Parisian sharks

Yet another of my very good, very smart friends (I seem to have a lot of those...) gave me two books before I left. "A Year in the Merde" and its sequel "Merde Actually" both by Stephen Clarke. (For those who don't know, 'merde' means 'shit' in French.) I have only read the first, which is an absolutely hysterical novel about the experiences of a British 20-something living in Paris for a year. The book was made even more hysterical by the fact that I could
relate to so much of what happened.

Here is one particularly poignant quote from the book: "Paris is, I was beginning to realize, a bit like an ocean. An ocean is a great place to live if you're a shark. There's loads of fresh seafood, and if anyone gives you shit, you just bite them in half. You might not be loved by everyone, but you'll be left in peace to enjoy yourself. If you're human, though, you spend your time floating on the surface, buffeted by the waves, preyed on by the sharks."

I can't decide whether I agree with this assessment. I go back and forth. Paris is a tough city. It can certainly be a lonely city. And it is definitely both scary and frustrating at times. If you're not careful, you could get knocked aside, tossed into the proverbial gutter, and no one would notice. Everyone here seems hardened by something. I don't know whether it's just a French thing (maybe something about never having actually won any wars...) or something else.

It's not to say that they are all mean or uncaring. They just are not as open to warmth or sympathy as other places I have been. I have certainly met a number of nice, friendly Parisians. But what I am saying is that in general, these are not a people who will go out of their way to help you. Because who are you anyway, I have to get back to my croissant and espresso.

Doing my level best, as a lowly human floating among the swimming sharks and being beaten by waves (like yesterday's clobbering by the subway turnstile), I decided to make an attempt at French cooking this evening. I won't bore you with the details about how the market was closed at 1pm on a Tuesday or how I absolutely could not find granulated sugar. Just the report:

Ratatouille - not ideal, another attempt may be necessary.
Chicken - even less ideal.
Supermarket Burgundy Pinot Noir - surprisingly decent; great at easing the pain of cooking a mediocre meal.
Strawberries marinated in balsamic vinegar and sugar (from crushed cubes.. grrrr) - A+