Shalom à la Laverie

It's the little unexpected meetings in a city that can make for a great day. Today after my first language exam at practicum, I got home and decided to do some laundry. I couldn't wait for MCB (host mother) to teach me how to use her machine, so I decided to use the small laundromat that's just down the street from where I live. I was a little annoyed at the closest Ed supermarket (a great discount place) by the fact that the laundry detergents had funky smells (peach almond??) and that the 'envrionmentally friendly' fabric softeners smelled like failed chemical attempts at what should be natrual. Also, there were absolutley no dryer sheets!

Anyways, I ended up settling on one okay smelling bottle of detergent and then picked up some of my clothes to go do laundry. While at the laundromat, a semi-frazzeled woman came in to put in a load and was asking how to work the machines. I haven't mastered on the fly conversation so I tried to help, but another man was able to explain. She asked if I'd be staying a while, so she could leave her laundry cart. I was, so she left it.

By the time my machine was up I had to get change for the dryer so I stepped out to go grab dinner at a Turkish sandwhich spot across the street. I was eathing my dinner when the woman came back and she again was having some trouble, dropping her clothes on the floor while moving it to the dryer. I told her she should use the laundry basket there and she did, but still was dropping clothes. She kept making conversation with me, which I found odd since supposedly french people don't usually talk to strangers. So I kept along. At some point I told her I wasn't from around here, and she asked if I was Brazilian. The turk had asked if I was Mexican. I explained I was a student from New York studying abroad and she said that she was also in Paris studying--working on her doctorate. Although I was doing fine (I guess) in French, she started talking to me in Engligh. As it turns out, she had done her undergraduate in Paris, some masters work in London, and was originally from Israel.

I told her I had a couple friends studying in Israel and she said that she also lived in Tel Aviv for a while. Apparently Tel Aviv is a great city; not too expesnive for cafés and going out but more expensive than Paris in terms of rent. What she really didn't like though was that Tel Aviv was too small and everyone knows everyone and thus their business. She loves that Paris is cosmopolitain enough (as she put it) to be anonymous yet not too big. We kept talking for a while about what we thought of life in different cities, comparing New York, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv. She was surprised that I thought the French were nicer than New Yorkers, but I meant it in a daily politeness kind of way. New Yorkers are loud and rude--but help you out when you need it--and I miss it. It is true though that it's hard to make first contact with the French, so this was refreshing. We kept talking while folding clothes about equality of opportunity, life in an unknown city, and the burgeiose nature of life in Paris. Apparently London has the big city feel of New York with out the 'froo-froo' of Paris. She hasn't been to the States yet, but would like to.

We parted ways after she was done and with a Shalom said it was nice talking. For those of you wondering: no, she's not young enough to be of any interest for me and no, she's not a hot Israeli soldier babe. Still, it was nice talking to her and its another example of how international (cosmopolitain?) Paris really is. Tonight I'm going out for a friend's birthday to Le Cab. I'd heard of this place and supposedly it's great. Can't get in too late though, since tomorrow is our first day trip to Reims to checkout the cathedral there and some champagne caverns.

Guess it's cabarteting and champagne for now. Hope all's well.