Bienvenue en France. The destination may be considered “glamorous” but my first stop after landing isn’t—I need to go to the restroom. I assure you, it doesn’t smell of Chanel No. 5 around les toilettes.
I glance at my reflection in the dirty mirror. After the overnight flight, I have typical “airplane face,” a strange mix of oily yet dry skin because of the low air pressure in the cabin. It’s nothing that a ghetto facial won’t fix, for which I need water, soap and a paper towel.
A few drops of tepid water dribble out of the tap, there is hardly any water pressure. I look around. No soap. No paper towel. I sigh and grab a few sheets of pink single-ply toilet paper, the same industrial-use brand we had in middle school, the very reason why I made a policy of never using toilets at school. Despite its cute colour, this toilet paper feels like sandpaper.
I had forgotten that French bathrooms aren’t as well outfitted as any public restroom in North America. For a second, I consider complaining out loud because that’s what French do, they complain. However, I also realize that French are used to shitty public restrooms, pun intended. It’s quite a miracle when washrooms are free, when toilets are flushing and when there isn’t an angry homeless woman sleeping inside a stall. So, like other female passengers trying to emerge from the plane looking fresh-faced, I use a soap sample I keep in my handbag, I dry my hands with my own Kleenex and I walk out with my chin high.
My second stop is at the Relais H, a ubiquitous chain of convenience stores in airports and train stations selling newspapers, cigarettes, snacks and drinks. I grab a magazine. And a second one. They are cheap, less than two euro each. I need to catch up on stars I don’t know, movies I’ve never heard of, scandals that never made their way across the Atlantic Ocean. I need a drink too. Coke bottles are slimmer and more expensive than in Canada. I add a pack of American cigarettes to the total. No one asks for ID—in France, if you’re old enough to say “un paquet de Camel”, you’re old enough to smoke.
I fumble in my pockets for euro coins. I always keep foreign currencies in my travel bag, it saves me the hassle of withdrawing money as soon as I land. Most ATMs in French airports are out of cash or out of service. Besides, I have to use a BNP Paribas ATMs if I want to skip the “convenience” fee charged at foreign ATMs because Scotiabank has a partnership with the French bank.
The employee waits patiently as I count my change. Anywhere else in France, he would sigh impatiently. But airport employees are used to stupid foreigners who don’t master the European currency. For a few more hours, I can pretend I wasn’t born and raised in France.
I don’t have the exact change so I hand out a fifty-euro bill. This is not a small mom-and-pop shop but a chain of stores that sell two-euro Kinder Bueno chocolate bars. I’m sure they can break a fifty.
I hang around the bakery, a Paul franchises. I haven’t seen French sandwiches in a long time, they look exotic to me. Butter, ham and cheese instead of a bun with a beef patty and copious amount of mystery sauce and ketchup. Fancy panini on specialty bread instead of a soft bun with a sausage topped with radishes, mustard, and ketchup. Desserts that aren’t a cookie—chocolate chips or peanut butter—but fruit tarts, éclairs and buttery viennoiseries.
And this is “just a franchise” for most French, nothing special about it. Some may even call the products “bland” and “industrial.” But in France, even “junk food” looks fancy.
I don’t buy anything yet.
My mom always asks me what I crave, but I can’t picture French food unless I’m in France. Well, I can’t picture it, I guess, but I forgot what it tastes like, what it smells like. For me, “French food” in Ottawa is these few imported products I can buy easily, like Vache qui rit cheese, LU cookies or Bonne Maman jam. This is strange, I noticed I completely forget what local specialties taste like as soon as I leave the country.
Finally, we step out of the terminal and officially walk on French soil. I look around and feel like I’m a character in one of Mark’s Lego sets because everything is so small and so narrow. One, two, three. That’s it, I’ve just crossed the street. In Canada, I have to run across Merivale Road if I want to make it to the other side before the light turns red again.
I light up a cigarette. Eh, don’t judge. At least, I was Canadian enough to refrain from smoking inside the airport, where it’s prohibited but signs are often ignored.
I see familiar faces. A year has gone by but I generally don’t find anyone changed. I don’t know whether I changed. I don’t ask. Unlike Chinese folks, French don’t spend half an hour commenting on the weight you gain, the noticeable white hair or whatever physical “flaw” you may display.
I mean, French probably do it behind your back to spare your feelings.
The official verdict is always the same: Mark grew up so much, I look tired and Feng still doesn’t speak French. It’s been too long, we won’t stay long enough, we hug, we kiss. There is always someone to ask when we left, local time, and what time it is across the Atlantic and I can’t remember or won’t do the math. Time up in the air just doesn’t exist, it’s irrelevant. You board a plane and hopefully land somewhere, that’s all.
Magic.
France has been through a lot since our last visit. It feels like catching up with an old friend who hit a rough patch, got divorced or was laid off. There is this awkward moment when you both sit down and want to address the elephant in the room—“so…” I feel the same landing in France. There were the terrorist attacks in November, then floods in the spring, months-long protests and strikes over labour law changes, and now another terror attack a few days ago, in Nice.
Pauvre France… Long time no see. Let’s spend a bit of time together, shall we?
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OMG, you’re describing exactly what I do, except for the smoking part. And usually I have to make my own way home from the airport.
But yes, horrible dirty toilets (why can’t we do it better?), Relay for French magazines and drooling at Paul. Oh and the smell in the street, with the mix of bread, dog shit and smoke haha
Bon sejour!
And my family doesn’t do it behind your back :/ always nice to have my weight / clothes commented on as soon as I see them
Eeek… :-/ That sucks. At least, I hope some of their comments are positive, you look great!
Where do you land in France, usually? CDG? La province?
Thanks, usually positive, but also things like “oh I bet those pants are from Canada” with a frown haha
And CDG or sometimes Brussels. I’ve also been know to go to London and then take Eurostar…
I envy you, I could use some delicious French food right about now 😉
So it wasn’t just a fluke! When I was in Caen, all the toilets I could find in the university were shitty, no toilet papers, no toilet seats even!
Toilet seats aside, I hope you have a good time in France!
Not a fluke, French really have an issue with bathrooms :-/
“I hang around the bakery, a Paul franchises”
And this is “just a franchise” for most French, nothing special about it. Some may even call the products “bland” and “industrial”. But in France, even “junk food” looks fancy.
===> Zhu, are you referring this to Paul Bakery and Patisserie ? It opened its first store in Jakarta 2 years ago if I am not mistaken, and located in one of expensive shopping malls in town. Yes, it was very fancy and cost a lot for me.
last year, the store has argument with what I called it…hmm…app-based delivery service (a start up company) and the “fighting” went viral thru social media. Many people said Paul Management a bit arrogant,
I wish I could send you the link in English.
I was in Paris when I read the news in socmed, and…I just knew Paul Bakeries is just any other pastry shop that locates in Train station, park, bla bla bla…not a luxurious shopping mall. to give you a picture, the anchors of the mall are LV, Gucci, those high end brand.
and about the toilet….huuhhuhuhuhu….it cost very much to me :(( a paid one, yet …dirty…
Yes, that’s the one I guess, a bakery with a green color scheme? It’s actually pretty expensive in France too. They mostly work being in convenient locations, like train stations and airports. But local bakeries are tastier and less expensive.
“I mean, French probably do it behind your back to spare your feelings.”
Ah! 🙂
😉 Le savoir-vivre… 😆
Hi Zhu,
Saw this post this morning, was telling my husband that I would invite you and your family to our house, then I bumped into you in downtown! Let me know if you want to meet up. Please send me an email tbeeean@yahoo.com.
Have a nice time in France.
I can’t believe we bumped into each other! I just landed on Thursday and I was going to email you 🙂 I’ll email later tonight, when the apartment will be quiet!
Ahh – enjoy your time in France 🙂 My Auntie lives in France and my sister has a house there too, she and my brother are both currently in France. Such a wonderful, beautiful country. If I could have chosen to be born anywhere it would have been France.
Aaaw… and we love you guys despite the Brexit 😉
Ghetto facial ?!? LOL LOL !!
Have fun in France ! 🙂
Thank you!