Bits and bobs

My camera is broken so you’re just going to have to take my word for it, the Jardin du Luxembourg is the most beautiful place on Earth right now. 

*****

I have signed up for Meetic.  It’s strange to be online dating for the first time on foreign soil.  But I have to show you a gem that made me feel better:  It’s a forum (from a few years ago) where French expats talk about dating in New York. 

Après 10 ans d'étude de ce #$ de mot de "date" j'en suis arrivé à la conclusion suivante:
- Date est un verbe et un nom.
- Il n'est pas forcement un préliminaire à une relationship. 
- To Date: "L'acte d'être dans (de vouloir) une relationship elle même"
To go on a date: "Rencard"
Maintenant, on ne peut pas dire à son partenaire:
"I would like to date you"
"Let's go on a date"
(Généralement la réponse est: "I am not looking for a relationship")
Mais après fixe un RDV on peut dire: "It's a date then"

*****

Aren’t windy spring/fall days the best?  Instead of tucking down into my scarf like in winter, I lift my chin to the wind and squint.  Like a Golden Retriever.

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I was blog of the semaine this week at Paname Ensemble.  There is a short Q and A with me. 

Comments

[Stefanie]

With all this wind and no scarf, you'll have to be careful to not "attraper froid" or worse, "attraper la crève". I got admonished this morning for sneezing, the secretary said "that's what you get when you leave the window open..." have they never heard of allergies?!?

[R J Keefe]

Très méchante! "Vraiment homme"! D'oû venais cela?

[Neil]

OK, I'll ask the question everyone is thinking, but too afraid to ask, "What are you wearing in your Meetic online photo?"

[Scarlet]

Haha, nice answer to that last one.

[Elizabeth]

Do not even think of avoiding the posting of your Marie A review--- chop chop!

oh and HOW WAS YOUR DAMN BIRTHDAY?!!--- did no one spoil you or are you going to try and keep that under wraps, too?

[stinkerbell]

I live there and totally believe you it is gorgeous.

and you are braver than me though I am so thinking about joining meetic. cant wait to hear what you say about it!

[chester]

"It’s strange to be online dating for the first time on foreign soil."

I imagine, at the same time, being abroad helps mitigate some of the ancillary reservations of having an online dating profile.

I don't know if you're going to be chronicling the Meetic proceedings here, but if you do, I'm going to be very disappointed if online dating in France is any less prone to periodic episodes of hilarity
than online dating in the States.

Which isn't to say that I don't wish you luck...

[Maria loves pictures]

I am glad you found courage to sign up for meetic. Good luck for finding your soulmate by online dating or offline.

[Miss Pink]

True, french don't date the way you do in the states and the very concept of a date is quite enigmatic to us...took me several years to work it out by the way.

[eurobrat]

Yeah, I 'blog to get hot dates too' :)

Haha, it hasn't worked out for me yet.

[shannon]

so funny how different dating is for americans and europeans. of the few times i've dated europeans, it's as though i had an instant boyfriend...i guess it's good they aren't commitment phobes. on the other hand, sometimes it's just fun to go on a date, and not necessarily be 'dating'.

[Elsa]

That forum post is hilarious! Thanks so much for posting.

[newyorkette]

What? Why on earth would you need to go online to date in Paris? Just go outside!

Anyway, dating sucks. Take a lover. Lovers treat you much nicer than a boyfriend does. Also, don't be surprised if Frenchmen never think you're relationship material: they think you'll go home someday. They'll be into sex, but not projecting anything into the future.

There's a zillion ways to meet men in Paris.
If you can get into the National Library, I recommend historians over philosophers. You'll get nowhere with philosophers. Historians are notoriously hot under the collar. I'm talking doctoral students with plenty of time on their hands, and small beds.

Otherwise, start going to parties. Any party. Just get out there. Every European I've "met" online is just dithering, not really intending to follow through with anything. It's fantasyland for them.

Also, the best lovers are the Swiss. The most considerate, and always on time!
;-)
Good luck!

[Coquette]

What am I supposed to defend my social life now? Dude, I go to parties.

(Good advice about the doctoral students. Is the national library the biblioteque mazarine? I already have a membership there. I'll report back if I find any cute historians.)

[newyorkette]

No need to defend! I was just saying if you go out there should be no shortage of men available to you! You're in the land of Love!

But be warned. You may be obliged to share. First of all, you might not mind -- lots of these guys you might not really want for keeps. A lot of momma's boys out there. But also, most european men I met didn't take foreign women seriously enough to not keep seeking their future spouses while going out and enjoying some sexual tourism with me. I found that they all expected I'd move on sooner or later.

On the other hand, I'm not the marrying type, so maybe in my case they were right! Might be different for you!

When you go to the Bibliotheque Nationale, stake the place out, find the most popular coffee machines (if they have any, otherwise look for where they all go to eat or buy food, then follow them to where they eat it.) They're creatures of habit, all you have to do is find them.

They're easy enough prey. Good luck!

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