What's Different About France

As Caroline and I get adjusted to France we're noticing a lot of differences from the states (obviously).  Here are just a few:

• Bread, bread, bread.  Apparently the anti-carb craze that attacked the U.S. several years ago has not yet invaded France.  Every meal comes with bread.  If you buy a take-out (en porter) salad, they throw a piece of bread in it, if you want a sandwich, it is one piece of ham and a giant baguette.  So be it, it is delicious.
• Nothing is open late.  As our friend Alex rightly pointed out, nothing is open late at night in Paris, so if you have the late night munchies, you better hope you have some baguette back at the apartment or you are SOL.
• Dog poop in the street.  Any one who has been to Paris knows this one, but if you haven't been, Parisiens do not feel obliged to clean up after their dogs, so walking the sidewalks requires a heightened level of awareness.  If you ask Caroline, she will note from first hand experience, that this attitude sometimes also applies to the homeless, who also don't clean up after themselves...
• BO.  Based on my previous experiences, I have to say that this trip to Paris has been less smelly than those in the past, but it still remains a serious issue.
• Pace of life.  Everyone knows that everything runs a little slower in France, but Caroline and I saw one of the most egregious examples the other day at the grocery store.  While waiting in line during the evening rush, the woman in front of us decides to pay for her two tomatoes in pennies.  While this is something that I have seen before in the states it proceeded to get worse as she and the cashier decided to hang out and chat about life for a few minutes.  All this while about 6 people waited patiently in line to buy their groceries.