I don't want to be French......

Just made my first foray to our new monoprix and used the livraison domicile(home delivery) for the first time.  Actually, using the delivery was the easiest part of the journey(as Julia had set up the details on Saturday).  However, i do not think I will ever adjust to the rudeness and selfishness of the French.  I lost count of the number of times that people left their carts in the middle of the aisle or walked out from an aisle without looking.  One incident was hilarious.  I turned the corner into an aiisle and a women was looking at the produce but she had taken her basket and placed it on the floor behind her, effectively blocking the entire aisle.  there was another woman pushing a cart on the other side of the aisle.  While my response would have been to say pardon and hope she would move the basket, this woman ran into the basket with her cart and moved it 20 feet down the aisle before it moved from in front of the cart.  Hilarious and very enjoyable but I hope that in my time here that I do not become such a person.  Either of them, actually. Both women displayed disgusting social mores.

I have to admit that i was french yesterday(but entirely by mistake).  I was at the outdoor market, which is very nice, even by french standards, looking at the fish and one of the workers asked me what i wanted and I requested some salmon.  Only after finishing the order and turning to walk away did I notice a que(line) at the other end of the kiosk waiting for service from the fish monger.  I felt bad and ashamed but also quite french.  But I hope to not do that again.

I attended the bloom where you're planted seminar at the american church on Monday and Tuesday this week.  I had lunch on tuesday with some very interesting women.  One of who had married a frenchmen 2 months ago and moved to Paris, giving up her career and placing her life on hold for him.  She was obviously very frustrated but our conversation moved toward the attitudes of the french and how she also hoped that she would not become french but that it was hard to be nice when the people you are being nice to are so selfish and socially unaware.  Good to know that I am not alone.

I will say that I am generalizing and should not.  When I am on the metro with Samuel in his baby bjorn I have almost always had someone offer me their seat.

Rant over.  Thanks for listening.