It is my pavement

I was just reading an article about the attitude to service in Paris. Well, hello! it is not just Paris, it is the entire country. The Brits, and even more so the Americans, really struggle to understand that the waiter is not being rude, he is just showing that he is not subservient to you. It has taken me a year and I am only just starting to 'comprendre'. The French hold strongly to the belief that everyone is equal. In some sense this is admirable. French girls must be the most liberated in the world. They are in no way the slave of men. You can see that they are as much in control of their relationships as men, perhaps more so. Even if they do make an effort, then it is because they want to, not to please anyone else. The rest of Europe makes an effort to be free, but no one really pulls it off quite as well as France. (I think that was a complement!)

There are benefits to this freedom and equality, but there is a negative side too. From my experiences it seems that politeness is not very popular. When I walk in the busy streets around Aix, no one stops to give the elderly or wheelchairs room. I have seen a blind person struggling to make his way as people walk straight at him. Even I find it frustrating how people cut across in front of me like I don't exist. The more I think about it, it is not necessarily that people are inherently rude, it is just that they subconsciously believe that they have equal right to that piece of space. Fair enough, but I have witnessed far too many aggressive scenes on the street when people inevitably bump into one another. I have seen shouting and even fighting between men and women, and between old and young. Now I know that the younger generation may not always act with respect, but if you knocked down someone who is clearly more senior than you then I hope most decent humans would check the person is not hurt and apologise even if it was not your fault. But in France, you don't have to act like this. The other day I held the door open for an elderly lady and I could see the element of surprise on her face. Next time you are in France, try moving out of the way for someone: no doubt you will be met with surprise or suspicion!

Once you get used to the French peculiarities then it is really not so bad. I have had a really pleasant week, not because anything significant happened, but just because I am feeling a bit more content to live here for a bit longer. When I came back from Thailand I was like a lost sheep. I think I made sure everyone felt my pain! Anyway, things are settling down and I will definitely be here until the summer. So if anyone wants to pop over then I will be happy to take you out 'door opening' with me!