20. Walk a Dog

But where are you really, really, really, really from?

I've been here long enough that the question « Vous êtes de quelle origine ? » or "Where are you really from?" no longer phases me. It's so common that, even if the person asking does have nefarious intentions, I can't summon enough energy to be angry or even annoyed.

The question that I find more interesting is, « Quelle race? » or "Which breed?" Usually (and hopefully) this question is referring to a dog.  

My first two years in Paris, I was, among other things, a moderately in demand dog walker. Despite the many dogs frequently seen dining en terrasse in many cafes and restaurants here, Paris is not a very dog-friendly city. Unless you live near either the bois de Boulogne or Vincennes, you'll have a hard time finding sizeable parks and green space that allow dogs.

Because of this, I find that dog-owners here are usually surprisingly friendly with each other. During my first months in Paris, when I assumed the closest person I would ever have to a French friend was the one bus driver who didn't glare at me, this was a nice discovery.