Today’s been a big day for me. Well, I guess it’s technically two days...I just haven’t gone to bed so it seems like one big memorable day. Memorable, yes. Why, you ask? My suitcase was 65 lbs this morning when we weighed it and I whittled it down to 49. Memorable. I cried all the way through the security line for the first time because I said goodbye to my brother for two years. Memorable. And I survived a 10-hour plane ride and ended up in Paris. Memorable.
Guys. The plane ride? Besides the beef bourguignon they served for dinner, nothing special. But the people on the plane? RAD. Some prime people watching times, folks. I sat next to a couple from New Zealand with very enviable accents. Does everyone know that I have always wanted to marry a Polynesian or New Zealander? Because I have. So, I was delighted to find out they were from New Zealand. We talked, they mentioned that they have children about my age, and I was thinking this is looking real good for my future prospects. I ask, “how many children do you have?” They respond, “We have three girls.” Dang it. But they were great plane buddies so I didn’t hold it against them. Okay, now on to my favorite people-watching victims. FRENCH PEOPLE! I can’t tell you how fascinating it is to watch French people. They’re so…FRENCH! There was a French version of Rolph from Sound of Music sitting a few rows ahead of me who was all smiles and helping hands for the other passengers…and of course he was with Leisel. Seriously, they looked like they could have come straight from the arms of Julie Andrews. Then there was the French woman-baby who I named Claire-Marie, a little toddler whose face just LOOKED like a grown French woman’s.
And then there was my favorite—Cyrano De Bergerac. If I had to sum him up in one word it would be SHNOZ. Capital S, capital H, capital N, capital O, capital Z. His nose made Barbara Streisand look like a frostbite-on-the-nose-and-had-to-amputate survivor. He started off the day by reading “Le Monde,” the French newspaper, then later moved on to “Les Super Bonus Du Foot.” I don’t know what that means, but it makes me happy. But my favorite part of the day was when he sneezed. You would have thought he’d bring the plane down with a sneeze, but it was the most tiny, dainty little sneeze I’ve ever heard come out of a man. Hilarious.
Breakfast was a perfect example of the French man contrasted with the American girl. They brought us a tray with various dainties on it, one of which was a roll with chocolate in it, as well as a plain roll and a small tray of cheese and meat. So I immediately scarf down the chocolate roll. I then proceed to pile the meat and cheese onto my roll, along with the soggy lettuce leaf garnish and the cherry tomato that came with it. Mmm…nice, loaded breakfast sandwich. This is the point at which I look over and see Cyrano breaking off little chunks of his roll and eating them, and then cutting up his little meat and cheese triangles with his fork and knife and gently putting them into his mouth. WOW. I felt so…American. I watched in fascination as he finished up his meal with his little chocolate “dessert” roll. Haha! Oh, it was glorious. Overall, a first rate plane ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment