these concrete (well, stone) examples of the presence of Jews in France hundreds of years ago. I wandered through the room along with an elderly couple, listening to my handset describe the unearthing of the stones and the age from which they came.

As I looked over these memorials to loved ones, Audio Guide Man said, ‘For more information on anti-semitism in the Middle Ages, press 5-5-1.’
Now do you recall those read-along records we had as kids? The one where you’re reading Peter and the Wolf and the record says “At the sound of the beep, turn the page.” Remember his voice? His inflection? His enthusiasm for turning the page? Well, there he was. In my ear in the 4th arrondissement. That same voice. That same inflection. That same enthusiasm for pressing 5-5-1.

So I laughed. And no, it wasn’t that uncomfortable, at a funeral, inappropriate laughing. It was real laughing at something really funny.
Okay. So maybe you had to be there. Though by the looks I received from the elderly couple who were there, no, that wasn't it (But I’m guessing they never had that record. Probably don't even know who Peter and the Wolf is. Are.) But if you had been there, you Generation X American, you would have laughed with me. I promise.

Oh, and by the way, if you’re wondering, I did press 5-5-1. And anti-semitism in the Middle Ages (and I’ll go out on a limb here and say every other age, as well) really isn’t funny.

Walking down the Champs-Élysée.

 

So today I happened upon an amazing event when I turned the corner onto the Champs-Élysée. I'm having trouble discerning it if takes place every day but that seemed to be the buzz around the Arc.   

   

Several old soldiers, sailors, paratroopers (I'm not familiar with French military so I don't know who belongs to what) paraded down the end bit of the the Champs-Élysée to the Arc de Triomphe and laid enormous wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, sang the national anthem and waved flags from their respective regiments. 

For a few minutes (about a half-hour or so), you could see the young men and woman (there was one) that they once were. They got scolded for talking and not paying attention. They sang with pride and raised their flags with enthusiasm.

And then they were just regular old guys and gal again, a little hunched, heading off in their own directions. I wanted to give them all hugs. But there was a rope and you know, that'd be weird.

So where's Andrew McCarthy?

Is there anything not creepy about a room full of naked mannequins? But hey, if you need to buy a mannequin, I now know where you can get one.

Bigger than Titanic.

Maybe not quite yet, but the French film "Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis" could be headed there. I decided to take in the biggest movie in France. I went to a multiplex on Champs-Élysées; it looked just like the AMCs back home, so I just went for it. It seems that for many theaters, you buy your ticket ahead of time, then wait on line for the appropriate time to go in. But as I had waited until last minute to commit to seeing a movie, there was no line. It was just buy the ticket and go in.

I ordered my billet. (I wasn't sure if billet (ticket) or place (seat) was the right word. I went with un billet, svp and it worked. I walked in and the snack counter was right there, with the theaters down the hall. Before I could order food, I needed to use the bathroom because 1. I always use the bathroom before I get my snacks and 2. When traveling, I always use the bathroom when I have access to one.

The bathroom was near the theater so I had to do a little wandering and doubling-back. Time to order. No nachos (which I never actually get, just an observation). The popcorn though came in two options: salty or sweet. I wondered in you could order a mix, but I like my salt, so didn't try for le deux. And the diet coke came in a plastic bottle. Which was a good thing, as there were no cup holders. (Chicago thought: I really think this is the reason why people don't like the Esquire and Piper's Alley theaters. No cup holders.)

I found my seat in the pretty empty theater. The lights went down. And I don't mean dimmed but in case of fire I could find my way out. I mean it was pitch black. DARK.

The movie started. And I had no idea what anyone said. I had read a review ahead of time so I had something of an understanding of what was happening. It seemed pretty funny. But more than enjoying the movie, I enjoyed being in the movie theater. With the French people. Because for 106 minutes, I was one of them.