Ouai, c'est comme ça

So, as ridiculous as it sounds, I've pretty much come up with a highly comprehensible list of food and drinks that I'll miss from France, as well as things that I already miss from the U.S. Food is a very big deal to the French, I've learned, and rightfully so-the food is incredible-but sometimes, they over-exaggerate the difference between all of the regional varieties, and the same variety of ethnic food does NOT exist here. So, here it goes:

Things I can already tell I will miss once I return to the US:

1) CHEAP GOOD bread. Like, giant baguettes for .79 centimes.

2) CHEAP wine at grocery stores. Again, like .98 centimes. It might taste like grape juice, but when all you want to do is have fun, it certainly gets the job done, and it's not too hard to drink.

3) Coca light. I think it tastes better than diet coke, though most people here seem to hate it.

4) Couscous with every meal.

5) French sauces---their obsession with sauces or dressings is a little strange, but they're all delicious.

5) The range of places that I can go for certain items that are insanely delicious and fresh every day. (Boulangerie= bread, Epicerie= mini grocery stores, patisserie= pastries, fromagerie= cheese, laiterie= dairy products, confiserie= candy, butcherie = meats of all kinds, all the "marchés" or markets for fresh food and vegetables). But even french supermarkets are pretty awesome.

6) Kebab. The french fast/street food. It's not actually on a skewer, it's like a sandwich, but it's insanely fucking good and cheap (and greasy). And they're usually open until after some bars close, so drunk munchies, bring it on!

7) French coffee and cafe culture. I won't lie, there HAVE been times where the HOUR to TWO hours it takes the french to drink their coffee and relax has been a little overwhelming, but overall, it's really nice to have waiters not trying to turn over tables, and the coffee is FUCKING DELICIOUS.

8) Tomatoes in France. They taste sooooo much better than in the US.

9) Bread with every meal. Clean up your plate with it, son!

10) The sheer abundance of lebanese pastry shops, all fucking incredibly sweet.

11) Cheap .5 pints of beer and wine in bars, especially Chez Nous, where we are treated like kings because we're pretty much regulars and always leave giant drunk tips. The wine cups may look tiny, but after 3 of those glasses, you'll be laughing like crazy, saying things you never thought you'd say.

NOW, things that I REALLY miss from the U.S.

1) A fucking BAGEL with cream cheese. It's like they don't exist here. And I'm wondering why, because they're pretty much the best things ever.

2) Cheap chinese food. Sounds fucked, but I've wanted crab rangoon several times, and there's really no where to turn at times like those.

3) Bottomless cups of coffee. At 5 euros a pop for a large cafe au lait, a simple black coffee refill cup for $ 2.00 becomes a point of contention.

4) The ethnic diversity of American Food and American supermarkets. French grocers seem to think people would only like to eat French food.

5) Pizza. It does exist here, but I strongly prefer US pizza.

6) Falafel. Nearly nonexistent in Dijon, especially as street or fast food.

7) Spicy foods, especially Mexican Cuisine. I ate at a mexican restaurant in Paris the other day, and while some were saying how hot the food way, I almost cried from how bland it tasted.

8) American convenience and abundance. Super size that fucking milkshake and lets GET OUT OF HERE. But no, that would never fly in France.

9) Hearty breakfasts, and pancakes. French people can't fathom the idea of pancakes with butter and maple syrup, but the thought of being without them for a year is really fucking with my head.

10) It's a southern thing, but chicken biscuits. Enough Said.

11) Apple Juice. It sucks out here.

12) Hot sauce and good hummus. Yeah, good luck trying to find that in Dijon.

And really that's all. Paris was amazing, fantastic really. But, you know what? New York is better. L.A. is better. Maybe not as pretty, but better in my opinion. That being said, I'm really looking forward to my next trip to Paris in a few weeks. WOOT!