Le shopping: part deux
It turns out Christmas shopping in Paris can be much, much more difficult than one would be led to believe. Take, for instance, my notion that most people for whom I’m buying gifts will be happy with just about anything quintessentially French. So I find the perfect gift, am about to go stand in a really long line to pay for it, when I notice a message on the bottom reading, “Made in Pakistan!!!” (NOTE: I added the exclamation marks.) Granted I was never a stickler for “Made in USA” products while living back home, but it seems so anti-whatever to purchase made-half-the-other-way-around-the-world presents here in France! I remember last year in Scotland being so proud to find a scarf with an attached label stating, “100% Wool, Woven in Scotland.” But looking back on it, the wool could easily have come from sheep in New Zealand!
This isn’t meant to be an anti-globalization rant, but I guess there’s at least a tinge of it in here. I mean, sure it was a godsend to be able to drink Coca-Cola in a remote African village a couple summers ago, but I’m a little irked to be mailing Hallmark greeting cards (albeit in French) back to the States this Christmas.
Where’s a good compromise? I don’t know… at least not yet.