I really do appreciate your insight... perhaps I am just jaded in letting the French part of me out at times... I am not so proud of that lineage. I have pals that found some of the newer French weaponry in Iraq... that France had given to saddam to kill American heroes. That has angered me for years.
Merry Christmas FRiend,
LLS
Your more recent experiences and recounting here is greatly appreciated. Not sure if/when I may go to Paris again. It is a beautiful city that will steal and for some break your heart.
I’m sure you were a fine representative there of our country. I was first there for the 98 World Cup. I found just breathing the air on arrival outside my hotel intoxicating. I don’t know why, it must be just me as I don’t even speak French.
I still tell everyone that they should try to get to Paris once in their life. Now if confronted or treated badly I would be a bad nightmare to others but since my trips were before the Iraq war, I didn’t have those issues.
But I do remember some slams on American “culture” and a running joke that whoever is a fat person in the street must be American. Didn’t let it bother me one bit. Just a few citations of what music/movies folks have seen is enough of a reminder of how tedious French culture can sometimes be. Watching only briefly their TV variety entertainment is enough to make one ill with the hollow sentimentality of the performers.
As for their support of Hussein it went right down the line and Banque Paribas was a warehouse of illicit funding for Saddam. In fact it was the tyrant’s national bank for all intents and purposes.
I got into a fight once after a business meeting with some French colleagues here. One guy was touting their system even while he came to live here and married an American woman.
Oh when he got that infamous French attitude with me at a bar later I let him have it. And I don’t regret it either. The other French colleague was trying to make the peace saying the systems are just different. Which was funny as he is pretty anti-socialism and came here to escape it.
When the guy started complaining about how he was “bored” and wouldn’t even maintain eye contact while whining I had enough. When he complained about Bush being a cowboy I said “I like cowboys.”
He really went off the deep end and started ranting about the US. So then I fired back about what France had done to Algeria and how Algerians had been killed and thrown into the river right in Paris.
Did get an invite when I looked after some exchange students. One said she would show me around Normandie if I ever get over there. Maybe one day as I really wish to visit St. Michel.
As for the weapons in Iraq, well we know that Chirac was a bastard and committed to supporting Arabic despots to the end. But for those who love freedom and liberty and Lebanon well we stand with those over Chirac any day.
Oh and I’m sure your Southern class was a big hit over there.
And a very Merry Christmas to you too FRiend.