La Sainte Bible and why I wear an iPod

Saturday dawned bright and beautiful. It was pleasantly warm with a slight breeze and not a cloud in the sky. You couldn’t ask for a nicer day in Paris. I had some errands I wanted to run and so I decided to do some strolling instead of taking the metro. And because it was so warm out I opted for a skirt, a tank top, and some flats. I was feeling very Parisian wandering along the stores by Hotel de Ville. Out in the square in front of the Hotel de Ville they had a giant television set up and a wide expanse of astro-turf laid down in front of it. It was a special deal set up for the Rugby World Cup where they would replay the previous night's games on the T.V. while people lounged in the sun on the fake grass. There were a ton of people out there sunning and watching rugby. They even had some of the statues in front of the Hotel de Ville dressed up in French rugby shirts.

I headed towards the Pompidou center because a girl at Bible study the night before told me where to find a Christian bookstore there called CLC. I don’t know if it’s the only one in Paris, but close to it anyway. It was pretty neat, similar to one in the U.S. but with a much smaller selection. They had a lot of American music and tons of Gospel because the French love Gospel for some reason. I had been wanting a French Bible ever since the last time I was here, but I could never find one in regular book stores, and the ones I found online were expensive. I was really excited to finally have one. I just think it’s so cool to see how it’s translated and to be able to read it in another language. I also came across a french translation of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe so I got that to have some fun reading to practice my French as well.

With that mission accomplished and the sun warming the streets, I started some aimless wandering. I wandered into a sports store to look at the Rugby World Cup gear, and then spotted a cutesy little boutique across the way so went to check that out. It was a fun place, lots of cooky stuff and I was enjoying browsing even though it was plenty full of people. I had my iPod headphones in, as I almost always do when I am on the street or in the metro, or basically anyplace crowded. I do this mainly to discourage people from talking to me. It keeps me from having to respond to random french comments that I may or may not understand, and even if it doesn’t prevent audacious persistent French guys from trying to hit on you, it does make it a lot easier to ignore them. So I was looking at something on a shelf and there was a guy standing next to me, and because the place was crowded I wasn’t on my guard. He was in my way so when I looked up he caught my eye and said “it’s cute, isn’t it?” indicating the store. “Oui.” I said, without thinking. It was a rookie mistake. I realize the instant I opened my mouth that I broke my own rule, which is- ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ignore guys who try to talk to you. The direction question was difficult to ignore though, especially since I’d already made eye contact. In retrospect I could have pretended not to speak French, or English or any other language he spoke. Ah well, live and learn.

So anyway, I said a curt yes, and turned and walked away. He followed. I was hoping he would take the hint and leave me alone, but I’m not that naive. The reason it is best to just ignore French guys is that they take any type of response as an invitation to keep trying. They just assume you are playing hard-to-get if you tell them to leave you alone. So I continued shopping and he kept hanging around between me and the exit, so I decided just to leave and as I was heading for the door he stepped in front of me. It was a really narrow store and I couldn’t get around him. “Excuse me...” (at least he was polite) “I would really like to make your acquaintance, do you think that would be possible?” he said, smiling charmingly. Don’t be fooled, it may sound flattering, but most guys who accost you in the street and tell you they want to “make your acquaintance” aren’t really wanting to chat over a cup of tea. That was one of those moments when I really wish that I didn’t just know classroom french. The problem I have is that I was trained to speak french so politely as to never risk insulting someone, so I instinctively use the formal form of “you” and always add “madame” or “Monsieur” and am effusive with the “merci”s. And, I have no idea how to tell someone off in French. So a quick scan of my french vocab produced nothing stronger than “Non.” And then because it is habit... I added “Merci” and proceeded to hurry from the shop. Once I got around the corner I had to laugh at myself because, not only did I not tell the guy off, I actually told him no in the politest way possible. “Non, merci!” Ah well, I guess I should add “learn street french” to my to-do list. And I guess that goes to show that earphones are not sufficient deterrence in all cases.

And to end on a good note, a verse from my French Bible. I picked an easy one so you'll know what it says:

"Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu'il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse pas, mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle." - Jean 3:16

-Take care!- Lyndsey