The Inaccurate Tourist

16. Thirteen

I needed to go buy some diving equipment this week because I'd like to go down to the south of France and check out some sunshine and beaches. For one week, I will be hanging out with the diving club from Massy, but for the next I will be either by myself, or hopefully meeting another Canadian detached to France.

Anyway, I found myself in the Latin Quarter (5th arrondissement) looking for a dive shop to buy gloves, boots and a dive belt. This area is quite interesting, around the Sorbonne and the academic institutions. It's called the Latin Quarter for the language of the academics who originally lived there -- it's mainly a tourist area now, with many bookshops (even one sporting a large Canadian flag) and plenty of Greek restaurants. Logically enough.

At the dive shop, I put into practice the single most important piece of advice that I've been given. When shopping in Paris, You Must Ask. Nobody Will Tell You. In fact, I suspect that this isn't true when the shopkeepers know you well, but as a stranger (and a foreigner), you can't expect the same in-your-face service that you get in Canada. Look around all you want, and you won't be pestered, but when you're ready to try things on or want to see a selection, go up to somebody and ask.

In fact, as an expatriate, I've found that piece of advice applies to many situations. You might have heard (from me) that the bureaucracy and "rule-making" in France is excessive. Fortunately, nobody really believes that the rules apply to them. Generally, the person telling you that you can't do something is the ideal person to ask how to get around the rule. But, You Must Ask. Nobody Will Tell You.

Unfortunately, I'm really going to have to rush this area -- maybe I'll come back to it in another travel log. I'm heading to the bus in half an hour, and I want to get to Treize. But this is probably some very important and historical church.

If you're planning on burglarising my home because you know I'll be on vacation, don't bother. I have a friend staying here while I'm away. His in-laws are staying at his place so it works out well. He can water my plants, which are growing very nicely. Except for the coriandre (cilantro), which I threw away because they always seemed to be attacked by insects. I might buy some more when I get back -- I miss the salsa.

I've been told that the restaurants in this area aren't particularly good, because they only expect one-time visitors (tourists). Nevertheless, the windows are very well arranged. This is from a restaurant for cuisine from the mountains -- you can tell because the principal plate is a bowl full of melted cheese.

But speaking of excellent meals, I was invited for a traditional Napolitain meal with the aforementioned in-laws last night. The official languages were Spanish, Italian, French and English. Everybody had a different set of comprehension and speaking abilities, so we were always trying to find translation path for witty comments and general banter. It was an excellent meal and a very amusing time.

XIII (Treize or Thirteen) is a series of famous bande desinées (comic books) that follow the story of a man with complete amnesia trying to discover his past. He was washed up on the shore in New England with a bullet wound to the head. The story is addictive, and very surprising throughout several sub-plots. Here's a little spoiler for those that get the chance to read it: nobody is who you think they are, and don't get too fond of any characters that you believe to be major. In fact, that's generally good advice for life as well, isn't it?

They're cashing in on the popularity of the books with scratch and win tickets. I've captured some so you can see XIII and his ally Major Jones yourself. They rock.

XIII alias Jason Fly. C'est sous ce prête-nom qu'il est supposé arriver enfant à Greenfalls, avec son père adoptif. C'est sous une autre identité quíl y reviendra des années plus tard.

XIII alias Jason Fly. It's under this assumed name that he grew up as a child in Greenfalls with his adoptive father. It's under another identity that he will return there several years later.

Née dans le ghetto noir de Chicago, le Major Jones, pilote de chasse de l'US Air Force, est l'alliée inconditionnelle de XIII.

Born in the black ghetto of Chicago. Major Jones, fighter pilot of the US Air Force is allied unconditionally with XIII.

Major Jones is cooler than all the Bond girls put together. I'm majorly jonesin' for Major Jones.

Kind of a lame log? Don't think I put enough time in on it (I didn't)? Then identify that church and give us some information about the Latin Quarter, the Sorbonne, the Museum of the Middle Ages, the Fountain of Saint-Michel and XIII!

Posted by The Inaccurate Tourist at April 26, 2002 12:00 PM