French Superiority

Here are some reasons why indeed the French are a superior culture:
1. You can drink alcohol in the park. And lo and behold, nobody gets smashed out of their wits and goes on a rampage. People here have an adult attitude towards drinking.
2. The bread. You can go into the most humble bakery and get yourself a crusty, light, delicious baguette that you will never in a million years will be able to find at the fanciest fake French bakery in the US. At the same little place, you will get yourself a pistachio financier and a strawberry tart that will make you realize that what you consider cakes and pastry is a sad, sad travesty.
3. The Firemen’s Balls, and by this I mean their parties.


Mayor Bloomberg, take note. To celebrate Bastille Day, the French firemen, who are as cute if not cuter than their American counterparts, host popular dances at their firehouses where the whole neighborhood shows up. They sell beer and champagne, and they throw a fabulous all night party where supposedly if they ask for a kiss, they can’t be denied, since they’re busy putting out your burning cassoulet every day of the year. Yesterday we attended one at a firehouse in the 19th arrondissement, in front of a beautiful canal, and it was brilliant.


They had a fabulous cover band that sang every American pop hit from the eighties and before and people just danced their feet off. The atmosphere was truly light and joyous and again, nobody lost their composure. We learned that the Pompiers in France, the firemen, are part of the French Army and are not allowed to ever go on strike.
Can you imagine our NYC Firemen ever hosting a dance?