Kathryn’s Reviews > A Family in Paris: Stories of Food, Life and Adventure > Status Update

"Heaven is where the police are British,
The chefs Italian,
The mechanics German,
The lovers French,
And it's all organised by the Swiss.

Hell is where the police are German,
The chefs British,
The mechanics French,
The lovers Swiss,
And it's all organised by the Italians."
- Anonymous

"'The workers are well paid, generally starting at six in the morning (for the breakfast rush) and finishing by lunchtime,' says Peter [a tour guide]. 'There's no real danger except the rats, and the workers are inoculated against nasty diseases. The holidays are good, the work is mindless and not physically hard (just smelly), and the workers have twenty minutes of paid time for a shower afterwards.' Irrésistible!"

Apparently there's a four year waiting period if a resident of Paris wishes to become a sewer worker!

"A French acquaintance finds it very amusing that Anglo-Saxons are forever making up excuses and saying sorry. 'It is island thinking,' she says. 'Small-mindedness. And you say thank you for anything and everything too! If you called up your dentist with a dreadful toothache but he couldn't fit you in, I bet you would say, "Thanks, bye". Why would you thank someone who couldn't accommodate your needs? Très bizarre!'"

On buying clothes in a Parisian boutique: "You walk in and say Bonjour, Madame. (This is a must. You are invading their territory and are lucky to be in their boutique so you had better suck up by saying bonjour first.)"

I'm loving this so far - it's a bit journal-like and with gorgeous Parisian photos - makes me want to go back!