monday confessional

So yesterday around lunch time it was raining and super gross outside, so a lunchtime field trip or a long leisurely lunch at a cafe was out of the question. So I did something bad...something shameful. I went to McDonalds!!! I know, I know -who goes to the city with some of the best food in the entire world and eats fast food? Me, I guess. Perhaps I could try to justify this trip as a social experiment, but if you are reading this you know me well enough to know I really just wanted something delicious from the golden arches.

I was half expecting the McDonalds to be pretty similar to the ones in the states, but there were some major differences! First, there was a whole other side counter that only sells McCafe which looked to have tons of fresh pastries and coffees and such. The main counter was a total mob scene with people crawling all over each other! This picture really serves as Exhibit A that French people have no idea how to stand in line. Lots of cutting from left and right, but I finally managed to crowd surf to the front and ordered my "Royal Cheese".

I carried my tray upstairs and got a stool along one of the window bars so i could watch people on the Champs Elysees while I ate my combo...and you know what? That burger was good! I think they might make them with real meat over here...what an interesting concept.

As I was leaving the sun started to peak out from behind the clouds and I witnessed one of the strangest things I have ever seen. A woman and her son approach a bench. The woman then takes a shiny piece of gold fabric out of her purse and proceeds to drape the cloth over her son and put ties around so that the fabric is held very tight against his body. She then took an Egyptian King Tut mask out of her bag and put it over his face (the boy does not say a single word during this whole process). The boy is now immobilized on a bench dressed like King Tut and the mother walks away.


The only rationalization I could make for this is that they must be trying to get money, but there was no cup or place to collect the change. So to me, it just seemed like an Egyptian king hanging out on a city street bench. Very strange. I wish I could have watched longer to see what came of it but I had to go back to work...boo.