Weathering the weather

Friends may have noticed my hangup with the temperature. In over twenty years of living in Paris, France, I can count hot summers on ten fingers, maybe less. We all howled in pain during the heatwave a few years back. Elders died and heat prostration overcame some of us, not me, I was in my glory. Knowing that very few apartments and homes in France are air-conditioned and most people don't even have fans is the tip-off. Although since that heatwave, fans are on sale and available but not really necessary this year. Summer is just not hot here.

A friend asked in mid-August, "Do you think it'll warm up again or is Summer over? My answer is no one knows whither the weather but judging by my past experience, I'd say Summer is basically finished by August fifteenth when the vacationers begin winding their way back home, jamming the highways. I've felt humid heat in Manilla & Singapore to name a couple of places that are not lukewarm. And how about Tokyo and Osaka? Consistent heat like I like it: up in the 90s...hallelujah! Last Spring I toured in both cities and the weather approximated Paris' but not so the summer weather. I'm vowing to spend time next summer in Tokyo or Osaka. Kind of far huh?
Maybe I'll go back to Budapest instead.

On the sunnyside of the street

Once upon a time, streets in France were concave letting used water run down to the bottom, make that the middle. Citizens of high social ranking walked alongside the houses that is, at the top of the street, to avoid soiling their clothing. Could it be possible that some collective memory rests in the French of today, making them against all odds walk on their left instead of staying right as people in countries where one drives on the right normally do? Well, strangers to this phenomenon should know that this habit or lack thereof might hark back to another inherited memory and remember that during the French revolution, high society was brought low, chopped off and done away with and each member of whatever social standing could now take the high road. If this is the case, then what is the excuse of those other people who walk willy-nilly in the middle, on the right or on the left of the street with no rule in mind?

How did you celebrate July 4th, Independence Day ?

July 14th is Independence Day in France, equal to our July 4th celebration. A friend invited us for a July 3rd party in the suburbs, at least an hour by car. I answered the invitation with a subtle hint that transport being a problem - my husband won't be driving for a while - I probably wouldn't attend. However, this friend who is forever sending out emails about his activities, never answers others emails or at least mine. So July 4th, hubby and I spent at home. We got a lot done, worked on writing blogs and etc. at the computer. Know what I mean ?

Then July 5th rainy, windy morning weather cast a damp outlook on the big picnic planned by my friend known on the net as "Island Girl". It was decided to wait until early afternoon, say three o'clock, before going to the planned rendezvous. Three pm arrived, I was ready to party but the weather remained overcast and slightly cool. Unfortunately the long ride and the late hour with thoughts of trekking home on the RER train and bus, I chose to stay home with hubby again. Sure, he couldn't even go downstairs for coffee because of the slippery sidewalk. His leg and foot cast has a metal piece on the bottom, practical for resting ones foot but not practical in the rain with his two canes. By four pm however, the sun shone bright enough for a walk around one of my favorite parks, the Roger Salengro, just up the street from our building.

Also stopped into what is euphemistically called, Clichy Plage (Clichy beach) in the stadium across from the park but that's another story. At any rate, the weekend had nothing to do with those remembered holidays back home: hot, sunny, fighting the traffic to get to the beach. Fried chicken, corn, lemonade, or are my souvenirs going back too far ? After all, France has been my home since nineteen-eighty-four. So how did you spend the American Independence Day ?