Tuesday night was a big night at the grocery store. Like most Parisians, I go to the grocery store A LOT. Like, every other day pretty much. You know those gallons of milk we all buy at home? THEY DONT EVEN EXIST HERE. The largest quantity they sell at my grocery store is a liter. And folks, I love me some cereal...and yes, I know, I could buy two one liter bottles of milk at once, but have I ever mentioned I live up FIVE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS?
At French grocery stores, a good amount of shoppers own these things called chariots (like a small rolling suitcase), allowing them to wheel their groceries home with them. Some people take their chariots around the grocery store instead of a cart, which incidentally makes it very difficult to judge which line is going to be fastest because WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY’VE GOT HIDING IN THERE.
For my part, I shop with the store provided baskets, and then FRANTICALLY bag my own groceries (yes, you have to do that yourself here and WHY OH WHY do plastic bags become impossible to open under pressure???) I then lumber home, while people with GROCERIES ON WHEELS whiz past me.
I would really like me one of those wheely things. I’ve seen a few girls around my age with chariots (usually the same plucky types who cycle around Paris in their stocking-legs and turtlenecks) but I’m JUST NOT THAT SECURE. Which is a nice way of saying if you’re going to use at chariot at age 24, you might as well lock yourself up with ten cats and tattoo “spinster” on your forehead.
So why the rampant use of chariots in Paris? And why aren't we seeing more chariot usage in major US metropolitans? If you’re thinking this is some noble environmentally conscious thing, like the people who bring their own mugs to Starbucks, I would say you need to see the way Parisians look at me when I ask where their recycling is--not so much a priority here.
What it’s about, folks, is LA CLASSE ET LE CONFORT... and the French DO tend to be experts when it comes to those matters. It’s about popping into the boulangerie for your bread, and not feeling like a shlump with five plastic bags. It’s about having the flexibility to run by the video store or bank AFTER the grocery store because your groceries are ON WHEELS!!
I explained to Kathleen this French method of shopping, and being the gift giver extraordinaire that she is, she quietly noted the fact and proceeded to order me the largest LL Bean monogrammed tote I’ve ever seen. (I can sit in it, I tried.) I love that it’s from LL Bean. I think it says, look at me, adapting to your French culture while still retaining my American identity. Non?
So the bag arrived yesterday, and I hopped on the metro after the post office, bursting it out of its hunter green packaging for everyone to admire its preppy American splendor. The timing was perfect--I was planning on making the Monoprix in Saint Germain des Pres my last stop of the evening.
And folks, lemme just cut to the chase and tell you how it went down at the grocery store: I started with the produce like always. My pears were weighed and then I just needed to put them in my bag. No big deal, right?
Only, do you know how weird it feels to be putting groceries into the deep, dark, recesses of you bag where no one can see? I’ll tell you what it feels like: IT FEELS LIKE YOUR SHOPLIFTING. I was physically unable to do it if standing alone in an aisle. I found myself holding items until I was plain view of several witnesses so that NO ONE WOULD THINK THEY WERE CATCHING ME. And I tell you this only to explain how insane I really am.
But when I joined the check out line of the always stoic middle-aged clerk who has seen me a million times before, I noticed she gave me the once over and then SHE NODDED AND SMILED!!! AND I WAS WEARING MY GYM CLOTHES!! I swear it was the bag. So, do you know what this means, people? I’M FINALLY IN! The mean Monoprix clerk actually likes me! And it only took a year of living here.
I can relate - I too hate bagging under pressure!
Posted by: Laurie | 27 November 2004 at 01:07 AM
Félicitations! Un grandiose exploit!
Posted by: Aimee | 27 November 2004 at 07:12 PM
So incredibly relieved that I had a hand in boosting you a notch on the ever-important pyramid of French society... really, what would you do without me? I'm thrilled the bag FINALLY arrived (nearly seven months late) and that you like it. Long like the preppy!
Posted by: Kathleen | 30 November 2004 at 05:53 PM
Oh, my. This post was too funny. I have almost pulled my arms out of their sockets trying to carry all of those damn bags home with me. And I totally refuse to use one of those lame carts with wheels. They really need to make it a little more fashionable and then I might consider it. Why can't someone in this country design one that does not make it look like you are an old lady when you walk down the street with it?
But, now you have given me an idea. Maybe I should start carrying my ginormous IKEA bag with me to the grocery store? I could get everything and more in one of those things.
Posted by: Jason Stone | 03 December 2004 at 12:16 AM
My first comment...... a little nervous.
Anyhoo, funny thing about those little rolling carts: They're not as useful as they first appear when you have to cross 5 bridges (read-- 5 sets of rickety midieval, tourist-ridden stairs) in order to get home because you naively and foolhardily thought moving to Venice (after having spent 4 glorious years in Ukrops territory!) would be glamorous. Mine (yes, I had an old lady cart) was only used once-- I had to ever so slowly klump, klump, klump my way up the stairs one step at a time, and then hold all my produce in with one hand as the other guided the damn thing as it banged down its way down the other side.
2. speaking of cereal: I'm going to lunch tomorrow at a restaurant (using that term loosely) on Penn's campus called "cereality". On the menu: you guessed it, all cereal!!! check it out:
http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/41ac2b6d618ae?in_archive=1
(Personally, I think Noah Sugarman has a future in financial speculation-- oh, the insight!)
Posted by: mary | 03 December 2004 at 05:31 AM
I would be at Cereality every day. When they started talking about the hot and cold cereal combos I was WITH THEM. They lost me a little on the cereal smoothies, but I'm keeping an open mind...please report back.
And, yes, Noah, I assume a lot of students like cereal too.
Posted by: Coquette | 03 December 2004 at 12:33 PM
Cereality: miserable. Quaker Oat Squares with Cinnamon Toast Crunch and dried cherries? All in a zany chinese takeoutesque box? Served by waitstaff in Cereality label PJ's? With curious onlookers pressing thier noses to the "restaurant" window to get a load of the fools that fell for the gimmick that somehow made them think that $3.50 for a bowl (not box!) of cereal was reasonable. all obscene.
Posted by: mary | 04 December 2004 at 04:41 AM
Those plastic bags will probably be disappearing next year, since there is a bill pending at the Assemblée Nationale to ban them. It has an excellent chance of passing ... and the décret d'application shouldn't be too long in coming.
High time, too.
L'Amerloque
Posted by: L'Amerloque | 04 December 2004 at 05:15 PM
That's fascinating, L'Amerloque. In the U.S., the question is always "paper, or plastic?" and I've often wondered why there's no paper choice here...
Posted by: Coquette | 08 December 2004 at 01:13 AM
Chariots, or granny carts, are all the fashion where I live. There are many 20-somethings walking around with them.
I've also seen reusable grocery sacks that fold up really small that you can store in your purse...except I forgot what they're called.
Good luck. Love your blog
Posted by: Sarah | 11 December 2004 at 04:55 PM
Okay, not to sound like a completely snide Americaine, but perhaps if the French RECYCLED, plastic bags wouldn't be so INCREDIBLY crude, n'est ce pas?
That being said, I fully support preppy LL Bean totes, complete with monogram. I mean, who wouldn't?
Posted by: Kathleen | 12 December 2004 at 12:56 AM
I love using our caddy and now I'm noticing that it's too small to carry everything or we're buying too much, whateva... post a pic of your kick ass caddy!
-Aimee
Posted by: Flare | 16 December 2004 at 04:16 PM
I grocery shop with my monogramed Bean tote, too, and I had the same psychological problems. Now I carry the bag but put groceries into a basket, and then at the checkout throw everything into the bag, which kills both the plastic bag problem and the paranoia.
I was a grocery bagger during my high school summers in the states, so I don't mind bagging myself. At least people cant squish my fruit or throw chicken in with produce.
Only problem is my tote doesn't zip and I'm always paranoid about pick pockets, in this case hungry ones.
Sorry for the long comment. Nice blog!
Posted by: E | 30 January 2005 at 12:40 PM
Ugh -- Sorry for the horrible typing above.
Posted by: E | 30 January 2005 at 12:48 PM
hey im a grocery bagger at Jewel in IL and I just wanted to tell you I agree those bags are crappy!!! They never open or they just fall apart lol!!! Ive always wanted to go to france...M
Posted by: Miranda | 10 September 2005 at 09:18 AM
at monoprix, you can also buy bags in fabric tissu, which are very solid and much more fashion. you can take it in the métro (cost : 0.80 euros), but you can't put a lot in it (equivalent of 3plastic bags).
Posted by: Charlotte | 06 October 2005 at 12:29 PM
My great-great aunt Charlotte spent much of her visit here (Paris) in 1956 trying to track down the string shopping bags. Oh so chic, traditional, and very French. She finally did and uses and loves those bags to this day (wow- 50 years). First thing I did when I arrived is try to track them down. It is not intuitive - they're called "filet de provisions" and they're sold at hardware stores. They stretch to accomodate the equivalent of 6 Franprix bags, and they come in pretty colors. I try to coordinate with my jacket. They're very sturdy (many bottles of wine!) and because they stretch they relieve much of the pressure of bagging.
Posted by: charlotte | 21 February 2006 at 03:38 PM
Yes we have those shopping trolleys-bags here in Argentina. My grandmother uses them to buy all her veges. I think most women over 50 use them here with wheels.
Posted by: Yamila | 27 February 2006 at 01:46 PM
I'm a little late but I just wanted to say that I figured out it was my dry skin that was preventing me from getting those plastic bags to open quickly. I found that if I, um, surreptitiously lick the tips of two fingers before trying to slide open the bag, it works much, much better. Hey, it's not gross if you only get a bit of spit on your OWN bag, right?
Posted by: Tanya | 25 March 2006 at 01:07 AM