"Grève," Schmève!

In France, socialist sympathizers say the same thing about striking that right-winged people in the States say about bearing arms: "It's our right, so don't even think about messing with it!" Of course, French strikers don't risk killing innocent people by carrying out their right. They just barbecue merguez on the side of the road, organize a few manifs, and try to shut down the country for a day or two. It's how they vent, and if you ask moi, it makes a whole lot more sense for a disgruntled postal worker to close shop for a day than open fire on his co-workers.

Sally Field as Norma Rae. [Online image] 1979.

A Contagious Moment

During Obama's historic inauguration on Tuesday, we the people felt like part of history, too. We were happy to be witnesses to the Obamas' happiness. That's because cultural hegemony works in America.
In France, one person's victory doesn't make les autres feel victorious: they become critical and bitter because they don't think it will ever be their "turn."
We, on the other hand, are so blinded by the American Dream that even a taste of success (a J. Crew ensemble as seen worn by Michelle, anyone?) feels as good as the real thing. Perhaps if Carla started foregoing her usual Chanel, more people in France could have their petit goût of fame aussi.

Glynis Johns as Mrs. Banks. [Online image] 1964.

Bringing Back Home

When the initial shock of being back in Paris after a visit home--and all the soul-searching questions that follow ("Did my métro station always have this odor?")--clears, it's just a matter of time before you tell yourself, c'est la vie, and get back into the French swing of things.

But now that you're fully armed with your favorite peanut butter, three pairs of jeans that fit, and the entire gamme of Luna bars, are you really just supposed to go back to métro, boulot, dodo and like it? 

Or do you do what it takes to make sure that parts of the life you left behind live on?

Rachel Ward as Meggie Cleary. [Online image] 1983.

Holiday Lag

Aisles of heart-shaped candy boxes and flowery cards on January second may seem like a slap in the face for Americans who'd been hoping to stave off sweets and codependency for at least the first week of the New Year.
But faded door wreaths and garish strands of street lights in mid-January don't exactly inspire bold resolutions either. Christmas has come and gone, and the French seem content with leftover winter cheer. Maybe flakey galette and soldes racks are enough to get through January's grisaille?

Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones. [Online image].

Breathing Space

Paris' tiny streets are crowded with people pushing over-sized Maclaren strollers and walking pampered dogs. Bicycles and motorcycles weave between nervous cars, while pedestrians elbow each other to make it to the bus or métro. When they can't take it anymore, they all flee to the seaside or mountains, where the sand and slopes are dotted with the same crowds left behind in Paris. 

Dieu merci for Southern California. Even with more and more land being swallowed up by cookie-cutter houses and malls, there's enough wiggle room for everyone to breathe in her skinny jeans.   

Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall as Carrie Bradshaw and Samantha Jones. [DVD screenshot] 2000.

Home

There's no French equivalent to "home," except maybe, chez moi, but the sense of unconditional belonging is lost: chez moi is temporal.
In French, a homing pigeon is a pigeon voyageur, or traveling pigeon. The home base idea doesn't seem to be important.
Perhaps France is too small a country for people to feel disoriented enough to need an abosolute home. They can go chez les parents or chez les beaux-parents or chez les cousins whenever they like.
They don't have to subtract nine hours every time they dial "home" or fly twelve hours to get there.
But then they don't have the promise of "home" either.

Vivien Leigh as Katie Scarlett O'Hara. [Online image] 1939.

"Magique Pour Tous"

Holiday magic may be for the kids, but it's we adults who need it most. And the French seem quite all right with indulging us.

They might not be into hanging up stockings over the fireplace, but they let us sprinkle santons of miniature lambs and pumpkin-carrying ladies on top of our grown-up meubles. And though making gingerbread houses isn't very big here, it's totally acceptable to spend an evening trying to turn a chocolate cake into a snow-covered log.

Giant Santas and reindeer might be scarce in the City of Lights, but parents will stop to look at winter scenes of dancing princesses and twitching rabbits in store windows or at the glittering strands of lights that guide shoppers to rues commerçantes like stars.

Natalie Wood and Maureen O'Hara as Susan and Doris Walker. [Online image] 1947.