[Culturechat] Good deeds
Phil and Jane King
pandjking@chartermi.net
Wed, 5 Nov 2003 19:03:13 -0500
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I loved Barbara Roy's story of the nun and Jerry Clancy's about the =
hitchhikers--can't resist adding my own.
We've all heard the stories about how rude the French (particularly =
Parisians) are. Personally, I've never found it to be true; our trip to =
Provence and Paris in September/October provided an incident to =
reinforce my beliefs.
I became ill in Provence and was recovering when we went on to =
Paris, but was not yet 100%. On our way to visit the Cluny Museum, I =
suddenly became dizzy on exiting the Cluny m=E9tro station and sat down =
in the corner of the top step to regroup. A woman walking down the =
street approached and asked if I were ill and needed help. I assured =
her that I would be all right in a few moments, and she went on her way.
After a minute or two, it became apparent that I wasn't going to be =
all right "in a few moments" and that, in fact, I was becoming more ill. =
My husband was looking around us frantically for someplace with a =
restroom, when the same woman reappeared. "I knew you needed help," she =
said. "My apartment is just across the street; please come up and rest =
until you are feeling better." I hesitated, feeling awkward about =
imposing. She went on, "I'm not a gangster; I'm a writer. You will be =
safe, and more comfortable there." At that point, a refusal would have =
seemed very untrusting, and besides, I really needed to get off the =
street. So we went to her apartment.
She showed me directly to her bathroom, handed me towels and a gant =
de toilette, and invited me to use her shower if I thought that would =
make me more comfortable. When I came out, she and my husband were =
chatting (he speaks no French, but it turned out she spoke some English) =
and she had poured me a glass of Coke, which seems to be the French =
remedy of choice for any kind of digestive upset. She offered to fix me =
an omelet, suggested that I might like a nap in her daughter's bed, and =
(after consulting a textbook) pressed an assortment of homeopathic =
remedies on me.
We declined the omelet and the nap, accepted the Coke and the =
remedies, and went on our way after about 40 minutes. As we were =
leaving, she handed me a slip of paper with her address and phone =
number, asking us to call her if we needed anything further.
So much for the stereotype of the rude, American-hating French! =20
Jane
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2> I loved Barbara Roy's story of =
the nun and=20
Jerry Clancy's about the hitchhikers--can't resist adding my =
own.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> We've all heard the stories about =
how rude=20
the French (particularly Parisians) are. Personally, I've never =
found it=20
to be true; our trip to Provence and Paris in September/October provided =
an=20
incident to reinforce my beliefs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> I became ill in Provence and was =
recovering=20
when we went on to Paris, but was not yet 100%. On our way to =
visit the=20
Cluny Museum, I suddenly became dizzy on exiting the Cluny m=E9tro =
station and sat=20
down in the corner of the top step to regroup. A woman walking =
down the=20
street approached and asked if I were ill and needed help. I =
assured her=20
that I would be all right in a few moments, and she went on her=20
way.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> After a minute or two, it became =
apparent=20
that I wasn't going to be all right "in a few moments" and that, in =
fact, I was=20
becoming more ill. My husband was looking around us frantically =
for=20
someplace with a restroom, when the same woman reappeared. "I knew =
you=20
needed help," she said. "My apartment is just across the street; =
please=20
come up and rest until you are feeling better." I hesitated, =
feeling=20
awkward about imposing. She went on, "I'm not a gangster; I'm a=20
writer. You will be safe, and more comfortable there." =
At that=20
point, a refusal would have seemed very untrusting, and besides, I =
really needed=20
to get off the street. So we went to her apartment.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> She showed me directly to her =
bathroom,=20
handed me towels and a gant de toilette, and invited me to use her =
shower if I=20
thought that would make me more comfortable. When I came out, she =
and my=20
husband were chatting (he speaks no French, but it turned out she spoke =
some=20
English) and she had poured me a glass of Coke, which seems to be the =
French=20
remedy of choice for any kind of digestive upset. She offered to =
fix me an=20
omelet, suggested that I might like a nap in her daughter's bed, and =
(after=20
consulting a textbook) pressed an assortment of homeopathic remedies on=20
me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> We declined the omelet and the =
nap,=20
accepted the Coke and the remedies, and went on our way after about 40=20
minutes. As we were leaving, she handed me a slip of paper with =
her=20
address and phone number, asking us to call her if we needed anything=20
further.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> So much for the stereotype of the =
rude,=20
American-hating French! </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Jane</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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