Love/Hate

I've witnessed pretty much everything I love and hate about Paris, or more generally France, in the last few days.

We start with the hate.

The smugness of the Rugby fans at their victory over Wales, acting as if they're worthy to be in the final. Their incessant cheering at even the slightest good thing that France did was so annoying and one idiot in particular from last weeks match kept shouting BOOM at every bloody tackle!
Then an area of sensitivity to me already, the Swimming Pool. Now, I took it on the chin that I had to wear a Swim hat (which admittedly now makes me feel like a pro) and I even wear some super sexy speedos but in France they have somehow drawn the conclusion that NOT having lanes for different speeds makes the most sense. Every time I go I get more and more frustrated as some 75 year old will slide into my lane and proceed to swim so slowly they're literally nearly going backwards! Then I get some look as if I've insulted their child when I try and overtake them! There are people doing Backstroke, stopping for a chat halfway down the lane. It's madness.

Having said that it brings us onto my love affair with Paris. On Sunday I forgot my student card so tried to execute a charm offensive on the lady at the desk to get my reduced tariff. She let me in for free although with hindsight I think I remember the machine being broken and she was letting everyone in free. Never mind.
To my great delight it was raining all day yesterday. I love a good miserable days weather but even I would not do what every Parisian and his wife were doing. On my route to Uni, outside every café I saw people sat on the outside tables, drinking an espresso, reading a book or having some lunch literally acting as if there was  no level 3 gale blowing. I mean yes, they were undercover but I think they were kidding themselves that they were comfortable. But still, I admire their determination to be "European".

Finally. Last night. It came so very close to being one of the best of my life, indeed had I seen the 1 person who turned out not be there, my year in Paris would've been worthwhile and I could've come home now, fulfilled. I am of course talking about Ryan Gosling. My Man Crush of the Year 2011.
I was meeting friends at the cinema on the Champs-Elysées and when I got there I quickly realised there was some sort of premiere, promotion thing to do with the Ides of March. When it set in that some of the actors may actually be there I pelted it to the front of the small crowd (it was chucking it down) and sure enough I was confronted with.... GEORGE CLOONEY!! I was in disbelief at how casually he was 10 feet away from me. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was there too and the whole thing was very surreal. Like I said though, no Gosling. But I'll take George Clooney as a more than adequate reserve prize....