Those in my close circle of friends when I lived in Europe and spent a lot of time with me will know that I’m not always as kind to French mannerisms as I am to their neighbours. I enjoy spending short periods of time in France when the weather is nice and everybody’s doing their job, but would never want to be there long-term to suffer during annual strikes, periodical riots, pricey highway tolls, and tolerance for fare evasion.
There are two things I really enjoy when I am in France: the low grocery prices for the quality of the produce and it’s comparative lack of overt prejudice towards people like me. When I was living in Geneva I visited France once or twice a week for very low prices so I could afford a more comfortable lifestyle and try out the different varieties of meat, fruits, and wine of EU member states.
One of the cities I frequented on my shipping trips was Annemasse – a working-class cross-border suburb of Geneva. There was a small branch of the budget French retail chain Monoprix where I liked to buy budget French camembert and red wine from. While I the cashier scanned my wine and cheese, I mistook her asking for my “carte d’identité” (identity card) for an age check when she was really asking if I had a “carte d’affinité” (customer loyalty card).
“I don’t care about your loyalty to France, only your supermarket loyalty.” Cashier lady
