Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Loving (and a little hating) in the "City of Love"

I have a love-hate relationship with the Parisian Metro system.  I love that even when I don't know exactly where I'm going, I do know that the Metro will get me there (please keep any philosophical and/or practical comments about getting somewhere when you don't know where you're going to yourself).  I love the art nouveau Metro signs that make public transportation seem glamorous.

On the flip-side I hate that my beloved Metro regularly smells like a public restroom.  I keep hoping they will come in and bleach those lovely white subway tiles into germ-free, non-smelly oblivion, but I'm not holding my breath...except for when I'm in the really stinky places.

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There is no doubt, that Paris really is the "City of Love."  It's actually inspiring to see elderly couples holding hands as they walk down the street together.  (Random note:  I keep telling my roomie that I'm going to "steal" one of the well-dressed Parisian babies I see on the street.  I think she is going to steal a cute set of hand-holding Parisian grandparents).  Couples are, generally, more demonstrative than we are in the US and typically it's pretty cute...but not always.

Paris is oozing with places to have a romantic moment:  lighted bridges, quaint little bistros, heck steal a little kiss in a beautiful church...God is a big fan of love.  So why in the world would one choose to have their romantic moment in the afore-mentioned public restroom smelling Metro!?! Seriously friends, this is not something I have seen once or twice, and it is not limited to hormone-afflicted teenagers, you can regularly see those cute Parisian grandparents mid-makeout in the Metro.  In my attempts at learning parisian I am really trying to understand this, but I'm too busy holding my breath to be able to concentrate for long.

My personal favorite happened this weekend as Teena and I took the Metro home from Montmartre.  Squeezed into the train with us was a middle-aged couple that was certainly in Parisian love.  She had slightly frayed hair and was wearing hot-pink/purple-hued lipstick that looked to be the same color as my French tutor's in the US.  I am sure it was quite popular at some point.  He had hair that is just slightly too long and pierced ears (plural) a la "Pirates of the Caribbean."  I couldn't help but notice, as I dodged getting caught in their googly-eyes, that he too was wearing the lovely hot-pink/purple-hued lipstick; not only brightly on his lips, but also brightly in his mustache.  It must have been quite the makeout session!   

So why do the subway makeout sessions happen?  I haven't quite gotten to the bottom of this yet, but I have noticed that there are Durex condom machines all over the city...including in the Metro.  Apparently, after much market analysis, Durex has decided that Parisians are open to a little "romance" anywhere in the "City of Love."  Our Metro encounters strongly confirm this.  I'm just hoping anything we witness in the future stays PG-rated...I don't know enough French yet to tell grandma and grandpa to get a room.

1 comment:

  1. Is Durex a luxury brand in Paris? =)

    I can almost imagine the dude with the lipstick in his mustache - eww!

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