Appleton in Le Marais

Before coming to Paris I got in contact with a girl I went to middle and high school with, we were in the band and French class together. She lives about an hour outside of Paris and today she came to the city to spend the day with me in Le Marais. I'd been to Paris a handful of times in my life but I'd always concentrated on the museum circuit, Louvre, Centre Pompidou, Musee D'orsay, Musee Picasso etc. so there are few things I've missed, Le Marais and the Eiffel Tower being two of the more significant boxes I havent ticked. Le Marais is the gay and jewish neighborhood. Before we left for Paris I asked Sylvain if we would be able to find Jews in France because my life in New York was all about the Jews. My two best friends are Jewish welcoming me into their families, I love Jewish holidays, we live on the UWS which is predominantly Jewish, when I worked downtown it was across from Jewish bakeries and the Jewish pickle man and of course, Jon Stewart and Woody Allen make New York what it is today. On the other hand who doesn't love the gays, they dress better than all of us and although not exactly the comedians most of the Jews are, they are just as much fun to be around.

Unfortunately this is still Paris, where everything is over-priced. Still there was a great Jewish deli/bakery where I found sesame bagels and gefilta fish in addition to cheesecake, which is certainly New York, but is it Jewish? At over 5 dollars a square I find myself not really caring, because I wouldn't spend that kind of money on cheesecake anyway. All around Paris there are chocolate shops, bakeries, patisseries and delicious food and drink, with everyone weighing around 120 lbs I want to know whose eating it all?

At the Smith party someone told me all the French girls weigh themselves everyday and if they're 200grams heavy they eat soup for dinner. Add coffee and pile on some cigarettes and I believe you. My friend from high school French class whose lived here 8 years put it this way- in America people are just bigger but if you ask a friend if it seems like you've gained weight they tell you look great and you should stop worrying, on the other hand in France if you've gained a few pounds the French will tell you and then ask you whether you should really be eating that cheese for lunch considering all the weight you've put on. It's like their friends and co-workers are holding them accountable for their eating- they always say you can't shame a person into quitting drinking or smoking, but I think France has proven that you can shame people into thinness.

Le Marais was just like some part of London I can no longer remember the name of and Soho in New York. It was filled with expensive shops and cute places to eat, drink and spend a fortune this shiny veneer that when you step back no matter how cute it is, no matter how pretty the people, it all seemed a bit empty, propped up by nice things with no real character. Nonetheless I enjoyed every minute of exploring it. That's Paris I guess...